Dathri (singular) - Dathra (plural)
Smooth, soft skin. Vibrant colorations is the norm. Semi-transparent crest, wings, and tail-frill. Wings are modified frills - distinctive undulation pattern when in flight, like a manta-ray. Capable of 'flying' through air or water. Low slung bodies with the splayed legs common in amphibians - distinctive side-to-side motion when walking. Four flexible, dextrous fingers on both front and hind legs, capable of gripping and fine manipulation.
3' to 6' tall - 27' to 54' long - 30' to 60' wingspan (sizes given are standard for an adult between 20 and 50 years of age)
They have a height:length:wingspan ratio of 1:9:10
Average lifespan: 60 years
Oldest Known Dathri: 139 years
Dathra typically communicate through telepathy. "Bare words" (mental communications stripped of emotion and most images) are used to facilitate communication with non-Dathra. Amongst themselves, communications rely heavily on emotion and images, and any conversation can carry hints of "The Mindgame" that the Dathra treasure so highly.
Dathra are carnivorous, requiring meals every few days, and typically eat things that they can swallow whole. For a full adult, flitters and similar-sized beasts are fair game.
Natural regeneration of body-parts - will heal anything short of full decapitation or total system destruction in a few days, including loss of limbs and organs. Will go into stasis if internal organs are damaged or destroyed
Telepathy - words/emotions/images, typically woven together into a seamless whole. Dathra consider "bare words" to be an affront, and take pride in their ability to lie, confound, and otherwise twist the truth without resorting to "bare words".
Gender-swap - in a population skewed heavily towards one gender or the other, certain members will undergo a metamorphosis to the opposite gender (unlimited number of switches, the more times a Dathri has switched, the less population pressure is necessary for it to switch again - individuals that swap enough times will simply become fully functional hermaphrodites)
Dathra prefer to live in locations with larges lakes or other bodies of water nearby. They can't survive pure salt-water, but are capable of existing in "intermediary zones" where fresh and salt water mingles.
Courtship takes place in the sky or underwater, at the female's (or acting female, in the case of hermaphoditism) discretion. Both sexes participate - courtship exists to determine health, strength, and (if both expect to be involved in the caretaking of their children) willingness to commit.
Dathra tend to go into heat every 5 years, unless they are currently caring for offspring.
Any, though dragons that can both swim and fly are preferred.
For Dathra who grew up with parents:
females will tend to require that their mates can swim and don't mind dedicating years of their life to caring for the offspring that hatch. Males will expect to be part of the caretaking of any children they sire.
For Dathra who grew up without parents:
females and males will expect to NOT be part of their children's survival, and will abandon the eggs to their fate the moment they are laid