Editing Dragon (section)

===Reproduction===
[[File: Alysanne and Jaehaerys on Silverwing and Vermithor.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] were an apparently mated pair of dragons, echoing their first [[Dragonrider|riders]], King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]. Art by Sanrixian ©]]
Historians, like [[Septon]] [[Barth]], [[Grand Maester]] [[Munkun]], and [[Maester]] [[Thomax]], disagree on the mating habits of dragons.{{Ref|ADWD|14}} Dragons lay large, scaled [[Dragon egg|eggs]] to reproduce.{{Ref|AFFC|35}} According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], and agreed upon by Maester [[Yandel]], the ability of a dragon to lay eggs is proof that said dragon is female. When a dragon is never observed to have laid eggs, this is taken as proof that it must have been male.{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|6}} However, according to Barth and Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]], dragons have no fixed gender, but are ''“now one and now the other, as changeable as flame”''.{{Ref|AFFC|35}} Barth believed that dragons can change sex at need,{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|6}}{{Ref|AFFC|35}} but Maester [[Anson]] believes this to be erroneous, and states in his ''[[Truth (book)|Truth]]'' that Barth's statement is simply a misunderstood esoteric metaphor.{{Ref|TWOIAF|7|1|6}}

Dragons believed to be female, e.g., [[Syrax]],{{Ref|ADWD|8}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|4|5}}{{Ref|FAB|12}} [[Dreamfyre]],{{Ref|FAB|8}} [[Tessarion]],{{Ref|FAB|12}} and [[Meleys]],{{Ref|FAB|11}} are referred to as a ''she-dragon'' or sometimes a ''queen''.{{Ref|TWOIAF|4|6}}

It is implied that the bonds of a [[dragonrider]] and their dragon may affect the dragon's mating habits. King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]]'s dragon Vermithor often coiled with his Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]]'s [[Silverwing]], even five decades after their riders' deaths.{{Ref|FAB|17}} [[Daemon Targaryen]] and his wife [[Laena Velaryon]] often visited Dragonstone on their dragons [[Caraxes]] and Vhagar to fly with [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]] and [[Syrax]], and during that period Syrax produced several clutches of eggs.{{Ref|FAB|12}}

Traditionally, Targaryen princes received a dragon's egg in their cradle, allowing the infants to bond with the dragons as soon as the eggs hatched.{{Ref|FAB|12}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|4|5}} This tradition supposedly started during the reign of King [[Aegon I Targaryen]], when Princess [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)|Rhaena Targaryen]] placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her younger siblings, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys]] and [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] shortly after their births.{{Ref|FAB|9}}{{Ref|FAB|4}} From these two eggs, the dragons [[Vermithor]] and [[Silverwing]] hatched.{{Ref|FAB|4}} During the rule of King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]], the king placed an egg in the cradle of his newborn son, [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Jaehaerys I)|Aemon]], in {{Date|55}}, at the suggestion of Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]].{{Ref|FAB|10}} During the reign of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]], placing a dragon egg in the cradle of a newborn princeling became truly customary.{{Ref|FAB|12}} [[Jacaerys Velaryon]], [[Lucerys Velaryon]], [[Joffrey Velaryon]],{{Ref|FAB|12}} [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)|Jaehaerys Targaryen]], [[Jaehaera Targaryen]], and [[Maelor Targaryen]]{{Ref|FAB|12}} are all known to have received an egg in their cradle during Viserys I's reign. During the reign of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]], eggs were placed in the cradles of Prince [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]], Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Aemon]], and Lady [[Laena Velaryon (daughter of Alyn)|Laena Velaryon]].{{Ref|FAB|23}} However, not every hatchling lived to maturity, as seen with [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)|Rhaena of Pentos]], whose egg hatched into a broken thing that only lived a few hours.{{Ref|FAB|15}}

Un-hatched eggs can become petrified at an old age, turning to stone.{{Ref|AGOT|11}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|4|17}}