It had a triangular head, with pointed ear tufts and bony eye ridges. Insulated air bladders allowed the lava dragon to rise or sink in the lava. Lava dragons fed on other reptiles that dwelt within the lava pools.
Lava dragons were able to suck lava down their armored gullets and spew it back out in a dangerous natural defensive mechanism. Their crystalline scales also made it impossible for a lightsaber to slice through them, although a lightsaber strike would cause the scale it struck to shatter. Luke Skywalker once fought and killed a lava dragon on Eol Sha as the second challenge by Gantoris which Luke had to pass in order for Gantoris to agree to Jedi training.