Ophies Ampheritos are winged serpents that live in Arabia guarding the frankincense groves. The adults are dangerous to humans and can deliver a nasty bite, although they are not venomous. (Thankfully this is just a hatchling!) They migrate to Egypt in the summer, but many are eaten by ibises, much to the relief of everyone.

Ophae mothers are notoriously awful, laying a clutch of eggs in some warm and sheltered place and then abandoning them. I think one must have got under my floor and they’ve just started hatching… 

 

Alligatoroid ophies are laid back and intelligent but very cunning. They love riddles and word games but beware of their rapier wit. They love the sun and will lie on sunny windowsills for hours, just soaking up the rays. When warm they become much more active and will surprise you with their agility.

Draconian ophies are energetic, they love to race and chase and are incredibly inquisitive. They hoard trinkets, like beads and berries, and most have a favourite colour that they are attracted to. I once had a draconian ophae who would only eat things that were the colour blue, so his diet was mostly either blueberries or potato mash with food colouring in it.

Hognosed ophies have a fantastic sense of smell and use it to tell how fresh food is (not that they care - these ophies will eat anything). They are very useful when it comes to telling if pears are ripe or milk has turned. They are tricksters and delight in playing pranks and giving people shocks, but have endearing grins.

Muroid ophies are much more docile than any other ophae and love being touched. They will curl and twist around you as much as they can, and will find the warmest place to snooze. Up sleeves seems to be their favourite place, so make sure you warn guests before giving them your ophae to handle.

Testudine ophies are wise and don't communicate much, they prefer to sit and watch what goes on around them but if they trust you enough they will generally let you know their thoughts. They only eat leafy greens, so make sure you plant plenty of salad for them.

Undead ophies are very mysterious and not very many people know much about them. No one knows if the mask they wear is actually a mask or part of their facial structure, and no one is sure why it's the shape it is. They are very elegant and don't like to get dirty.