Lòng Mae are small creatures, roughly the size of a cat, or sometimes even smaller. They are also known as "fairy dragons", although this is a misnomer, as they have nothing to do with dragons or fairies. Lòng Mae are not dissimilar to iguanas or large lizards. They have a stocky but nimble body and a vertically flattened tail. Each has an iridescent coat of scales that reflect all the colors of the rainbow, a prehensile tail, and platinum-colored (or colorful lead glass-like) butterfly or dragonfly-like wings. Lòng Mae make their lairs in the hollows of tall trees, preferably near a pond or stream, because they are quite fond of swimming and diving. They spend most of their time relaxing in cool clearings. When they reach adulthood, a Lòng Mae is approximately 30 cm long with a tail of about 60 cm, and weighs less than 5 kg. Their eggs are as large as chicken eggs, but have a leather-like and glittery texture.
Lòng Mae eat fruit, vegetables, nuts, roots, honey, and grains. They are especially fond of fruit pastries, so much so that they are known to go to great lengths to catch a fresh apple pie. Lòng Mae prefer to deal with predators from a distance, using their psychedelic spores to confuse and bewilder. If seriously pressed, they can strike out with their claws and teeth, but they prefer to get away from melee.
Their main peculiarity, which has earned them the nickname "fairy dragons", is the ability to disappear in a cloud of glitter and make themselves completely invisible for several minutes. They share this skill with Shedu, which are also referred to as fairy cats.