Female Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Ather Coatl
Birthday: Sunday, January 15, 2017
Owner: Katnilb
Element: Neutral 
Ather coatl hatchlings hatch with exceptionally fluffy down which allows them to stay warm despite their small bodies. Adults incubate their eggs during the early spring, but unlike birds do not feed their offspring, leaving the hatchlings to find their own food shortly after they hatch. Ather coatls are born with fully functional wings and learn to use them quickly, though it takes many months for them to reach the speed and agility of the adults. Flocks remain in the same territory throughout most of the summer, giving the young enough time to grow and build up a layer of fat before the entire flock migrates south to winter in the swamps of Taggelisk.
Though common in northern forests, travelers are likely to hear an ather coatl long before they see one, as these small feathered serpents use a variety of chirps, trills, and whistles to communicate with one another. Their wingspan typically reaches less than a foot in length, and unusually for quetzalcoatls, ather coatls have fairly short bodies compared to their necks and tails. Their prehensile tails help them grasp branches, while the compact size of their bodies helps them retain heat during the cold winter months. Also aiding in this endeavor are the delicate downy feathers which coat most of their bodies. Ather coatls are distant relatives of the eastern quetzalcoatls, little about their behavior would indicate this. They live in medium to large flocks, often containing several related coatls, and spend most of their time in trees, often nesting in abandoned bird nests and tree hollows. Each coatl hunts individually, usually for small animals like mice and insects, though unusually for quetzalcoatls, ather coatls will also eat berries when they can find them.
Sprite art: Lazuli (hatchling) | Description: PKGriffin