Ice Dragon

Description

The glacier-blue ice dragon resides in the forbidding lands of the Arctic Circle. Because of its remote home, it has seldom been seen by humans. Instead of breathing fire, it can freeze its foes with a blast of super-cooled air before soaring off into the clear sky.

• Scientific Name: Draco glacies
• Characteristics: With four sharp claws on each foot, the ice dragon is sure footed even among the frozen lands it calls home. Its thin wings allow it to float effortlessly in cold air.
• Size and Color: Several shades of blue and white allow the ice dragon to blend in with its icy, shimmering homeland. At 6 inches long and 5 ½ inches tall, it’s about the size of a large slice of bread.
• The Ice Dragon is part of the Dragons collection.

History

Ice dragons were discovered by humans quite recently, as technology and ship construction have only recently allowed explorers to travel deep into the Artic. Ice dragons prefer cold, icy lands where they can blend with their surroundings, which limits their range. Some fossils have been found in Europe and Canada, suggesting that the dragons ranged farther south during the last ice age. In any case, with their limited range and fierce territorialism, their numbers remain low.

Story

In 1845, Sir John Franklin commanded two English ships on an expedition into the Arctic to attempt discovery of the Northwest Passage. The ships carried 129 men and 930 gallons of lemon juice. They were powered by engines meant to break pack ice, and their bows were covered in metal to blast through tight spots. However, the expedition was wholly unprepared for the greatest danger of the north: the ice dragon. The first clue was a hunting party that went missing without a trace. Then one ship was damaged during the night, having struck an unknown object in clear seas. A day later, during a snow storm, the mast was snapped off the other ship, and men reported seeing a dark shadow pass overhead. As they moved further north and west, the doomed crews encountered more resistance. Crew members disappeared from night time watches, oars were snapped off in calm seas, with tooth marks and scratches left behind. Sir John Franklin and his crew were never heard from again, but an expedition over 150 years later discovered a ship’s log buried in the ice. The ships themselves have never been found.

• Recommended Age: 4+
• Size in cm: 15 L x 12.5 W x 14 H
• Size in inches: 5.91 L x 4.92 W x 5.51 H