Herpetology Dragons is a series of pins that focuses on the reptiles and amphibians of herpetology, magically transformed into er... mighty-ish dragons?

For this first installment, I wanted to focus on  Axolotls and Hognose Snakes. I could not stop at just one pin per creature, and wanted to showcase the many morphs and color variations of these two species. Well, I might have also had a bit of a hard time stopping at just one drawing for each creature.

Axolotl dragon army? Yes.
A bag of dramatic, winged danger noodles? Of course.
We deserve this.

This Campaign has an initial funding goal of $2500.
Reaching the Backerkit funding goal will allow us to fund and produce the six unique pin molds for the Axolotl Dragon pin collection and blind bag. If we go beyond that, we can begin unlocking Hognose Dragon designs! If we unlock enough (3+ pin molds) we will have a second blind bag collection with Hognose Dragon pins inside!

Individuals who back this project can choose what pledge level, addons, and rewards they would like to receive. Backing the project helps to fund the production of these items. You are not charged for your pledge until the campaign ends, and can change your pledge at any time up until the campaign ends.

Funding Unsuccessful:
If we fail to reach our initial funding goal by the campaign end date, the campaign will be considered unsuccessful. Backers who pledged will not be charged.

Funding Successful:
If we reach our initial funding goal, the campaign will be considered successful; backers who pledged will be charged for the pledge level and amount they pledged to contribute at, and the unlocked pins will begin production. 

The following options are the currently available rewards. More options may become unlocked as we reach stretch goal targets to fund the production of additional designs, so check back frequently!

Leucistic axolotls display a pale white-pink body with dark eyes. This color morph is displayed when the "dark" locus is homozygous recessive in an individual. This recessive mutation reduces melanophores in the axolotl's skin.

Golden albino axolotls display a yellow-gold body with red eyes. This color morph is created when the "albino" locus is homozygous recessive in an individual. This recessive mutation removes the ability to produce melanophores that create dark pigment. Xanthophores that create yellow coloration are still active, resulting in the "golden" color.

Axanthic axolotls have grey skin with darker spots across their body. This color morph is occurs when the "axanthic" locus is homozygous recessive. This recessive mutation removes the ability for the xanthophores to create yellow pigment in an individual.

"Bluegill" axolotls are leucistic axolotls that have some additional pigment in their gills; when viewed under the right light, the gills appear blue! Please note: this bluegill axolotl dragon is definitely a bit more colorful than its real-world counterpart. During our pre-launch, followers voted and preferred the more vibrant, fantastical coloration!

Piebald axolotls dragons are leucistic axolotls that have heavy dark speckling. While luecistic axolotls have reduced dark pigment, it isn't completely removed. In Piebald axolotls, this "freckling" often concentrates on the head and back, though it can rarely appear on the legs! This is differant than a Mosaic axolotl, which may have areas of different coloration due to chimerism.

Melanoid Axanthic Copper axolotls are a combination of three recessive loci! The homozygous recessive "axanthic" locus removes yellow pigment. The homozygous recessive "copper" locus produces a brown or reddish pigment. Finally, the homozygous recessive "melanoid" locus removes the animal's natural iridescence. This combination is sometimes called "Lavender". Even without its iridescence, this little dragon seems to have found something quite shiny!

If we reach funding milestones beyond the initial goal, we will be able to produce additional pin designs. These designs will be available as stand alone pins OR as blind bag with a randomized pin and sticker for the duration of the campaign. After the campaign and Pledge Manager stage conclude, these designs will be offered for sale as randomized blind bags.

Unlocked stretch goals will be moved to the rewards section! (More stretch goals coming soon via a backer poll to decide on the next hognose morph! Check out the updates to help choose the color morphs!)

Early Bird Rewards:
Backers that pledge within the first 48 hours of the campaign will receive the Grimoire Guardian pin free with their pledge!

Flutterwing Dragons Cross Collab:
Backers that back both Herpetology Dragons and Flutterwing Dragons for a physical item tier will receive a free collaborative pin reward from both projects!

The following are the estimated shipping rates for Herepetology Dragons, and include estimates for tracking and insurance. Please note that these rate are estimates only. The final rates will be calculated in the pledge manager post-campaign based on weight, destination country, and shipping rates at the time the pledge manager goes out.

International recipients are responsible for any customs, duties, or taxes owed on receipt of their packages. I am unable to offer shipping to the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Northern Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland due to GPSR regulations. I am unable to offer VAT shipping to the UK for this campaign, but the herpetology dragon goodies will be available to UK residents via Etsy once the campaign concludes and rewards have been shipped out.

This is the expected timeline and cadence of the pin production.

I feel confident in this timeline, but the nature of producing projects such as these can sometimes mean that unforeseen delays or hurdles can happen, particularly regarding the evolving tariff situation. I will post monthly updates in the community section with the progress of the project, photos, and information about what’s happening. If any delays occur, they will be communicated and backers will be kept up-to-date with where things are at, and any changes to the timeline.