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The Slitherwing is a medium-sized Mystery Class dragon that first appeared in Dragons: Race to the Edge.
Quick Answers
What class does the Slitherwing dragon belong to in Dragons: Race to the Edge?
What is the shape and texture of a Slitherwing egg in Dragons: Rise of Berk?
What creature does the Slitherwing dragon resemble?
What is the nature of the Slitherwing dragon?
What are the known weaknesses of the Slitherwing dragon?
Official Description[]
| “ | Giant winged snakes with venomous scales and fangs, Slitherwings are truly the stuff of nightmares! As if one Slitherwing wasn’t deadly enough, the poisonous dragons tend to hunt in packs. Like regular snakes, a Slitherwing’s bright coloration indicates its venom level. The more colorful the Slitherwing, the deadlier the attack. These oversized serpents slither at top speeds, sedate prey with the toxins in their bites, and drag them back to their pit for dinner. Equally aggressive against Vikings and dragons, Slitherwings fear only one thing: Fire. |
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| — Dragonpedia |
| “ | Slitherwings tend to hunt in packs. Just like regular snakes, their bright coloration indicates its venom level. The more colorful they are, the deadlier the attack. | ” |
| — World of Dragons |
| “ | Slitherwings are highly toxic and aggressive Dragons. While their toxicity is natural, their antagonistic attitude may have resulted from overhunting of the species. What they lack in firepower they make up for in thick skin. Be wary when battling with a Slitherwing, their poisonous scales can accidentally injure allies! |
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| — Dragons: Rise of Berk |
Physical Appearance[]
Egg[]
In Dragons: Rise of Berk, a Slitherwing egg is oval with a slightly irregular shape. Unlike most dragon eggs, the Slitherwing egg has a smooth surface, with no asperities on it. The egg has a solid color as a base and many triangular spots all over it.
In School of Dragons, the eggs are oval, with a rough surface, but similar coloration to the ones from Rise of Berk.
Hatchling to Adult[]
The Slitherwing exhibits a resemblance to a colossal serpent, characterized by its elongated, snake-like physique. Its body displays a vivid and striking coloration, serving as a visual signal and warning of its highly toxic nature, akin to various other creatures such as snakes, amphibians, fish, and insects. Equipped with an array of formidable fangs and teeth, the Slitherwing possesses the ability to inject, transmit, and even spray venom. Unlike snakes and certain dragon species, however, the Slitherwing lacks a bifurcated tongue. Additionally, it boasts an assortment of sharp spines in diverse shapes and sizes adorning the top of its head.
Titan Wing[]
Titan Wing Slitherwings grow much larger in size than their adult counterparts. In terms of coloration, they are yellow with blue and red stripes on their wings and tails. They develop a cobra-like frill behind their head, on their neck. Their eyes become green. The spikes on their heads and the claws on their wings grow bigger and sharper. They are bright yellow with red and blue highlights.
Abilities[]
Endurance and Stamina[]
Slitherwings appear to be quite enduring, as a few individuals were shown to withstand repeated attacks from the riders' dragons, several even taking direct shots to the head only to shrug them off.
Slitherwings are also relentless in their pursuit of prey even after battling other dragons and are persistent enough to capture even the deadliest of foes, such as Death Songs. They can also slither at alarming speeds and are quite agile and maneuverable while flying.
Strength and Combat[]
Although Slitherwings may not possess exceptional physical strength, they demonstrate remarkable proficiency in combat and possess the ability to outmaneuver and outwit their adversaries in swift engagements.
Speed, Agility and Stealth[]
Although they heavily rely on their use of venom to gain the upper hand, Slitherwings also employ the use of their stealthiness and bright coloration to ambush and startle enemies, and their aerial agility and maneuverability to prevent their foes from escaping.
Venom and Poison[]
The Slitherwing secretes venom from its mouth and skin. The venom is fatal to both Viking and dragon alike (only the Grim Gnashers are immune to their poison) and is said to sedate the victim, rendering it immobile and defenseless, allowing it to be picked up by the Slitherwing.
The toxin can quickly be absorbed by victims through any means of contact, although skin-to-skin transmission is the preferred method. Upon contact, the poison quickly enters the victim's bloodstream, causing negative reactions to the body, and can kill a human within a day if not treated with an antidote, as Fishlegs said, "You touch one and you are dead by the next moon." The venom can also be injected when the dragon bites its victim.
Symptoms of Slitherwing poisoning include pale discoloration, green patches on the skin, extreme fatigue, and increasing pain.
The skin-secreted poison can easily be spilled by the Slitherwing using sudden movements, tail flips, or by merely slithering on the ground. It is also able to directly launch quantities of poison at its targets, utilizing its tail as a means of launching it. Due to the fact that they are coated in this poison, they are probably immune to it. Despite the lethal effects of the venom, Slitherwing venom is also included in the antidote, along with angel fern root and pine sap.
According to Dragons: Rise of Berk the poison of some individual Slitherwings can smell sweet, as is the case with Sweet-Stripe.
Venom Spitting[]
The Slitherwing has the ability to spit venom from its mouth at potential victims, serving as its firepower and adding to their overall danger. This ability is similar to how different species of spitting cobras can spray airborne venom from their fangs.
Skin Coating[]
The toxic substance that the Slitherwing secretes on its skin is used to coat its entire body, which is why one touch from any part of its body could be fatal. The thick skin coating also protects the dragon from external substances applied to it, such as Death Song amber. The amber is unable to stick to the Slitherwing, and thus unable to expand and solidify, rendering a Death Song attack on a Slitherwing useless. This makes them the only known natural predator of the Death Song because the Slitherwing's prey are other dragons too.
Foldable Wings[]
Slitherwings possess a unique adaptation in the form of retractable wings that can be folded tightly against their bodies, enabling them to maneuver through exceptionally narrow crevices. Their wings have the remarkable ability to retract to such an extent that they appear wingless, resembling the form of a sizable serpent.
Burrowing[]
Although it hasn't been shown, Slitherwings can burrow through the ground to live in them. When Slitherwings are threatened, they hide in their burrowed holes inside their cave to defend themselves.
Weaknesses[]
Fire[]
Similar to Fireworms, the Slitherwings' inability to shoot any fire and their fear of it appear to be their only two weaknesses.
Poison Limitations[]
While their venom is extremely dangerous, their poison has several limitations. As while Death Song amber cannot stick to Slitherwings, their venom cannot penetrate their amber when it is hardened.
Slitherwings have no control over their poison, meaning their toxic substances produced are involuntary. If a friendly Slitherwing like Toksin or Harmhug wanted to cuddle, they could unintentionally harm or even kill the person, unless he or she wears a poison-proof suit.
Grim Gnasher[]
Considering that Grim Gnashers are the only dragons immune to Slitherwing venom and prey on other dragons, they are possibly the only natural predator to Slitherwings.
Pack Dependency[]
According to the description above, Slitherwings tend to hunt in packs. This means that Slitherwings are not effective hunters when they hunt alone, but are still very formidable.
Behavior and Personality[]
Slitherwings are formidable and territorial dragons, known for their aggressive behavior and pack hunting tendencies. They target a wide range of prey, even including dragons in their voracious appetite. Employing toxins to subdue their victims, they transport their immobilized prey to their expansive underground dwellings for consumption. Slitherwings adopt a coiled, spiral sleeping position within caves and caverns. Interestingly, these creatures share a common aversion to fire with Fireworms. Notably, Slitherwings appear to possess immunity to the captivating melodies and amber-based firepower of Death Songs.
Socialized Slitherwings can actually be quite friendly with Vikings. However, showing affection is difficult, due to the poisonous mucus covering its skin, which is uncontrollable. Fishlegs has devised a special full body suit to physically interact with the Slitherwing, Toksin. This suit is also used to cuddle Harmhug, another docile and apparently quite lovable Slitherwing.
Training[]
The Slitherwing's extremely aggressive nature and high levels of toxicity render it very difficult, if not impossible, to train. Even so, according to Rise of Berk, Slitherwings are able to be trained, although it requires some time and introduction to humans. Also, Fishlegs designed a poison-proof suit so he could get closer to one and interact with some of them.
Appearances[]
Dragons: Race to the Edge[]
Season 5[]
This dragon made its debut in the episode "No Dragon Left Behind". When the riders went to find Garffiljorg a new home, they traveled to Slitherwing Island, unaware of the Slitherwing inhabitants. When the snake-like dragons discovered Garff and the others on their island, being extremely territorial, they snuck up on them in their pack formation and attacked the group. Several Slitherwings took Garff as food and disappeared beneath the ground into their lair, where they could kill and eat him.
Stormfly, who managed to protect herself from the Slitherwings by having Garff encase her in Death Song amber, starts acting strangely after she is freed from her cocoon, causing Astrid to believe that her dragon had been poisoned by Slitherwing venom. When the group splits up to collect ingredients to make an antidote, Ruffnut and Tuffnut spot a nearby Slitherwing and try to figure out the best method to extract its deadly venom. The Twins almost get spit poison at by the Slitherwing, but Barf and Belch drag them both away in the nick of time, without collecting the venom.
When Astrid learns that Ruffnut and Tuffnut have failed to retrieve any Slitherwing venom, she grows desperate to save Stormfly. She then charges toward the aggressive Slitherwing and punches it with her bare fist, collecting a handful of venom. Upon becoming poisoned, she collapses in front of the other riders, but not before requesting that they make two doses of anti-venom. The riders later go underground to rescue Garff, who had managed to encase himself in amber to protect himself from the Slitherwings. The pack of wild dragons are then defeated and driven away.
Games[]
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
This dragon appeared in Rise of Berk, along with individuals named Toksin and Harmhug.
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School of Dragons[]
The Slitherwing was introduced in the game in March 2021, along with its Titan Wing form.
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Dragons: Titan Uprising[]
After Maeve betrayed Hiccup and ran away, Astrid called her a Slitherwing.
| “ | The Slitherwing in the grass! You know we'll find you again, right? [src] | ” |
| — Astrid |
Trivia[]
- It is possible that Slitherwings are the natural enemies of Death Songs, since Slitherwings are immune to Death Song amber and likely its siren call. They also live in similar habitats and appear to be particularly more interested in eating Garffiljorg rather than the riders' other dragons, despite sharing similar food sources.
- It is also shown by Garff that the Death Song is the only dragon that can protect itself from Slitherwing poison, since the poison cannot penetrate the Death Song's hardened amber.
- Slitherings are not snakes, despite their appearance.
- Snakes have forked tongues, while Slitherwings don't.
- Slitherwings have teeth all over their upper and lower jaw, while snakes have much fewer teeth.
- Nearly all venomous snakes have two front fangs, while Slitherwings don't.
- The Slitherwing slightly resembles Gigantophis or Titanoboa.
- The Slitherwing's boxy head bears a striking resemblance to an oriental dragon. Its body is patterned like a San Francisco garter snake and colored like a coral snake.
- Due to its legless body and two wings, the Slitherwing is technically considered a form of Amphiptere, a legless dragon with two wings and a serpentine body. It shares this similarity with the Whispering Death and Screaming Death.
- Due to how quick the venom affected Astrid after punching one, and collapsing after catching up to the others, Slitherwing venom appears to be neurotoxic. Elapids like cobras, kraits, mambas, sea snakes, taipans, Australian brown snakes, Death Adders, and coral snakes have neurotoxic venom. In theory, it could be many times more potent than the venom of an Inland Taipan, or even a Black Mamba, combined.
- Like Coral Snakes, the Slitherwing's bright coloration acts as a warning for other animals not to get too close.
References[]
| Slitherwing uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Rise of Berk Wiki page Slitherwing. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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| Slitherwing uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the DreamWorks School of Dragons Wiki page Slitherwing. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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