A page about dragons from the Bestiary of Aberdeen. Loosely translated:
“…it appears to have no spine.”
Of the serpent called the Scitalis
The serpent called the scitalis receives its name because its back gleams with such a variety of colors that the beauty of its markings causes those who look upon it to stop. Because it crawls rather slowly and cannot overtake those it pursues, it instead captures them while they stand transfixed by the wonder of its appearance. It possesses such great heat that, even during winter, it casts off the still-burning skin of its body.
Lucan speaks of it: “The scitalis alone, though frost still lies upon the ground, prepares to shed its skin.”
Of the Amphisbaena The amphisbaena is so called because it has two heads: one in its proper place and the other upon its tail. It can move in the direction of either head, bending the length of its body into a circle. Alone among serpents, it exposes itself to the cold and is the first of them all to emerge.
Lucan likewise says of it: “The fearsome amphisbaena, turning toward its twin heads.” Its eyes shine like lamps.
Of the Hydrus There is an animal living in the River Nile called the hydrus, because it lives in water. For the Greeks call water hydros…