Name: Charmander
Classification: Lizard
Type: Fire
Number: 004
Evolution: Charmander – Charmeleon (level 16) – Charizard (level 36)
Height: 60 centimeter
Weight: 10 kilograms
Habitat: Mountainous areas near active volcanoes
Description: Charizard lay their eggs near active volcanoes and this is where Charmander are mostly found. The Charizard abandon the nest immediately after laying the up to 20 eggs. The young Charmander are left to fend for themselves from before they are born. Due to the place of the nests, egg-eating predators are very rare and most nests remain intact. Charmander are ectothermic, yet they have to maintain a body temperature of over 45 degrees Celsius. This high body temperature allows for the combustion of certain gasses that are produced by the pokémon’s metabolism. This combustion takes place in a special organ, found in most fire pokémon. Like with other pokémon, like Magmar and Ponyta, this combustion is continuous in Charmander and the flames are diverted through the tail. This flame ignites in the first few hours after the Charmander crawls out of the egg. If it does not ignite, because the Charmander’s body temperature is too low, the pokémon will quickly die. Nests that are too far from a volcano or in an otherwise cool spot, often produce very few healthy Charmander. Once the flame is on, it helps the pokémon maintain a high body temperature. Nevertheless, they can often be seen sunbathing. When Charmander is asleep and it’s metabolism low, the flame grows small. If a Charmander is enraged, the flame grows taller. To a certain extent, Charmander are able to regulate their internal combustion, enabling them to use the resulting fire in attacks. A lot more male than female Charmander are born. Females are usually bigger at birth, grow faster, become stronger, and are more successful both in hunting and fending of bigger predators. Large females sometimes eat smaller males of their species, but never those from their own nest. By the time they evolve into Charmeleon, where males and females are of roughly equal strength, there are about 5% more females than males. Charmander are mostly scavengers. Though they will hunt small pokémon (including weaker specimens of their own species) when they have the chance, they prefer to wait for a passing Charizard to drop a carcass, or for other large predators to abandon their prey. Sometimes a group of Charmander – usually females from the same nest – chase away a larger predator to take over it’s meal. It was long thought that Charmander don’t produce any sounds and have hardly any hearing, hunting by sight and smell, but it was recently discovered that Charmander in fact make very soft, high-pitched noises. Other Charmander seem to hear these noises up to ten meters. It is possible they use this sound to coördinate attacks but, given the antisocial behavior of Charmeleon and Charizard, it is more likely they try to warn each other off.

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