August Riddle of the Month and Prize Sketch

Greetings, from Patreon!
For those unawares, I’ve started running a Riddle of the Month challenge over on Patreon. Basically, each month, anyone who pledges $1 or more has the opportunity to win a prize sketch by solving that month’s riddle first.
August was the first time I’ve run this challenge officially, so now that it’s over, I’m sharing the riddle (for those of you who just enjoy riddles), solution, and the prize sketch.
August’s Riddle:
A touchy temperament with a long, forked tail,
I take what I’m given and toss it back.
If you’re not careful, I’ll turn it black!
(Scroll to the end for the answer)
My mother, Caprice Gifford, solved the riddle first. She also does some amazing jewelry work. Check out her group on FB if you’re into that sort of stuff.
She requested a color sketch of The Sir and me manning the boat with creatures on-deck and in the water as her prize sketch (click to enlarge, hi-res is over on Patreon):

September’s Riddle of the Month Challenge will be kicking off in just a few days!
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Riddle Solution: A Toaster
If you have any questions for me, or just want to hang out with some cool folks, feel free to hop on the Creaturista Discord server!