"Dragon turtles are one of the most beautiful, awesome, and feared creatures of the water. With their deadly jaws and breath weapon, and their penchant for capsizing ships, dragon turtles are dreaded by mariners on large bodies of water, both fresh and salt.
When a dragon turtle surfaces, it is sometimes mistaken for the reflection of the sun or the moon on the water. The turtle's rough, deep green shell is much the same color as the deep water the monster favors, and the silver highlights that line the shell are patterned like light dancing on open water. The turtle's legs and tail are of a lighter green, and they are flecked with golden highlights. The coloration of the creature's head is similar to the legs and tail, but its crest spines are golden with dark green webbing connecting them. A dragon turtle's shell can reach to 30 feet in diameter, and an adult turtle can measure over 40 feet from its snout to the tip of its tail. Dragon turtles speak their own highly-developed language.
Though dragon turtles may be mistaken for the pleasant sight of light glinting off the water, that illusion is never maintained for long. Dragon turtles are fierce fighters and will generally attack any creature that threatens its territory or presents itself as a potential meal. In combat, dragon turtles will usually attack with their formidable claws and teeth first. Its shell provides the turtle with excellent protection, though once the dragon turtle strikes a victim, it rarely needs to rely upon this safeguard.
The dragon turtle's shell also provides the creature with a weapon to attack ships that foolishly pass over its territoy uninvited. Sinking as deep as necessary, the dragon turtle will wait for the ship to pass over it and then rise up underneath the vessel, using all of its considerable bulk to capsize the unlucky target. [...]
In combat, when neither its bite nor capsizing attack is enough to defeat an enemy, a dragon turtle will use its breath weapon. The turtle can belch forth a cloud of a scalding steam that will cover an area 60 feet long, 40 feet wide and 40 feet high. [...]
Dragon turtles are extremely solitary creatures. Large, desolate sea caves and secret underground caverns that can be accessed only through the water are their favourite lairs. These lairs are difficult to find, but adventurers locating a dragon turtle's cave will find it filled with treasures of all types. The turtle gathers this treasure, which it will protect to the death, from the ships sunk in its territory.
A dragon turtle's territory is well-defined and may cover as much as fifty square miles of open water. Other dragon turtles are allowed in this area only during mating season, though turtles of the same sex will always fight to the death upon meeting. It is this hostility toward their own kind that keeps the number of dragon turtles relatively low.
Mariners of any experience will recognize the territorial claims of dragon turtles and will often make extravagant tributes to the turtle controlling the areas necessary for safe and speed trade.
Dragon turtles are carnivorous and will eat almost any creature, including humans or other dragon turtles, to satisfy their voracious appetite. Large fish seem to be the prefered food for dragon turtles, and the turtles can often be found lurking in weeds and muck at the bottom of a lake or sea waiting for fish to pass. In particularly poor years for fish, dragon turtles have been known to use their breath weapon to kill large groups of sea birds that stray to close to the water for food.
Conflict often arises between dragon turtles and the many intelligent aquatic races like the locathah or mermen, because of competition for ideal lairs. Like many of their land-based relatives, dragon turtles are considered treacherous and selfish by all creatures that share their domain."
AD&D 2nd ed. Monstrous Manual
D&D © Wizards of the Coast
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