- For other uses, see Berengaria.
Draco Berengarius, commonly referred to as the Berengarian dragon, was a species of herbivorous reptilian animal native to Berengaria VII. Under Federation biological classifications in the 24th century they were considered a class Q species. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation; DS9 - Worlds of Deep Space Nine novel: Bajor: Fragments and Omens)
Biology[]
The dragons ranged from 3 to 15 meters in length (though an early Vulcan survey reported two-hundred meter long animals), they had two arms and legs and a pair of wings. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation; ENT episode: "Bound")
Their wings alone were incapable of producing enough lift to allow the dragons to fly. However the animals' biology compensated for this with a complex systems of highly specialised internal organs which ran along the animals' abdomen and tail. These organs drew hydrogen from water and stored it in sacs, the buoyancy of which off-set the weight of the dragons allowing them to fly. Excess hydrogen from the sacs was sometimes expelled through the animals mouths, which when ignited by an electrochemical process in the mouth allowed the dragons to breathe fire. The animals were observed to be strictly herbivores and largely docile. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation)
History[]
The dragons were first observed some time prior to 2154 by a Vulcan survey team. At the time there was some question to the accuracy of the survey's description of the animals. (ENT episode: "Bound")
Some time prior to 2267 Spock observed the species on Berengaria. (TOS episode: "This Side of Paradise")
As a child living on Berengaria, Elias Vaughn was once attacked by one of the dragons in the Vale of Mists. The creature penetrated into the back of Vaughn's skull, causing some slight brain damage and leaving behind its own DNA traces. Vaughn was left with a scar running from his neck to above his left ear. (DS9 - Worlds of Deep Space Nine novel: Bajor: Fragments and Omens, DS9 novel: The Soul Key)
By the year 2293, the dragons were on the Federation's protected species list. (TOS novel: The Fearful Summons)