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Dipsa is a tiny, mucus-like, extremely venomous snake from Medieval bestiaries. They were so venomous that their victim would die before becoming aware he had been bitten. [1] [2]
The Aberdeen Bestiary is a 12th-century English illuminated manuscript bestiary that was first listed in 1542 in the inventory of the Old Royal Library at the Palace of Westminster. Due to similarities, it is often considered to be the "sister" manuscript of the Ashmole Bestiary. The connection between the ancient Greek didactic text Physiologus and similar bestiary manuscripts is also often noted. Information about the manuscript's origins and patrons are circumstantial, although the manuscript most likely originated from the 13th century and was owned by a wealthy ecclesiastical patron from north or south England. Currently, the Aberdeen Bestiary resides in the Aberdeen University Library in Scotland.
A bestiary is a compendium of beasts. Originating in the ancient world, bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was usually accompanied by a moral lesson. This reflected the belief that the world itself was the Word of God and that every living thing had its own special meaning. For example, the pelican, which was believed to tear open its breast to bring its young to life with its own blood, was a living representation of Jesus. Thus the bestiary is also a reference to the symbolic language of animals in Western Christian art and literature.
The manticore or mantichore is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx that proliferated in western European medieval art as well. It has the head of a human, the body of a lion and a tail of venomous spines similar to porcupine quills, while other depictions have it with the tail of a scorpion. There are some accounts that the spines can be shot like arrows, thus making the manticore a lethal predator.
"Asp" is the modern anglicisation of the word "aspis", which in antiquity referred to any one of several venomous snake species found in the Nile region. The specific epithet, aspis, is a Greek word that means "viper". It is believed that aspis referred to what is now known as the Egyptian cobra.
The basilisk was a very heavy bronze cannon employed during the Late Middle Ages. The barrel of a basilisk could weigh up to 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) and could have a calibre of up to 5 inches (13 cm). On average they were around 10 feet long, though some, like Queen Elizabeth's Pocket Pistol, were almost three times that length.
A legendary creature is a type of fictional entity, typically a hybrid, that has not been proven and that is described in folklore, but may be featured in historical accounts before modernity.
The graceful snail-eater, is a non-venomous snake found in the northern part of South America . No subspecies are currently recognized.
The Rochester Bestiary is a richly illuminated manuscript copy of a medieval bestiary, a book describing the appearance and habits of a large number of familiar and exotic animals, both real and legendary. The animals' characteristics are frequently allegorised, with the addition of a Christian moral.
Dipsas baliomelas is a non-venomous snake found in Colombia.
The two-colored snail-eater, is a non-venomous snake found in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
Dipsas chaparensis is a non-venomous snake found in Bolivia.
Dipsas lavillai is a non-venomous snake found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
The Ecuador snail-eater is a non-venomous snake found in Ecuador..
Dipsas palmeri, Palmer's snail-eater, is a non-venomous snake found in Ecuador and Peru.
The Bolivian tree snake is a non-venomous snake found in Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Brazi.
Dipsas vagrans, Dunn's tree snake, is a non-venomous snake found in Peru.
Dipsas vermiculata, the vermiculate snail-eater, is a non-venomous snake found in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia.
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