Hydra

Hydras are reptilian monsters common to wetlands and lacustrine environments in subtropical and tropical latitudes. Traditionally considered children of The Torch Mother, hydras are the apex predators of their environment and feed on deer, stegosauruses, crocodiles, and anything else that isn't nailed down. Human casualties are rare but nearly always end in death.

Hydras are around 8 to 12 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh 4,000 to 12,000 pounds. They are covered in thick scales that form olive green and brown stripes over the body. The forelimbs end in blunt claws that range from 3 to 6 inches in length and are often used to dig muck underwater. A hydra is born with three heads but individuals have been oberved with up to nine. Naturalists have not and are not likely to determine the maximum amount of heads a hydra can have. Hydra blood is known for its properties as a contact poison, causing excruciating pain that can last for days. Coverage over a large area of the body can be fatal.

Hydras are ambush predators, using their forelimbs to dig underwater and submerge as much of their body as possible. Once most of the body is underwater, the heads of the animal fan out with only the nostrils and eyes above the water. Hydras have been known to wait for days in a single location for a meal to arrive. The animal stores fat in its tail and will use this reserve to wander to a new location if hunting is poor.

Hydras mate rarely and produce small clutches of 1 to 3 eggs. Young are cared for by the mother for around six months before leaving to establish their own territory, although siblings often kill each other before leaving the nest. Hydras can live to be over 50 years old but rarely survive past 30.

The hydra's most striking ability and the one that has inspired the most folklore is their incredible regenerative properties. Minor wounds inflicted on a hydra heal within minutes while grievous wounds take hours. If a hydra head is severed, two additional heads will grow from the stump. This can be prevented by cauterizing the wound in the few minutes before the growth begins. This process is incredibly taxing on the metabolism of the animal and as such hydras must feed aggressively afterwards or risk starvation.

Practioners of Vidigrek and alchemy are deeply interested in hydras as a powerful tattoo and repository of ingredients, respectively. Outside of these perspectives, the animals are regarded with fear and are used to scare children away from wetlands and forests. The animal also figures prominently in heraldry as a symbol of fertility and growth.