Ok, the basilisk again for those who were interested:
Very old mythological creature. The ancient Greeks knew of it, no idea how much older the myth is than that. There isn't much reliable information on size, but they were probably around the size of an average dog (as opposed to some giant dragon-like monster). They came about through a strange process; An egg hatched by a toad. They have the head and feet of a bird (rooster), the body of a lizard, the tail of a snake, and the wings of a bat. They were horrifically venemous, their gaze would turn any creature to stone (other than their only enemy, a weasel), and their breath could wither vegetation and shatter stone. They were one of the most feared creatures in ancient civilizations. The Bible also mentions them a time or two in the Old Testament, considering them some type of agent of Satan (like every other damn thing). I only know of one story of an encounter with one. It's an old myth about a horseman who encountered one and tried to kill it with his spear. The venom of the basilisk was so powerful, it conducted through the spear, killing not only the rider, but the horse he was riding as well.
Note: They're absolutely nothing like that ridiculous giant snake from that Harry Potter movie. I get asked that all the time. Militant fans insist Harry Potter invented the basilisk and I'm a liar. These people are creepy. And stupid.
I've always been really interested in cryptozoology, and the basilisk was always my favorite myth. Some people used to refer to me by that name, so it seemed right for an internet handle.
A basilisk is also a real present-time lizard as well. It's nicknamed the "Jesus Lizard" because it can run across the top of water with its speed, light weight, and webbed feet.
So there's the story off the top of my head.