Hobblegrunt

The **Hobblegrunt** is a medium Stoker Class dragon that lives in forests.

## Official Description

More sensitive than most other Stoker Class Dragons, it changes color depending on its mood: Yellow means happy, purple means curious, and red means... RUN!

The Hobblegrunt will take on anything its opponent dishes out in combat, and then will dish it right back!

## Physical Appearance

### Egg

The egg of a Hobblegrunt has several ridges that look similar to the fins of an adult Hobblegrunt. It is unknown if the fins are for protection, or just for appearance. They are usually purple in color with a lime green tip.

### Hatchling to Adult

Hobblegrunts are colorful creatures. These dragons are bipedal, but they have two small forelimbs with long claws. They have long, but surprisingly strong, thin necks. Their heads are large, with a big jaw that has an underbite, showing their many teeth. They have a small nose horn, in the front of their heads with their eyes just behind the horn. At the back of the skulls, they have a massive fin that acts like a giant radar. They can move this fin to better perceive their environment. Down their back, they have short spikes. Their bodies are long, but their large tails help them balance whilst on land. The tail ends in a fin that helps for stabilization during flight. It has clawed wings, small arms and big legs, much like a Deadly Nadder. Its tail has frilled edges, similar to that of a Monstrous Nightmare. The Hobblegrunt doesn't have a particular color, but instead it changes color depending on its mood:

* Yellow: Happy
* Purple: Curious
* Red: Angry
* Orange: Determined
* Blue: Alert
* Brown: Scared
* Green: Comforted

### Titan Wing

Titan Wing Hobblegrunts have a larger head frill with small 'horns' on the edges, which resembles that of a ceratopsian dinosaur. Additionally, these Titans have grown four small spikes on their long, slender tails and a sail-like fin on their backs.

## Abilities

### Color Changing

The Hobblegrunt is able to change its colors like a chameleon, and it even does so for a similar reason, as, contrary to popular belief, chameleons change color to communicate and show their emotions, similarly to the Hobblegrunt. This ability is also similar to the color changing of the Changewing. However, instead of doing it for defensive purposes, it changes color depending on its mood. It can use this ability to calm other dragons.

### Firepower

Hobblegrunts are able to breathe powerful streams of gold fire, similar to other dragons in their class. The fire is bright enough to illuminate a dark cave, while holding it in their mouth.

### Detecting Frill

    Using the large frill on its head, the Hobblegrunt is able to detect the subtle shifts in temperature, barometric pressure, and the emotional states of nearby dragons or humans. This means that, even if they are blinded, a Hobblegrunt can still navigate the terrain easily.

Hobblegrunts also have the ability to alter the behavior of other dragons in their vicinity, either to calm them or rile them up in the face of a common enemy.

### Strength and Combat

Hobblegrunts are able to carry humans on their backs and longboats that are loaded with a multitude of objects without any signs of struggle. They are also capable on taking on multiple enemies by diving fast and crashing into them.

### Endurance and Stamina

Hobblegrunts can quickly get up after crash-landing or after being freed from a trap. They can also travel long distances while carrying a great amount of extra weight with them without showing any signs of exhaustion.

### Speed and Agility

Hobblegrunts are fast flyers. Their long snake-like body and their long tail and tail fin makes the Hobblegrunt is extremely agile both in the air and on the ground while running. Most adult Hobblegrunts can reach 50 miles per hour in the air.

## Weaknesses

The color changing properties of this dragon can allow hunters or foes to determine its weaknesses or whether or not it is aware of its surroundings.

They will lose all abilities that come with their frill if their frill is injured. This is why they only open it up to sense their surroundings and otherwise keep it close to their neck.

## Behavior and Personality

Hobblegrunts use a lot of visual signals for social communication, as well as communicate with their vibrating frills. This includes changing its color or picking up the emotions of another dragon.

Hobblegrunts live in small social groups, where sharing their mood with others may strengthen bonds and prevent conflict. This is how they evolved the ability to sense each other's moods and even how they came to figure out how to influence them. They can tell another Hobblegrunt exactly how they feel, and they can calm down a situation when a fight is about to break out among them or rile everyone up when their flock needs protecting.

Most Hobblegrunts live close to water, as this is where the adults hunt by skimming the water with their mouth open. When the dragon catches enough fish, it snaps its jaw shut and returns home to eat or feed its family. Some hobblegrunts mate for life and will lay 2-3 eggs.

Baby Hobblegrunts are very playful, with each other, humans, other animals, and even inanimate objects. It's very common to see a hatchling drawing in the sand or dirt with its claws or a stick.

The Hobblegrunt is a calm and sensitive dragon. They are smart and don't make too much noise, but if they sense an unpleasant atmosphere, they can become somewhat aggressive. Thankfully, it is rare for a Hobblegrunt to snap. This is what makes these dragons fantastic therapy dragons. This is because it's able to use its vibrating frill to influence the moods of those around it, so if it meets a flustered, frantic, or fearful person, it can use its frill to send out a calming, soothing signal.

## Training

Hobblegrunts are relatively easy to train, as they are calm and peaceful dragons. If a person saves a Hobblegrunt's life, the dragon will be forever thankful and will stay close to its savior. Some Hobblegrunts on the other hand may require more than just feeding it a fish. Hobblegrunts are very intelligent, and some of them are difficult to train. Though, once trained, they are VERY loyal dragons.

## Trivia

* The Hobblegrunt is from the How To Train Your Dragon universe.
* Hobblegrunts can tolerate extremely cold temperatures.
* Hobblegrunts are diurnal.
* Due to Hobblegrunts having to constantly pick up on visual cues and changes, these dragons have extremely strong eyesight.
* The Hobblegrunt hunts similarly to a modern bird known as the Black Skimmer, who skims the water with its mandible open in order to catch fish.

## Gallery

©ad321©WitchlyHazel©Scarlet-x-Rose©FlittIngerman©TalonV©Syraza
## Image Sources

1. Baby Hobblegrunt by irochelle on DeviantArt
2. Hobblegrunt by ad321 on DeviantArt
3. Hobblegrunt by Voltaic-Soda on DeviantArt
4. Flour the Hobblegrunt by Syraza on DeviantArt
5. Hobblegrunt by TalonV on DeviantArt
6. Hobblegrunt Bust by Scarlet-x-Rose on DeviantArt
7. Hobblegrunt by FlittIngerman on DeviantArt
8. Titan Wing Hobblegrunt by penthousedragon on Tumblr
9. Skullface the Hobblegrunt by WitchlyHazel on DeviantArt