Cockatrice

The cockatrice combines bird and reptile features, commonly including a rooster’s head and a serpentlike tail. Accounts give it several ways to kill, including its glance, breath, or touch. Its origin is often as unnatural as its appearance.

A familiar account has the creature hatch from an egg laid by a rooster and incubated by a toad or serpent. Medieval writing and translation entwine cockatrice traditions with those of the basilisk. The result is a family of overlapping descriptions rather than two consistently separated species.

• Wikipedia contributors, “Cockatrice,” consulted September 28, 2026; secondary overview of medieval accounts and later traditions.