Contortrix

Subspecies Information pertaining to this dragon's Genes:

Crystal, Facet, and Gembond:
Caves can be ecosystems all their own, and they can often include systems of subterranian lakes. Some are cold and deep like the sea, some steam with volcanic heat, but almost all are rich in mineral and stone deposits. Dragons who enjoy soaking or fishing in these lakes, sitting motionless in their waters for long periods of time, may eventually develop a hide covered in mineral-rich gem material. It may completely encrust their bodies or their wings, or only bond to their hides in a few specific spots, almost like a decoration; either way, these crystals and gems eventually become a part of the dragon itself. This can be a particularly helpful adaptation for feathered and furred species (like Coatls, Skydancers, and Tundras) who are living in particularly damp cave environments, as the crystals give them additional protection against the moisture. These dragons still have bio-luminescent spots or stripes beneath their now crystalline hides, and particularly in dragons with Crystal genes, that glow still shows through from beneath, refracting beautifully through their mineralized hides. These crystal coatings, once formed behaviorally, quickly become inheritable, and these dragons will hatch offspring whose hides are already gem-encrusted.

Runes, Ghost, and Smirch
Cave dragons love to paint their caves, and themselves, with their own formulations of pigments, including glow in the dark pigments. Some clans paint their own bodies with mystic symbols or skeletal ceremonial paint, and others just... had a bit of an accident with their glowing pigment experiments. An exploding accident.