Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Lianhua Anthosuchus
Birthday: Friday, March 31, 2017
Owner: ApprenticeCrone
Element: Neutral 
Unlike many other reptiles, anthosuchus hatchlings are cared for by their mothers much like birds. While their mother doesn't incubate their eggs or feed them directly, she will regulate the temperature of the nest by covering it in sand or leaf litter, and once the babies hatch she will carry them to a small nursery pool where they can learn to hunt insects and small fish. Anthosuchus adults are generally solitary, but learning social skills early in life is important, and as hatchlings they can already emit the high-pitched squeaks and chirps that in adults become grunts and rumbles to communicate. Although they do not hatch with flowers on their bodies, the buds of their symbiotic lotus plants attach to the crocodile's scales within their first week after hatching, and will stay with them for their entire lives.
Visitors to Taggelisk may find it odd that even in the height of spring when the marsh is full of beautiful flowers, vendors in the market never seem to sell them. No one is prohibited from picking wild flowers as they please, but throughout most of Taggelisk, flowers are considered symbols of bad luck. Weddings feature gemstones and colorful silks for decoration where flowers would be used in Synara or Voltar, and flowers in the city limits of places like Ageti are viewed as weeds. Most of these flowers are harmless, but one in particular, the marsh lotus, is seen as a sign of imminent danger -- and with good reason. The marsh lotus is a rare plant which requires a symbiotic host, the lianhua anthosuchus, in order to survive. It buries its roots into the outer layer of the animal's skin to receive nutrients from the creature's body, and in return it offers camouflage and an enticing treat for the anthosuchus's prey. The flower is highly sought-after for its medicinal properties, but those who go looking for it without understanding how it grows will quickly learn why the inhabitants of Taggelisk fear flowers.
Sprite art: Tekla (hatchling) | Description: PKGriffin