Female Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Athenanas
Birthday: Monday, April 22, 2019
Owner: schtefy
Element: Neutral 
This is easily the strangest piece of fruit you have ever seen. It squawks when you pick it up and although it smells like a nice tropical drink, it has made clear its reluctance to be eaten. Even touching the thing results in it releasing a strange substance from its skin which makes your fingers itch and must be washed off. You think the substance might be trying to digest you, which makes you even more suspicious of the fruit creature. Eventually, you put it into a planter and hope that it grows into something more useful.
Athenanas are not quite fruit but certainly not animals either. Unable to fly, they are similarly slow on the ground, though they can walk and climb when needed. Most of the time, they prefer to hide and rely on their natural coverings for defense. Where a bird might have feathers, an athenanas has tough scales and spiny leaves sprouting from their heads. Females even carry their single hatchling in these spikes to protect them. Most would-be predators think twice after taking a bite -- athenanas exude digestive enzymes filled with tiny crystalline needles that can irritate anything it comes into contact with. That doesn't stop humans from trying to eat them, of course, though in places like Synara, they're more often used as expensive household ornaments. In fact, athenanas are so rare up north that many wealthy Synarans will pay to borrow them for fancy dinner parties. They're cherished both for their unusual appearance and their pleasant smell.
Sprite art: Jrap17 (hatchling) | Description: PKGriffin