The dragon’s frills are composed of long strands of fibrous tissue, throughout which course millions of bacteria per strand. These bacteria feed almost exclusively on sugars and tungsten molecules, which the dragon absorbs in huge quantities from its surroundings in native Portugal, where tungsten is at its highest levels. In the wild, when the dragon is well-fed, the bacteria in the frills move about and create heat, which causes their tungsten-filled bodies to glow. The more food the dragon eats, the faster the bacteria move, and the brighter the frills.
The Tungsten dragon is also remarkable in the strength of its muscles. Tungsten is the heaviest known substance used by living creatures. Thus, the dragon’s tungsten-filled frills are incredibly dense and require great strength to lift. The Tungsten dragon, however, raises and lowers its frills with apparent ease, according to its mood.
During mating season, Tungsten dragons use their frills to attract mates. Though both sexes possess the frills, the female is the choosier of the pair. When a female looks for a male, she tries to find the bachelor with the brightest frills. The brighter the frills, the more food the dragon is able to find, and thus that male is most capable of taking care of the kits.
Biochemists, working closely with geneticists, have recently put the Tungsten dragon’s amazing properties to work for humans. Scientists have found a way to attach a plug-like converter to the end of the dragon’s tail, which can be fitted into a socket in the wall of a human’s home or office. Through that plug, the dragon is provided with a constant supply of sugars to power its frills. While the dragon makes a quirky and lovable replacement for the standard halogen lamp, the light it produces is more yellow than some would like, and the constant supply of sugar occasionally triggers the onset of diabetes in the dragon.
This is for oakendragon’s Elemental Dragons of the Periodic Table contest on dA: http://oakendragon.deviantart.com/journal/29093323/