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Nilia Pygmies were released on May 21, 2011, for Dragon Cave's 5th Anniversary. They were released alongside the Crimson Flare, Mistlet, Misfit and Seawyrm pygmies. On May 21, 2021, a new bred-only green variant was released. Like all pygmies, their eggs cannot be bitten by Vampire Dragons and they can only breed with other pygmy dragons.

As of June 25, 2017, these dragons may produce Dusk Pygmies when bred to Crimson Flare Pygmies.

Official descriptions[]

Egg[]

This tiny egg is heavier than you expected.

Hatchling[]

Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It is very active and playful.

Mature hatchling[]

Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It is very active and playful.

And look! It has grown wings! It must be close to maturing.

Adult[]

Nilia Pygmies reside mostly in mountainous regions, tending to live in large flocks. They are a curious, hyperactive species; their curiosity often gets them into dangerous situations. Despite this, they are wary around other dragons and animals outside their species. They are naturally shy and seek their own kind for companionship. Once the trust of a Nilia dragon is earned though, they are highly loyal critters; sometimes to the point of being annoying.

Sprite artists[]

Sprites[]

Series Egg Hatchling Mature hatchling Adult
Blue variant
Female
Nilia blue egg Nilia blue hatchling Nilia blue mature hatchling Nilia blue adult female
Blue variant
Male
Nilia blue adult male
Green variant
Female
Nilia green egg Nilia green hatchling Nilia green mature hatchling Nilia green adult female
Green variant
Male
Nilia green adult male

Egg sequence[]

Stage 0 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Dead
Nilia Pygmy egg Nilia Pygmy crack 1 Nilia Pygmy crack 2 Nilia Pygmy crack 3 Nilia Pygmy crack 4 Nilia Pygmy crack 5 Nilia Pygmy dead egg
Stage 0 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Dead
Nilia green egg Nilia green crack 1 Nilia green crack 2 Nilia green crack 3 Nilia green crack 4 Nilia green crack 5 Nilia green dead egg

Retired sprites[]

Temporary event sprites
Series Egg Hatchling Mature hatchling Adult
Holiday 2011 Nilia blue mature hatchling Holiday 2011 Nilia blue adult Holiday 2011
April Fools' Day 2018
Female
Nilia blue adult female AF 2018
April Fools' Day 2018
Male
Nilia blue adult male AF 2018
April Fools' Day 2020
Female
Nilia blue adult female AF 2020
April Fools' Day 2020
Male
Nilia blue adult male AF 2020
April Fools' Day 2022
Blue female
Nilia blue adult female AF 2022
April Fools' Day 2022
Blue male
Nilia blue adult male AF 2022
April Fools' Day 2022
Green female
Nilia green adult female AF 2022
April Fools' Day 2022
Green male
Nilia green adult male AF 2022
Retired sprites
Series Egg Hatchling Mature hatchling Adult
Original adult Nilia blue adult original
Retired female Nilia blue adult female retired
Retired dead egg Nilia dead egg retired

Variant determination[]

The green Nilia is a bred-only variant. Any pygmy breed may be paired with a Nilia to produce the green variant, but requires Fertility to be performed on both parents before breeding. Abandoning a green Nilia egg will cause it to revert to the standard blue coloration. If a green Nilia egg is teleported it will not revert to blue, however.

Variant Action
Nilia blue egg
Blue Default
Nilia green egg
Green Fertility on both parents

Encyclopedia entry[]

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Encyclo title bar

Appearance/Basic Anatomy

  • Females are slightly bigger and heavier
  • Rub their horns on bark to sharpen them and keep them healthy.
  • Nilia Pygmies have tiny scales that can only seen by close observation.

Hatchling Behavior

  • Hatchlings stick in small groups to stay safe
  • Shortly before maturation, their beak like mouths will start to disappear, gone by the time they grow wings.
  • Nilia hatchlings are very active and playful. They learn by interaction, so if a hatchling doesn’t get enough interaction it can appear less intelligent than others of the species.
  • Hatchlings are born without horns, which they don’t gain until adulthood.
  • They are very curious and adventurous hatchlings when in a safe environment, [sic]

Adult Behavior

  • Nilia dragons have very little magic, when they do there is a long rest before they are able to do it again, so it’s saved for the most dire need.
  • Capable of turning rock into bright and fiery gems, though they only do it rarely and only of their own free will.
  • Their warning sound is a shrill shriek, as if from a hawk. They communicate with a large variety of chirps.
  • Nilia adults are good parents. They watch closely and are very interactive with their offspring.
  • Adult temperaments depend on how they were raised; if badly raised they can be a handful.

Habitat

  • Mountains, right near the tree line. They love sunning themselves on large boulders.
  • Can sometimes be found in the lower forests surrounding mountains.
  • Nilia dragons live in large groups, of about twenty, within caves.

Diet

  • Small mammals such as rodents, birds. Love fish and will hunt often for it. To hunt fish they work together much as a dolphins would.
  • They rely more on speed then on stalking.
  • They also will search out vegetation to eat.
  • The vibrancy of the Nilia depends on the quality of their diet.

Trivia[]

  • Prior to the 2015 sprite update, this dragon did not have dimorphism. During the update, the female sprite got an additional update after feedback on the forums regarding the female's neck positioning.

Additional information[]

Name:

Nilia Dragons were discovered by Nilia Abbercliff, a young girl, when she strayed from a mountain path on a hike. She was trying to find her way back when she heard a chirp from a cave above her. The chirp was a mix of a cat’s mew and a babies soft cry. Intrigued, she climbed up to examine the sound. What she found was the species that came to be known Nilia’s Dragon, shortened over time to just Nilia Dragon.

Habitat:

Mountains, right near the tree line. They love sunning themselves on large boulders. Nilia dragons live in large groups, of about twenty, within caves. Nilias can sometimes be found in the lower forests surrounding mountains, but as a rule they will live in the mountains.

Diet:

Small mammals such as rodents, birds. Nilia dragons love fish and will hunt often for it. To hunt fish they work together much as a dolphins would. They rely more on speed then [sic] on stalking. They have a huge weakness for apples and will do anything they can to get one, it’s one of the few fruits they will eat.

Mating:

Nilia dragons come together in the spring and fall in mass numbers to breed. Some breeding swarms have hundreds of dragons, but it is much more common to find them with sizes of around ninety. Their eggs are heavier than normal because of their thick shells which protect from falling rocks and avalanches. While still in the shell, baby Nilias develop beak like mouths, to break the egg shell, which they quickly lose as they grow.

Wild Behavior:

They are very wary of other dragon, and non dragon, species. They only truly trust their own species out of instinct and are more prone to flight than fight. They have an intense curiosity of anything foreign to them and will examine the object until they find something more interesting. They will then loose almost all interest in the previous object. Nilia dragons are diurnal.

Tame Behavior and keeping:

It is possible to earn the trust of a Nilia, but it is quite difficult. They are easily bribed by food and finding the right treats will quickly gain you favor in their eyes. If you manage to earn their trust they will clamor for your attention constantly. It is often suggested that dragon keepers keep more then [sic] one, unless you want all your time taken up by these creatures. Nilia dragons hate being confined in small spaces and need plenty of space in which to live.

Hatchling behavior:

Hatchling Nilias are extremely active and even more curious than the adults. They are a handful to raise, getting into everything they shouldn’t. At about three days their beak like mouths will start to disappear, and by the time they grow wings, it is all but gone.

Dimorphic Differences:

Females are slightly bigger and heavier. Other then [sic] their size, it is impossible to tell the gender from their looks. Personality wise male Nilias tend to be more clingy while female Nilias are more independent.

Vocal:

Their warning sound is a shrill shriek, as if from a hawk. They communicate with a large variety of chirps and are often mistaken for cats.

Magic:

Nilia dragons have very little magic. They can breath [sic] fire, but it takes about a week for them to be able to do it again, so they only use it in the most dire need. Their only magical ability is to turn rock into bright and fiery gems. They only do it rarely, and even then it does not always work. It is worthless to keep Nilias in order to gain the gems they create, as they will only do it of their own free will.
Corteo (Forum Post)
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