Amphiptere:
These dragons are wide spread, originating in the Americas and, in later years, dispersing their lineage worldwide. While the amphiptere (also spelt "amphithetre") is known throughout the Americas, they have also been sighted guarding frankincense trees in Arabia and in the wilderness of Africa, the Middle East and even so far as Britain (Dragon Fantastic, 2001). Edward Topsell, quoted in The Elizabethian Zoo (1979) wrote of dragon kind (pertaining to dragons in general):

They doe not onely live on the land... but also swimme in the water, for many times they take the Sea in Ethyopia, foure or five of them together, folding theyr tayles like hurdles, and holding up their heads, so swim they over to seeke better foode in Arabia. (p. 154.)

Timid by nature, the amphiptere has been known to hide at the sight of villagers and travellers (Nigg, 2002), though this does not make it shy away from prey animals, which it will jump down upon from trees. This type of dragon has also been called the Jaculus or "javelin snake" in recognition of its hunting prowess (Amphiptere [eaudry.com], 2004; White, 1969).
The amphiptere is famed for knowing every secret of the world, perhaps because as a earthen-based serpent-dragon they are closely associated with nature and the primal forces that drive the natural order. The old saying, "never look into the eyes of a dragon" possibly originated from the amphiptere as its large eyes are said to hold hypnotic powers (Dragon Fantastic, 2001) (although not a lethal glance like that of the basilisk). The body parts of these dragons are rumoured to hold strange properties; an amphiptere tooth planted into the ground can morph into a soldier ready for battle, and its blood endows the drinker with the ability to speak in the tongue of the beasts. A potion of dried amphiptere eyes mixed with honey are said to cure even the most agonising migraine (Dragon Fantastic, 2001).
The amphiptere looks very similar in appearance to a large serpent; because most of these dragons lack legs, its sinuous shape is similar to that of an oversized snake. However, amphipteres are distinguished from their reptilian cousins by their crowning feathered plumage which also earns them their title as feathered serpents; with their shiny sky-blue feathers which are those of a raxom (a bird often associated with the quetzal bird [Pharomachrus mocinno] and sometimes called the Cotinga amabilis), and the green feathers from the tail of a quetzal bird, the amphiptere is truly a unique type of dragon (Hunt, 1999).

...and with most bright and cleere-seeing eyes, which caused the Poets to faine in their writings, that these dragons are the watchful-keepers of Treasures. They also have two dewlappes growing under their chinne, and hanging down like a beard... (Edward Topsell in The Elizabethian Zoo, 1979, p. 151).

These dragons throughout Mesoamerica were called or associated with "Plumed (or Feathered) Serpents", reminiscent of their multi-coloured feathered wings and the plume many have atop their dragon heads. They also have a rooster's wattle under their chin, and some possess a pair of short forelegs.
Feathered serpents have appeared frequently over American temples in association with religious rites, notably on the Temple of the Feathered Serpent in Teotihuacán (Bahn, 1997).

The Feathered Serpents were interchangeable with Fire Serpents; in this way they represented the searing desert heat, while in their original state they were a symbol of life and food-bearing vegetation (Hunt, 1999). Despite their ties to the natural world, their representative Sovereign Plumed Serpent was present in Mesoamerican creation as a "great knower and thinker" (Littleton, 2002), a quote from the Quiché Mayan text Popol Vuh which is applicable to all amphipteres who are famed for their quiet knowledge and wisdom.
However, the most famous amphiptere is undoubtedly the Aztec Quetzalcoatl, who helped in the creation and development of many worldly things to benefit the gods and mankind (Littleton, 2002), some of which are outlined in the Mythology.

Anthropomorphic dragons:
Also called a "dragoon" for its synchronous warrior-like status, the anthropomorphic (also anthro, for short) dragon is a relatively new creation, appearing briefly in modern literature and more recently, fantasy and science fiction role-playing games. These dragons gained in popularity in North America since 1960- 1970, as a high-tech, futuristic version of the traditional dragon, adapting to fit our changing and evolving society (Shuker, 2004). Unlike other American dragons, their anthropomorphic cousins are not based on the serpent originally, but rather on the European western dragon (despite being outsourced from another area of the globe) and the human. Combining the traits of dragons: including wings, tails, claws and dragon heads, they are predominantly human-based, standing on their hind legs, with opposable thumbs and gifted with the intelligence of mankind and the ability to speak in our familiar tongue. Females of the species often have a mane of hair down their necks, and breasts; features that are purely aesthetic in order to distinguish male from female.

Fairy Dragon: (or faerie, faery dragon)
Found in the rainforested areas of South America, Indonesia and Africa, fairy dragons range from the diminutive size of a mouse through to 30 cm (1 foot) in length. There are many variants within this taxa, and these are determined upon size and diet.
Fairy dragons have one or two pairs of wings, a body similar to that of a minature Western dragon save for their rather unique insect traits, such as a long snout and large, irridescent eyes. While fairy dragons are usually patterned to blend with their surroundings, their hides shine a rainbow of colours should the sun catch them at the right angle. Because of this, fairy dragons have often been mistaken for large insects or butterflies.
(For the anatomy of fairy dragons, see the Fairy Dragon Anatomy in next post.)

Horned Serpent:
Named after its most interesting feature, the horned serpent has one red, and and one green horn (Nigg, 2002). As a relative of the piasa, horned serpents dwell in the deep waters of North America, where they swim with their mouths agape, ready to snap up anything that comes their way. The American horned serpents are highly dragon-like in both appearance and behaviour, though they remain consistent with the abstracted serpentine form of the American dragon (as the Americas are famed for their feathered serpents on land, they too have horned serpents beneath the sea- both variants of the primal serpent or snake composition). While this dragon type lacks wings, it has both gills and lungs, enabling it to breathe in both the aquatic and terrestrial realms.
The heart of the horned serpent is the only thing which cannot be stilled; when caught and killed (usually through being burnt), the removed heart continues to beat and live though the dragon is dead. It is this heart which is used for medicinal practices (Nigg, 2002).
The horned serpent is an enemy of the thunder spirit, the thunderbird, and represents evil in their age-old rivalry (Bellingham, et al., 2001). When the thunderbird takes on its role as a divine helper of the highly revered Father Sky among North American Lakota mythology (Bellingham, et al., 2001), the struggle between the horned serpent and thunderbird becomes a supernatural, religious struggle between ultimate good and opposing evil.

Lindworm:
The Lindworm is a Europe-based dragon that is also (rarely) encountered in the Americas. See the European Dragons page for more information.

Piasa:
The North American piasa, "the bird that devours men", is one of the odder members of the dragon family. While the beast displays all the personality traits of a true dragon, its appearance is quite outlandish, even if we were to broaden our horizons and class it simply as a curious monster. The piasa is inherently dragon, with a scaled, reptilian body and the typical six limbs; four bird-like legs and two spiny, leathery wings. It also sports the beard of a tiger and antlers of a stag (Nigg, 2002). What sets it apart and accounts for its bizarre visage is the man-like face, reminiscent of a manticore in that it possesses a triple row of teeth (Shuker, 2004).

Originally, a giant pair of petroglyphs carved and painted in fastidious detail onto a cliff face 36 m (80 ft) above the Mississippi river were a wordless warning to visitors of the danger that lay ahead; however in 1856 nearby quarry work crumbled the cliff face, and the art disappeared into the river below (Shuker, 1995). Prior to this loss, the petroglyphs had originally been discovered on the 1st of August, 1673, by French missionaries Louis Joliet and Jesuit priest Father Jacques Marquette (Nigg, 2002; Shuker, 2004). The body of one had already worn away with time and so only the head remained. However, the second retained its full splendor and showed a monstrous animal with a serpentine tail (that terminated in a fish-like fluke) of such length it passed behind, around and in front of the piasa, entrapping the beast in its own coils. The dragon itself was equivalent to the size of a calf, quite diminutive by dragon standards, and was of three colours; red, black and an aquatic blue-green. It is unsure if these were the true colours of the piasa, or if they were painted simply to convey alarm (Shuker, 1995). The real piasa was said to have been 13.5 m (30 ft) long, 5.4 m (12 ft) tall with a monstrous 7- 8 m (16-18 ft) wingspan (Shuker, 2004).
While the piasa was a new discovery for the two French men, the dragon's former presence was already well known by the local Native Americans, who informed Joliet and Marquette that the piasa had inhabited the cliff face for many years, and was not originally drawn by anyone from their tribe. There were in fact many tales of these creatures, however the story of one man-eating piasa in particular is the most infamous among the Mississippi locals (Legg, 1998; Shuker, 1995). In early days, the piasa was an eater of large mammals, specifically deer, and was of no harm to ancestral Illinois tribes. However, a domestic dispute between tribes erupted into a war, and there was much bloodshed. The remains were quickly cleaned up by the piasa who soon developed a fondness for human flesh which, eventually, became its downfall (Shuker, 2004). After many months of feasting, during which the piasa perfected its killing technique, a warrior called Masatonga (or Massatoga [Shuker, 2004]) from Illinois lured the piasa into the woods. Once confined between the trees, waiting warriors fired poisoned arrows at the vulnerable piasa and killed it (Legg, 1998), ensuring the safety of their tribe.
Marquette published a journal in 1681 documenting his encounter with the age-old ghost of the piasa, maintaining its fearsome reputation even today (Shuker, 1995).