Abominable Snowman
Another name for the yeti (FB).

Abraxan
A breed of flying horse; the Abraxan is a gigantic, extremely powerful Palomino (FB). The winged horses that pulled the Beauxbatons carriage were Abraxan (cf GF15 ff.); Madame Maxime breeds them (OP20).

acromantula
XXXXX
(CS15, FB)
A gigantic black spider (legspan may reach up to 15 feet) with a poisonous bite, the acromantula is an anomaly in the beast / being classification system. While capable of human speech, the acromantula is classified as a beast rather than a being due to its violent tendencies. It is native to Borneo (FB), where it is believed to have been a wizard-bred species, serving as an example of why the Ban on Experimental Breeding was put into effect.

Note that all spiders, including acromantulas, fear the basilisk above all other living things.

An acromantula was stationed at the center of the Triwizard Tournament maze, guarding the Cup (GF31, OP16).

See Aragog, Mosag.
"acro" from "akros" L. peak + "mantula" from "tarantula" Eng. a species of large (not that large, though) black spider that is poisonous, but not very

Aethonon
A breed of winged horse, chestnut in color, which lives mainly in Britain (FB)

armadillo
(GF27)
The bile of this creature is used for making potions, including Wit-Sharpening Potion.
This reference to the armadillo being part of the Wit-Sharpening Potion may be in homage to a particularly funny advertisement which ran on British television. In the advert, a devastatingly dim country fellow is offered a Dime candy bar, which is "smooth on the outside, crunchy on the inside." He says that he prefers to eat armadillos, which are "smooth on the inside, crunchy on the outside!" The presenter says "You're a bit thick, aren't you?" and the country bumpkin nods happily. Thanks to Wayne Childs for noting this connection.

Ashwinder
XXX
(FB)
A thin grey serpent with glowing red eyes which comes out of magical fires and lives long enough to lay fiery hot eggs in some dark and secluded spot. These eggs, while valued as potion ingredients, are very dangerous. If they are not found and frozen in time, they will set buildings on fire.
"Ash" comes from the color of the serpent and also as a reference to it's connection to fire. "Winder" recalls the sideways movement of some kinds of snakes, such as the rattler. They are sometimes called "sidewinders."

Augurey(Irish Phoenix)
XX
(FB)
Thin and mournful-looking bird somewhat resembling a vulture, greenish-black in color, native to Britain and Ireland. Normally remaining hidden in its nest in brambles and thorns, flying only in heavy rain, the feathers of the Augurey repel ink. Its distinctive cry was once thought to be a death omen, but it is now known that the Augurey's cry foretells rain. The augurey eats insects and fairies.
"augury" - Eng. generally, the art of divination, but specifically, the art of the augur (one who interprets omens based on the behaviour of birds)

banshee
(PA7, GF21, FB)
A Dark creature with the appearance of a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face. Its screams will kill. Seamus Finnigan is particularly afraid of banshees (PA7). The Bandon Banshee was supposedly defeated by Gilderoy Lockhart (CS6) but was actually defeated by a witch with a harelip (CS16).

basilisk (the King of Serpents)
XXXXX
(CS16 ff., FB)
A wizard-bred Dark creature of enormous power, this extremely poisonous giant serpent (up to 50 feet in length) is brilliant green in color with long thin saber-like fangs and bulbous yellow eyes (see more below). A basilisk can live for at least 900 years given an adequate food supply, and as it can eat most vertebrates (including humans), this is not difficult to achieve. The male can be distinguished from the female by the scarlet plume on its head, but basilisks are usually magically rather than normally bred.

Basilisk-breeding has been outlawed since medieval times and in the present day falls under the Ban on Experimental Breeding, but this law has rarely been broken even by Dark wizards, since only a Parselmouth can control a basilisk.

"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it." (CS16)

The phoenix seems immune to the basilisk's deadly gaze (CS16 ff.) The basilisk which lived in the Chamber of Secrets could be controlled only by the true Heir of Slytherin rather than just any Parselmouth (CS/f). When unleashed by the Heir using Parseltongue, the basilisk searched the castle for its prey, Muggle-born students, which it could identify by smelling their blood ("I smell blood..." the creature cried as it wandered the pipes). When its eyes were pecked out by Fawkes, it attacked Harry using its keen sense of smell. Harry killed the basilisk by thrusting a sword through the roof of its mouth. Harry's arm was pierced by one of the basilisk's fangs, the poison of which nearly killed him.

Apart from its specific magical powers and long lifespan, many of the characteristics of the basilisk follow naturally from its being a serpent (see). Like more mundane serpents, the basilisk sheds its skin at intervals, and its varied diet is typical of the larger snakes, which tend to pursue larger and larger prey according to their own size and capabilities. It's quite possible that had Harry been more experienced in Defense Against the Dark Arts, he might have lost his battle against the basilisk in attempting to use Stunning Spells; although not explicitly stated, the basilisk's skin probably has the same armor characteristics as dragon skin, leaving its eyes and the inside of its mouth as its only vulnerable points.

"...the basilisk was portrayed as a serpent with a crown or a white spot on its head. Cobras, which have such marks, may be the origin of the basilisk legend..." (pp. 21-22) (c.f. pp. 95-96)

"basilisk" Eng. in the legendary sense means this creature, but also comes from L. "basilicus" royal, so the nickname "King of Serpents" is particularly apt. The detail about males being crested appears to come from the real-life basilisk, which is a kind of iguana.

beetle

• scarab beetles (see potion ingredients)

• beetle eyes for sale in Diagon Alley (PS5)

• see also insects

bicorn
Horn of this creature is used as a potion ingredient. The name "bicorn" suggests a creature with two horns. The Bicorn is a mythical demonic creature which eats human flesh.
more information

Bigfoot
Another name for the yeti; the Bigfoot variety lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States (FB).

Billywig
XXX
(FB)
A magical insect, native to Australia.It is about a half-inch long and vivid blue in color. A Billywig's sting causes giddiness and levitation. For this reason, the Billywig's sting is highly sought after by Australian wizards. Dried Billywig stingers are useful as a potion ingredient.

birds
and bird-like creatures

• huge tropical birds deliver Sirius' letter to Harry (GF2)

• Augurey

• Diricawl

• Fwooper

• Jobberknoll

• Occamy

• owl

• phoenix

• Golden Snidget

Biting Fairy
Another name for Doxy.

Blast-Ended Skrewt
(GF13 ff.)
Magical creatures bred by Hagrid prior to the autumn of Y14 by crossing manticores with fire-crabs. Blast-Ended Skrewts are some of the most revolting creatures ever seen.
The name "Blast-Ended Skrewt" may be a reference to the term "blasting off" which is slang in some parts of Britain for breaking wind.

bloodhound, albino
The Ministry of Magic keeps some albino bloodhounds around to be used against Nogtails (FB).

Blood-Sucking Bugbear
When roosters were being killed at Hogwarts (Y12-Y13), Hagrid suspected that the culprit might be a blood-sucking bugbear (CS11). See also bugbear.

boarhound - Fang
Hagrid's pet Fang is a black boarhound, "a large dog, specifically the great Dane, used in hunting wild boars". He, like Hagrid, looks a lot fiercer than he is. Fang accompanies Hagrid into the Forbidden Forest and also went with Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Draco when they served detention in the Forest. Hagrid told them that Fang is a coward, but this may have been more an oblique comment on Draco's behavior than the strict truth about Fang. When Harry and Ron followed the spiders into the Forest and encountered Aragog, Fang accompanied with them. When Hagrid resisted arrest late in Harry's fifth year, Fang was injured in attempting to protect Hagrid, but recovered.

boggart
A shape shifter that prefers to live in dark, confined spaces, taking the form of the thing most feared by the person it encounters; nobody knows what a boggart looks like in its natural state (although Moody recongnized one using his magical eye to spot it as it hid in a corner desk at number 12 Grimmauld Place. One wonders what it was that Moody actually saw...). A boggart appears to feed on the emotion of fear rather than simply deploying this ability as a defense mechanism, hence its classification as a Dark creature (PA7). Many Muggle children may have encountered boggarts as "the monster under the bed", though this is not stated explicitly in the text.

Lupin taught his third year Defense Against the Dark Arts class to fight this with the Riddikulus spell (PA7), and used a boggart as a substitute for a Dementor in tutoring Harry (PA23), an experience Harry felt the D.A. really needed in order to learn to cast the Patronus Charm under something resembling realistic conditions (OP27). A boggart was one of the obstacles in the Triwizard Tournament maze (GF31), and a boggart was found infesting a writing desk in the drawing room at Grimmauld Place (OP9).
" Often they are house spirits, and in those cases the only way to get rid of them is to move...The more frustrated the family becomes, the more fun the boggart has." (pp. 33-34)
Apparently, Alastor Moody knows what a boggart looks like when it's hiding and away from people, since he used his magical eye to look up through several flights of stairs and into a writing desk with a boggart inside it. He told Molly Weasley they what was in that desk was in fact a boggart, so he obviously saw and identified it. On the other hand, it's possible that when he looked he saw nothing but a blur and therefore knew that--since he couldn't even see it--it had to be a boggart.

boomslang
African snake, Dispholidus typus, with extremely nasty venom. The skin, which is mostly green in males and mostly brown in females, serves the snake well as camouflage, and is used for polyjuice potion. Snape keeps boomslang skin in his private stores (CS, GF).
"boomslang" is an English loan-word from Afrikaans, whence it was in turn formed from two Dutch words, "boom" Du. tree + "slang" Du. snake [NSOED]

bowtruckle
XX
A small (maximum height 8 inches) insect-eating tree-dweller with long sharp fingers (two on each hand), brown eyes, and a general appearance of a flat-faced little stickman made of bark and twigs, which serves well as camouflage in its native habitat.

Found in western England, southern Germany, and Scandinavia, a bowtruckle serves as tree-guardian for its home tree, which is usually a tree whose wood is of wand quality. The twiglike fingers of the bowtruckle appear to be primarily an adaptation like that of a woodpecker's beak, allowing it to more effectively dig out its preferred food of wood lice from its home tree, but they also serve as an effective weapon against the eyes of an opponent. Although ordinarily peaceful, a bowtruckle will attack a human if provoked (which includes perceived assaults upon the bowtruckle's tree as well as the bowtruckle itself). A witch or wizard seeking to take leaves or wood from a bowtruckle-inhabited tree should offer wood lice or fairy eggs to the bowtruckle to placate and distract it (FB, OP13).
"bow" several English senses, but the obsolete Scottish dialect sense traces back to much older words meaning "dwelling", while some senses come from the same root as the English word "bough", meaning the limb of a tree +
"truckle" Eng. to take a subordinate position

bugbear
See Blood-Sucking Bugbear.
"bugbear" Eng. a type of magical creature (possibly resembling a bear) in legend that was supposed to eat naughty children; the term (through being used generally as a label for any imaginary being used to scare children) has come to mean any exaggerated fear based more on imaginary than real danger

Bundimun
XXX
Greenish fungus with eyes. An infestation of Bundimuns can destroy a house, as their secretions rot away the foundations. This same secretion, in diluted form, is used in some magical cleaning solutions (FB).

cats
and cat-like creatures

• McGonagall's Animagus form is a tabby cat with eye markings (PS1)

• Mrs. Figg's cats: Mr. Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, Tufty (PS2, OP2)

• lots of them on Platform 9 3/4 (PS6)

• Millicent Bulstrode seems to have a black one (CS)

• Mrs. Norris (PS8 etc.)

• Cats of every color for sale at "Magical Menagerie", including Crookshanks (PA4)

• Kneazle (FB)

• J.K.Rowling's suggestive comment about cats in the books:

  Q: Is there something more to the cats appearing in the books than first meets the eye? (i.e. Mrs. Figg's cats, Crookshanks, Prof. McGonagall as a cat, etc.)
  A: Ooooo, another good question. Let's see what I can tell you without giving anything away....erm....no, can't do it, sorry. (Sch2)

• Rowling does not like and is allergic to cats (JKR), an attitude she gave to Hagrid in the books (PS5).

centaur
XXXXX
Centaurs are very mysterious creatures. They avoid Muggles and Wizards alike (FB). Centaurs watch and read the signs in the stars and planets and they do not take sides in the events unfolding around them, which they have foreseen. They prefer simply to observe (PS15). The Centaurs have chosen to be considered Beasts by the Ministry (FB) and do not take part in governing at all.
A number of Centaurs live in the Forbidden Forest, including Ronan (PS15), Bane (PS15), Magorian (OP) and up until Harry's fifth year, Firenze (PS15, OP).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Chameleon Ghoul
These ghouls are known to pretend to be suits of armor (CS10)

chimaera
XXXXX
(FB)
Greek: lion's head, goat's body, dragon's tail. Vicious and bloodthirsty. Chimaera eggs are classified as Class A Non-Tradable Goods. Dai Lleweleyn, the famous Quidditch player, was killed by a Chimaera while on holiday in Greece.

Chizpurfle
XX
(FB)
A magical parasite that lives in the fur or feathers of some magical creatures, and can also infest magical items (FB).

Clabbert
XX
This arboreal creature resembles a cross between a monkey and a frog. Its smooth skin is mottled green. The Clabbert has short horns and a wide grinning mouth. Its long arms and webbed hands and feet allow it to move gracefully through the trees. On the Clabbert's forehead is a large pustule which flashes red when the Clabbert senses the approach of danger, including Muggles.

cockatrice
A combination of a rooster and a dragon or snake. A cockatrice went on a rampage in the Triwizard Tournament of 1792 (GF15).

Cornish Pixie
see Pixie

Crup
XXX
Magical creature that strongly resembles a Jack Russell terrier, except that a Crup has a forked tail. Crups are extremely loyal to wizards and ferocious toward Muggles. They eat almost anything (FB).

Demiguise
XXXX
The Demiguise is a peaceful, herbivorous creature that can make itself invisible. It resembles an ape with large, black eyes and long, silky hair. This hair can be woven into Invisibility Cloaks. The Demiguise is native to the Far East (FB).

Diricawl
XX
This plump, flightless bird escapes danger by vanishing in a burst of feathers. Muggles knew this bird as the "dodo" and believe that it is extinct, being unaware of its ability to vanish at will. Because this belief (and associated guilt) has spurred more enlightened attitudes toward the animal world among many Muggles, Wizards have encouraged it (FB).

dogs
and dog-like creatures

• Sirius Black's Animagus form is a large black dog (PA17)

• boarhound

• Crup

• Fang

• Fluffy

• Grim

• hellhound

Doxy (Biting Fairy)
XXX
The Doxy is a small fairy-like creature that is covered with black hair. They have sharp vemonous teeth (FB). Doxies are pests. They can infest houses, taking up residence in the draperies. Removing them requires a good supply of Doxycide. It's a good idea to have an antidote for Doxy venom on hand as well (OP6).

dragon
XXXXX
Dragons, large flying reptiles which breathe fire, are some of the most awe-inspiring and dangerous of all magical beasts. There are ten varieties of dragons in the world today.

• Antipodean Opaleye

• Chinese Fireball (Liondragon)

• Common Welsh Green

• Hebridean Black

• Hungarian Horntail

• Norwegian Ridgeback

• Peruvian Vipertooth

• Romanian Longhorn

• Swedish Short-Snout

• Ukrainian Ironbelly

Dugbog
XXX
This strange creature looks like just another hunk of dead wood floating in the marshes in which is lives. The Dugbog has finned paws and sharp teeth with which is attacks small mammals. The Dugbog is particularly fond of Mandrakes (FB).

Erkling
XXXX
The Erkling is a small elf-like creature native to Germany. Its high-pitched laugh is particularly entrancing to children, which Erklings like to eat. Erkling killings have decreased dramatically over the last few centuries as the German Ministry of Magic has put in place strict controls over the creatures (FB).
"Rowling has transposed a few letters in the name of the Erl King... of German legend. Otherwise, her description holds true. It is an evil creature in the Black Forest of Germany that tries to snatch children." (p. 26)

Erumpent
XXXX
This huge African magical beast resembles a rhinoceros. Its horn, which can pierce almost anything, contains a fluid which explodes, destroying what it has hit. Because male Erumpents frequently blow each other up during mating season, the species is somewhat endangered (FB).

fairy
and fairy-like creatures
XX
Tiny creatures that look like perfectly formed humans with insect wings. They are extremely vain and quarrelsome, liking nothing better than to serve as decoration. Flitwick decorated his classroom with them (PA10) and the garden was decorated with them for Yule Ball (GF23). Fairies have their own weak form of magic which they use primarily to avoid being eaten by predators. (FB) According to Scamander, fairies are held to have very limited intelligence, and they do not use any form of language that humans understand (but see languages).

fairy-like creatures

• Doxy

• imp

• leprechaun

• pixie

ferret

• Buckbeak enjoys a plate of dead ferrets (PA14)

• Mad-Eye Moody turns Draco into one (GF13)

• Mortlake owned some extremely odd ferrets (CS3)

Fire-Crab
XXX
The Fire-Crab looks like a tortoise with a jeweled shell which can shoot fire out of its rear end. It is constantly in danger of being killed for its shell, which unscrupulous wizards will use as cauldrons. The Fire-Crab is native to Fiji, where there is a coastal reserve set aside for its protection (FB).
See also Blast-Ended Skrewt (GF24).

Fire Slugs
Creatures which live in the Brazilian rain forests. Newt Scamander is currently studying them (fw73).

fish
and other water creatures

• Hippocampus

• Lobalug

• Merperson

• Plimpy

• Ramora

• Shrake

Flesh-Eating Slug
Apparently a frightening creature, since someone was scared enough of them to turn a Boggart into it (PA7). Hagrid once needed a repellent for Flesh-Eating Slugs which were getting into the cabbages, and went shopping for it in Knockturn Alley (CS4).

Flobberworm
X
A ten-inch, toothless brown worm which eats vegetation, especially lettuce. The mucus it exudes is used to thicken potions. Hagrid, after losing his nerve with the hippogriff debacle, had his third year students raise these for a semester, which was completely pointless as they prefer to be left alone and to do nothing (PA6, FB).

Ford Anglia
A bewitched and semi-sentient car, now running wild in the Forbidden Forest (CS15).

frog
Ron has a big one in a tank in his room (was filled with frog spawn before). They also live in the Weasleys' garden pond. For a detention, Neville had to disembowel a whole barrel full of horned toads (GF)

See Toads and Frogs

"furballs"
(okay, did anyone else immediately think of tribbles when they read this?)
Custard-colored furballs, humming loudly, were for sale in the Magical Menagerie (PA4); these are probably Puffskeins.

Fwooper
XXX
African bird with brightly-colored feathers. The Fwooper song will drive the listener insane and must therefore be sold with a Silencing Charm on it (FB).

ghoul
XX
Ghouls are slimy, buck-toothed, ugly creatures which live in attics or barns of wizards. They are dim-witted and are content to throw things around now and then. Ghouls are relatively harmless creatures who live on spiders and moths. A ghoul lives in the attic of the Burrow, just above Ron's room. The ghoul makes noises a lot (CS4, GF10)

See also Chameleon ghouls.

giant
(GF23, GF24)
Full-blooded giants are about twenty feet tall (GF24). The race of Giants now lives mostly in remote mountain areas, but there was a time when they were a force to be reckoned with in the Wizarding World. The Giants allied themselves with Voldemort in the 1970s and were responsible for many of the worst incidents of killing and torturing, especially of Muggles. A great many of the Giants were killed by Aurors and the rest fled.

See list of non-wizard characters - giants for a list of giant characters. Rubeus Hagrid and Olympe Maxime are both part giant, and are counted as wizard characters rather than giants.

Glumbumble
XXX
The Glumbumble is a magical furry insect. It produces a fluid which causes melancholy. This fluid is used as an antidote for the hysteria which results from eating Alihotsy leaves. Glumbumbles eat nettles.

gnome (garden)
XX
The gnome is a common garden pest resembling a potato with legs. Gnomes live in gnome-holes underground, where they dig up plant roots and generally cause a mess; their presence is also a dead give-away that a home belongs to a witch or wizard (Sch1). Every so often, a garden must be "de-gnomed," which involves grasping the gnomes by the ankles, swinging them around a few times to disorient them, then tossing them out of the garden. Gnomes are rather dim, so when they realize a de-Gnoming is going on, they all come rushing up out of their holes to see what's going on, making them a lot easier to catch (CS3). Crookshanks loved chasing gnomes around the Weasleys' garden and the gnomes seemed just as much to love being chased (GF5). (also FB)

goat
The bezoar, a stone used in antidotes, comes from the stomach of a goat (PS8)

goblins
A race of highly intelligent magical beings who coexist (sometimes uneasily) with wizarding society. (more...)

• Elfric the Eager - Uprising of (PS16)

• bet with Ludo Bagman (GF

Graphorn
XXXX
A large, grayish-purple creature which lives in the mountains of Europe. Graphorns have two extremely sharp horns. They are extremely dangerous animals. Graphorn horns are useful for potions and Graphorn hide is even tougher than dragons' and also repels spells (FB).

griffin
XXXX
Strange creature with the front body of an eagle and hindquarters of a lion. Griffins are used to guard treasure (FB).
There is a statue of a griffin in a corridor in Hogwarts, near the girls' bathroom where Harry, Ron, and Hermione faced a Mountain Troll (PS10).
Godric Gryffindor, the founder of Gryffindor house, may have gotten his name from this beast. The griffin-shaped knocker on the door of Dumbledore's office may be a pun on Gryffindor's name.

Grim (barghest)
The Grim is a ghostly image of a large dog-like beast; seeing one portends death (PA6).

grindylow
XX
A grindylow is a pale green creature that lives in the weed beds on the bottom of lakes in Britain. It is also known as a water demon. Grindylows have long, brittle fingers which they use to grip their prey, sharp little horns, and green teeth. Lupin taught his third year students about them (PA8)

Grindylows in the lake near Hogwarts attacked the Triwizard champions during the second task. However, some grindylows appear to have been domesticated by merpeople (GF26).

Griphook
Griphook is a goblin working at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. He escorts Harry and Hagrid down below the surface in the cart, stopping first at Harry's vault, then at vault 713, a high security vault (PS5).

Gytrash
The Gytrash is a huge, spectral hound which lives in the forest.
The Gytrash, in the form of a huge dog, horse, or mule, haunts solitary places; it is found in the folklore of Northern England.
(CS/g; reference: interview with Derek Proud, one of the game designers, who specifically states that JKR designed this creature for them, Queensland, Australia, Courier Mail, Oct 12, 2002)

hag
Female human-like magical being, but less adept than a witch at disguising herself from Muggles (PA4, GF19). Hags are what one might refer to as "fairy tale witches." Hags are wild in appearance, and they have been known to eat children (FB, DP, fw), although at the Leaky Cauldron Harry once saw a hag eating raw liver (PA4). Hags can be quite frightening, apparently, since Quirrell had a "nasty bit of business" with one during his year off for first-hand experience in fighting the Dark Arts (PS5). Interested parties may also consult Gilderoy Lockhart's book Holidays with Hags (CS4), which probably can be picked up quite cheaply at Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley, London, UK these days.

hellhound
Muggle name for the sleepless three-headed dog who according to their mythology guards the gates of Hades. The dog's name was Cerberus, and the only time when he was ever overcome save by brute force was when the great musician Orpheus sang him to sleep. Hagrid had a huge three-headed dog which he called Fluffy (PS9, PS11, PS16), who now is reported to be living in the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts (BP). [NOTE: The name "hellhound" does not appear in the books; that is the name given to this type of creature in Muggle mythology. In the books, the Fluffy is simply refered to as a "giant three-headed dog.]

hinkypunk
A little one-legged creature, with the appearance of being made of smoke, the hinkypunk carries a light with which it lures travelers into bogs (PA9).

hippocampus
XXX
A Mer-horse, with the head and forequarters of a horse and the hindquarters and tail of a giant fish (FB).
hippocampus = (from hippos (horse) + kampos sea-monster) a legendary Greek half-horse half-fish creature often shown in art drawing the chariot of Poseidon (NSOED).

hippogriff
XXX
A flying creature with the head, wings, and forelegs of a giant eagle and the body (including hind legs and tail) of a horse. The eyes are orange, while individual hippogriff colours vary as those of mundane horses do, including black, bronze, chestnut, grey, and roan. An adult hippogriff's wingspan is approximately 24 feet (PA6, FB).

Hippogriffs are carnivorous and are extremely dangerous until tamed, which should only be attempted by a trained witch or wizard. That said, hippogriffs can and do live on insects, birds, and small animals such as rats and ferrets (FB, GF27, OP6).

A person wishing to approach a hippogriff should maintain eye contact and should bow first; if the animal bows in return, it can be touched and even ridden. Hippogriff owners are required to keep them under Disillusionment Charms to prevent Muggles from seeing them (PA6, FB).

Hogwarts has access to at least a dozen hippogriffs for Care of Magical Creatures lessons; see Buckbeak for an example (PA6).

horklump
X
This garden pest resembles a pinkish mushroom covered with bristles, but is actually a carnivorous animal rather than a plant. Horklumps are the favourite food of gnomes (FB).

horned toad
Neville once had to disembowel an entire barrel full of horned toads while in detention with Snape. Afterward, Ron fantasized about Mad-Eye Moody turning Snape into a horned toad, similar to the 'amazing bouncing ferret' punishment inflicted on Draco Malfoy (GF14). Horned toads are really lizards, and very fearsome-looking lizards at that. Poor Neville had quite an evening, I think. [web link]
(Photo courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department © 2003)

horse, winged
XX - XXXX
Twelve palomino horses the size of elephants pull the Beauxbatons carriage as it flies through the sky. These magnificent animals are very powerful and require forceful handling. They drink only single-malt whiskey (GF15)

There are several breeds of winged horses:

• Abraxan - palomino

• Aethonan - chestnut, popular in Britain and Ireland

• Granian - grey, fast

• thestral - black, but see specific entry regarding visibility

house-elf

• who would "own" one (CS3)
• over a hundred at Hogwarts (GF12)
• Dobby (CS1, CS2, CS10, CS18, GF21, GF26, OP18, OP27)
• Winky (GF8, GF9, GF21, GF35, OP18)
• Kreacher (OP4, OP6, OP22, OP24, OP32, OP37)
• Hermione's protest (GF8, GF9, GF10, GF12, GF13), Foundation of the SPEW (GF14), and her elf rights campaign (GF15, GF21, GF28; OP13, OP18, OP27)

human-like creatures
Creatures that look like normal human beings but which are not (at least some of the time in the case of werewolves).

• hags

• vampires

• werewolves

imp
XX
The imp is similar to the pixie and the fairy. It is about seven inches tall and is colored dull brown or black. Imps live in damp or marshy areas. They have a somewhat slapstick sense of humor and they love to trip people so they fall into a stream. They eat small insects. (FB)

insects
and insect-like creatures

• Billywig

• Glumbumble

• lacewing flies

• Chizpurfle

Irish Phoenix
Another name for the augurey.

Jarvey
XXX
Resembling an overgrown ferret, the Jarvey is one of the few beasts that can actually talk. Its speech, however, consists entirely of rude phrases and insults. Jarveys chase gnomes (FB).
"Jarvey" is an old slang term for a cab-driver, dating from the days when cabs were horse-drawn [NSOED].

Jobberknoll
XX
A tiny blue speckled bird which makes no sound until the moment of its death, when it lets out a long scream consisting of all the sounds it has ever heard; their feathers are important ingredients in making potions that affect memory (FB).
"Jobbernowl" means a stupid person (NSOED).

kappa
XXXX
A water-dweller resembling a scaly monkey with webbed hands, a kappa will grab and strangle waders in its pond (PA8). According to Snape, the kappa is commonly found in Mongolia (PA9), but the Care of Magical Creatures textbook states that the kappa is a Japanese creature (FB).
web link

kelpie
XXXX
Lockhart once gave Hagrid unsolicited advice on how to get kelpies out of a well (CS7). The world's biggest and most famous kelpie is the Loch Ness Monster, although it is often mistaken for a sea serpent (FB).
web link

knarl
XXX
Very similar to a hedgehog, except that the knarl takes offense easily and will wreak havoc on garden plants (FB).

kneazle (NEE-zul)
XXX
This very intelligent cat-like creature can detect unsavory or suspicious persons very well and will react badly to them. However, if a kneazle takes a liking to a witch or wizard, it makes an excellent pet. The kneazle has spotted fur, large ears, and a lion-like tail (FB). Crookshanks is part kneazle (Nr, JKR).

lacewing fly
These insects are used as potion ingredients. They are small insects with large, transparent wings. Lacewing flies eat aphids (CS
web link

leech
A small slug-like creature that lives in water. Leeches attach themselves to other creatures and suck their blood. Leeches are used as potion ingredients, both sliced and in the form of Leech Juice.
web link

leprechaun(clauricorn, cluricaun)
XXX
A tiny vegetarian creature resembling a little (maximum height 6 inches) green human, the leprechaun is one of the occasional anomalies of the beast/being classification system. Although they alone of the "little people" have the ability to speak human language, they are classified as beasts, and have remained in that category as they have never requested re-classification (although they appear to have made no political statement by this, unlike centaurs and merpeople. They are able to produce a gold-like substance that vanishes after an hour or two (GF8, GF28). Leprechauns are the Irish National Quidditch Team's mascots (GF8).

lethifold(living shroud)
XXXXX
This dangerous beast resembles a half-inch thick black cloak which moves along the ground at night, hunting its prey. It attacks sleeping humans, smothers them, then digests them, all in their bed, leaving no trace at all. The only defense against a lethifold is a Patronus Charm. Thankfully, this frightening creature is rare, only found in the tropics (FB).
L. lethum, variation of letum, death (NSOED)

liondragon
The Chinese Fireball dragon is sometimes known by this name (FB).

lobalug
XXX
A sea creature consisting of a poison sac and a spout, the lobalug is used as a weapon by Merpeople (FB).

Loch Ness Monster
XXXX
The largest known and most famous kelpie on Earth; its favourite form is that of a sea serpent (FB). The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has been trying to find a way to hide the Loch Ness Monster, who is notorious for showing off for Muggles. Hagrid at one point offered to keep the giant Kelpie in the Hogwarts lake (DP).

mackled malaclaw
XXX
A creature of the shore and coastline, resembling a lobster. The malaclaw's bite gives the victim bad luck for up to a week (FB).
"mackled" = blurred (NSOED)
"mal" Fr. "bad" + claw

manticore
XXXXX
A sentient creature, capable of intelligent speech but not classified as a being due to its violent tendencies, a manticore has a human-like head, a lion's body, and the tail of a scorpion. The tail secretes a venom that is instantly fatal to a victim of its sting. A manticore's skin repels virtually all known charms, so it is extremely difficult to subdue by magic (FB). In 1296, a manticore seriously wounded someone but was let off because no one dared go near it (PA11). Hagrid bred the Blast-Ended Skrewt from a manticore and a fire-crab; it is unknown how he persuaded the manticore to cooperate (GF24).

Manticores originated in Greece (FB). In the opinion of the Bestiary's assistant editor, they like the acromantula probably originated as a wizard-bred species specifically created to guard treasures, strongholds, and the like, and serve as an example of why the Ban on Experimental Breeding is so important.
web link

merpeople
XXXX
Sentient beings who live underwater in villages at the bottom of lakes and seas. Merpeople speak Mermish, a language which sounds like a horrible screeching noise but which is understandable underwater. They sometimes use lobalugs as weapons. Merpeople are also known as sirens (Greece), selkies (Scotland), and merrows (Ireland) (FB). The merfolk who live in the lake near Hogwarts are led by Merchieftainess Murcus (GF25).

In 1949, some merpeople caught a hippocampus off the coast of Scotland and domesticated it (FB). Some of the merpeople living near Hogwarts keep grindylows as pets (GF25).

merrow
A Merperson from the lakes and seas of Ireland (FB).

moke
XXX
A small lizard that can shrink at will (FB).

mooncalf
XX
A strange creature that lives in a burrow. It only comes out at the full moon, when it dances on its enormous flat feet, sometimes leaving intricate patterns in wheatfields (much to the confusion of Muggles). The silvery dung of the mooncalf, if collected before the sun comes up, makes an excellent fertilizer (FB).

mountain troll
See troll.

mummy
The preserved remains of an animal body, possibly human, from which fluids have been removed. Although mummification can occur through natural processes in very dry conditions, the most common conception of a mummy is that of one deliberately embalmed as a preparation for burial, for which additional preservative measures have been performed. In ancient Egypt, mummification was performed on the bodies of humans and of cats, and was considered a necessary step in preparing the deceased for the afterlife.

It is unclear whether the type of mummy Parvati Patil fears (which the boggart impersonated during her first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with Remus Lupin, PA7), is an actual mummy animated or some Dark Creature resembling a mummy. If the latter is the case, a mummy is a frightening creature, bandaged, bloody, and sightless, possibly a manifestation of a curse left behind by ancient wizards (PA7). (Of course, if Parvati was exposed to Muggle entertainment as a child, she may just have watched too many horror movies.)
web link about mummy curses

murtlap
XXX
A seashore-dwelling rodent native to Britain, this ratlike creature has on its back a growth resembling a sea anemone, which when pickled can be used to promote resistance to curses. The murtlap will attack anyone who steps on it, although it usually eats crustaceans, not people's feet (FB).

Hermione treated Harry's cuts after his detention with Umbridge with murtlap essence (OP15). Harry later recommended the same treatment to Lee Jordan, who in turn suggested it to the Weasley twins when they were seeking a solution to the problem of the boils caused by their prototype Fever Fudge (OP18, OP26).

niffler
XXX
A black fluffy long-snouted creature which burrows in dirt as if it were water. Nifflers are strongly attracted to anything shiny, so they can be very useful for finding treasure, and are often kept by goblins for this purpose (GF28, FB). Native to Britain, nifflers live in lairs up to 20 feet underground and have litters of 6 - 8 young (FB).

Fred and George left a couple of nifflers with Lee Jordan when they left school. He levitated them into Umbridge's office through her window, where they cheerfully trashed the place and attacked her when she walked in (OP31). Although nifflers are gentle and even affectionate (FB), Umbridge had a habit of wearing rings, and nifflers are prone to attempt to bite off jewelry (GF28).
"niffer" (Scotland and northern England) to exchange, mutually exchange, or barter [NSOED]

nogtail
XXX
Found in rural areas across Europe, Russia, and America; a Dark Creature (classified as a demon) resembling a piglet, but stunted with narrow black eyes, a thick stubby tail, and long legs. Nogtails curse farms. A nogtail slips into a pigsty and suckles an ordinary pig; the longer it goes undetected, the longer the curse that falls upon the farm. The nogtail is very fast and difficult to catch, but if chased off the farm by a pure white dog it will never return. See the Pest Sub-Division of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for assistance with nogtail problems (FB).

nundu
XXXXX
Considered by many to be the most dangerous beast in existence, the nundu is a gigantic leopard, native to East Africa, whose breath carries disease and death. Whole villages have been wiped out by the nundu, and no nundu has ever yet been subdued by fewer than a hundred wizards working together (FB). Compare this with the dragons of the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament in Harry's fourth year, each of which - an agitated nesting mother - could be stunned by a team of fewer than ten wizards (GF).

occamy
XXXX
A beautiful, carnivorous creature native to India and the Far East, resembling a winged snake, but plumed, having two legs, and reaching up to fifteen feet in length. As occamy eggshells are formed from pure soft silver, the occamy's reputation for aggression may be overstated, as most of its interaction with humans probably has consisted of defense of its eggs (FB).
"occamy" Eng. a metallic composition imitating silver [NSOED]

owl
These birds provide postal service for the Wizarding World. Although Muggles know about them, they are obviously magical to some extent, since their ability to find the recipient of their letters is extraordinary indeed.

phoenix
XXXX
Swan-sized bird with gold or red plumage (apart from its golden tail), golden beak, and golden talons. The scarlet plumage glows faintly in darkness, while the golden tail feathers radiate heat to the touch (CS15). Phoenix tail feathers are suitable for use as wand cores (PS5), while phoenix tears have healing powers (FB, CS12). According to Scamander (FB), "phoenix song is magical; it is reputed to increase the courage of the pure of heart and to strike fear into the hearts of the impure".

Like the diricrawl, the phoenix is herbivorous; the XXXX rating given to this gentle creature does not indicate ferocity, but rather the rarity of successful attempts to domesticate it. Another point of similarity with the diricrawl is that the phoenix can disappear and reappear at will (FB). Phoenixes can carry immensely heavy loads in flight (CS12, CS17).

The phoenix's most unusual characteristic is that after its body begins to fail, it dies in a burst of flame, to be reborn from the ashes. This occurs not only on a phoenix's natural Burning Day, but if the phoenix receives a fatal injury, such as being hit with a Killing Curse (OP36).

Found in Egypt, India, and China, phoenixes nest on mountain peaks (FB).

The Moutohora Macaws have a phoenix for a mascot. His name, appropriately enough, is Sparky (QA8).

See detailed entry for Fawkes.

pixie
XXX
Native to Cornwall, these mischievous creatures are a bright electric blue in colour. They are very rude (CS, FB).

plimpy
XXX
A kind of fish, shaped like a ball with two long, rubbery legs and webbed feet. If you happen to spot a plimpy with its legs tied in a knot, you will know that merpeople are around (FB).
"plim" Eng. a dialect word for becoming plump [NSOED]

pogrebin
XXX
These annoying little creatures are native to Russia. They love to follow people around, infusing them with a sense of hopelessness until the human collapses, at which point the pogrebin attempts to devour them. The Pogrebin resembles a grey rock with a small hairy body and it hides by crouching down and pretending to be nothing but a harmless stone (FB). 

porlock
XX
Found in Dorset, England and in southern Ireland, this short (about two feet high when fully grown), shaggy creature walks on two cloven-hoofed feet and feeds on grass. Its small arms end in four fingers.

The porlock lives to guard horses and will be found with a herd or curled in the straw of stables, although it is so distrustful of humans that it is seldom seen at all (FB). 

Porlock is a town located along the north coast of Devon, on the edge of Exmoor National Park. According to the site "What's On Exmoor," "A large group of feral goats lived in this coastal area until about 1910 and their milk, skins and meat were traded at Porlock Weir..." Perhaps it is this bit of history which suggested the Porlock to Rowling.

puffskein
XX
A long-tongued custard-coloured little furball that makes a calming purring noise. These pleasant creatures are often kept as pets, particularly by wizarding children; Ron Weasley used to own one until Fred used it for Bludger practice. As scavengers that will eat anything from leftovers to spiders, they are very easy to care for. There was a nest of dead puffskeins under the sofa of the drawing room of Number 12 Grimmauld Place (OP6).
(If you immediately thought of "tribbles" from STAR TREK when you read about the "custard-colored furballs" in the Magical Menagerie, you're not alone. See the original series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" written by David Gerrold for more information on that subject. As a matter of fact, David Gerrold got the idea for Tribbles from "flat-cats" in a short story by Robert Heinlein)

quintaped
XXXXX
A highly dangerous carnivore covered in thick reddish-brown hair, having five clubfooted legs and a low-slung body. It has a particular taste for humans (FB).

One of the most dangerous of magical beasts, the quintaped is found only on the Isle of Drear off the north tip of Scotland. There is a fascinating legend about the origin of quintapeds, which involves a feud between two wizarding clans and a poorly thought-out magical attack. The reader is urged to read the full account in a reputable source such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander. The Isle of Drear has been made Unplottable to protect the unwary (FB).
"quintaped" translates from Latin as "five-footed"

rabbit
A fat white rabbit in the Magical Menagerie transformed itself into a top hat and back again (reminiscent of the Muggle conjuring trick in which the performer pulls a rabbit out of a top hat). It is unclear if this is a magical creature or if it had simply been enchanted to perform this bit of Transfiguration (PA4). Lavender Brown had a young pet rabbit at home, named Binky, which was killed by a fox during her third year (PA8). 

ramora
XX
Powerfully magical silver-coloured fish from the Indian Ocean, a protected species that in turn is a guardian of seafarers, as the ramora is capable of anchoring ships. It is protected from poaching by international wizarding law (FB). 

rat
In the Magical Menagerie was a cage full of black rats which were busy jumping rope with their tails; the saleswitch implied that they would live longer than a common rat's three-year lifespan (PA4). Rat Animagi appear to have some ability to communicate with ordinary rats (GF1). While living in hiding in Grimmauld Place, Sirius appears to have kept Buckbeak mainly on a diet of dead rats (OP6).

See entry on Scabbers.

raven
Ravens were for sale on Diagon Alley (PA4).

Red Cap
XXX
Small, goblin-like/dwarflike creatures, Red Caps love bloodshed, and will attempt to beat to death Muggles lost in dungeons or on battlefields on dark nights. (As red caps can be repelled easily by charms and hexes, Muggles rather than adult wizarding folk face the most danger from them (PA8, FB).)

According to A Field Guide To The Little People (Nancy Arrowsmith with George Moorse, New York: Hill and Wang, 1977):

Some of the most bloodthirsty Scottish elves are the Lowland castle spirits. They are called Red Caps...and by some accounts are said to live only in castles with a history of violence. Others say they live in all Lowland peel-towers [fortified houses or towers]. It may well be that both accounts are true...The Red Caps' main occupation is colouring their red caps, which they dye with human blood. They throw boulders on to travellers from their towers, then catch the blood in their caps. As soon as the blood dries and the colour fades, the Red Caps look for new victims. They also foretell disasters by making a loud noise like the beating of flax. The only things that discourage them are crosses, cross-handled swords, and words from the Bible (p. 47).

These Red Caps are described as short, old elves with a sturdy build and long grey hair. They are about four feet tall and have red eyes. 

Re'em
XXXX
Native to the wilds of North America and the Far East, this extremely rare golden-furred giant ox's blood gives the drinker immense strength. However, since demand far exceeds supply, re'em blood is found on the open market only rarely.

JKR borrowed the idea of the Re'em from ancient writings, although she created her own description of this mysterious beast. From The Truth About Unicorns by James Cross Giblin.

"In the original version, the Hebrew writers referred seven times to a powerful animal called the re'em. One of these references appeared in the description of Joseph.... Not knowing what animal the Hebrews had in mind, the authors of the Septuagint translated re'em as monoceros, the Greek word for unicorn. "There's no reason to believe, however, that the Hebrews thought of the re'em as one-horned. Some later scholars argued that it was probably the African antelop, the oryx. They pointed out that the Arabic word for oryx was the similar rim" (page 41).

The reference to Joseph is from the Biblical book of Deuteronomy: "His Glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns...." (Deut. 33:17). (Thanks to Pigwideon on the Lexicon Forum for this information)
According to the NSOED's historical information about the word 'unicorn', "re'em" was Hebrew for 'wild ox'. The accompanying derivation in the NSOED tallies with the above.

runespoor
XXXX
A magical three-headed, snake commonly reaching a length of 6 - 7 feet, coloured livid orange with black banding; native to Burkina Faso, where several forests are designated as preserves for its sole use. The runespoor is unique among known magical beasts for producing its eggs through its mouths (FB).

Runespoors rarely live to a great age, as each head contains an independent brain serving a different purpose, and they tend to attack each other. The right head is the planner, the middle head is the dreamer, and the left head is the critic. The planner decides where the runespoor goes and what it will do next, although the dreamer's visions often lead to a runespoor remaining stationary for days, lost in its imaginings. The critic, the fangs of which are extremely venomous, hisses continually (and irritably), evaluating the efforts of the planner and the dreamer. Often, the other two heads will gang up on the critic and bite it off; two-headed runespoors are not uncommon.

The runespoor was once a favorite pet of Dark Wizards, mostly because of its intimidating appearance. The eggs of the runespoor are used for making potions which enhance mental ability. A flourishing black market in the eggs and in the serpents themselves has existed for centuries (FB).
"rune" one of the alternate meanings of this word in English is 'an incantation, a charm, esp. one denoted by magic or cryptic signs; a magic word' [NSOED]

salamander
XXX
A small, brilliant white, fire-dwelling lizard that feeds on flame, although it can survive up to six hours outside a fire if regularly fed pepper (FB, CS8). A salamander lives only as long as the fire from which it sprang, scampering along burning logs and among the coals, and its colour appears blue or scarlet depending on the heat of the fire in which it appeared (FB, CS8). Salamander blood has powerful curative and restorative properties (FB).

Fred and George once fed fireworks to one just to see what would happen; it was orange (CS8). Hagrid once provided a bonfire full of them for his third year Care of Magical Creatures class (PA12).

sea serpent
XXX
A gigantic (can grow to a hundred feet in length), snake-like beast with a horselike head and a long snakelike body rising in humps out of the sea as it moves through the water; found in the Atlantic, Mediterrean, and Pacific Oceans. The sea serpent has received very bad Muggle press, in this case unjustified. Although many Muggle legends have grown up around sightings of the creatures, usually tales of horror and death, in reality sea serpents are harmless; there is no record of a sea serpent ever harming a human. See also the Loch Ness kelpie, which favours taking this form (FB).

shrake
XXX
A magically-created species of saltwater fish, found in the Atlantic Ocean, which is covered in spines and which deliberately seeks out and destroys Muggle fishing nets. The first shrake were supposedly created in the 1800s by a group of wizard fisherfolk who had been insulted by Muggles. The shrake, by damaging the nets used by Muggles to fish in that area of the sea, cause no end of trouble (FB).
"shred" +
"hake" a fish related to the cod [NSOED]

snails
Poisonous orange snails were for sale in the Magical Menagerie; they could have been streelers (PA4, FB).

snakes
and snake-like creatures

• ashwinder
• basilisk
• boa constrictor - Harry accidentally released from the zoo, frightening Dudley half to death and resulting in a severe punishment from Uncle Vernon (PS2)
• dragon
• Nagini (GF1)
• occamy
• runespoor
• sea serpent
• A snake came out of Draco Malfoy's wand from the "Serpensortia" spell (CS11)

Parseltongue is the language of snakes; someone who can speak Parseltongue is referred to as a Parselmouth (CS11).

snidget
XXXX(the high rating is because of the severe penalties attached to capturing or owning one)
A small, spherical bird which can fly with amazing agility, changing speed and direction almost instantaneously. Its golden feathers and red, jewel-like eyes are so prized that at one time the snidget was hunted almost to extinction. The fact that a snidget became such an integral part of the game of Quidditch (and usually died when it was caught) didn't help matters either. The snidget became a protected species; there are now severe penalties for harming or even capturing one. Snidget reserves have been set up worldwide, and a magical device, the Golden Snitch, has replaced the live bird in Quidditch (FB, QA).
 
 

sphinx
XXXX
Native to Egypt, this human-headed creature has a lion-like body, the capacity for human speech, and an innate love of puzzles and riddles, but due to its violent tendencies it has been placed in the 'beast' rather than the 'being' category (FB).

The sphinx has been used by wizarding folk for centuries to guard treasure, and is noted for violence when that which it guards is threatened (FB). In the opinion of the Bestiary's assistant editor, the sphinx is very probably a wizard-bred species rather than a naturally occurring one, given the remarks made by Scamander in his footnote on acromantulas (FB), but we have no definite information on that point.

A female sphinx was stationed in the Triwizard maze both to guard the closest approach to the center and to provide a hint about the last monster guarding the Triwizard Cup. She required an answer to a riddle; once the riddle was solved, she calmly let Harry pass by (GF31).

Gringotts has been known to place Sphinxes to guard some of the vaults, much to the consternation of those who want access to their valuables and aren't particularly good at riddles (DP).

spiders
and spider-like creatures

• The cupboard under the stairs was full of spiders (PS2).
• Ron Weasley's greatest fear is spiders, ever since the twins turned his teddy bear into a giant spider when he was little. He can work with dead spiders as potion ingredients without difficulty, however (CS9, PA7).
• acromantula (FB, CS15, GF31, OP16)
• Aragog and Mosag (CS15)
• Moody used three spiders to demonstrate the Unforgivable Curses (GF14).
• giant tarantula (PS6)
• Harry encountered an acromantula in the maze of the Third Task. He and Cedric defeated it together (GF31, OP16).
• Spiders the size of saucers infested a dresser at 12 Grimmauld Place (OP6).

squid, giant
The largest invertebrate known to Muggle science, the giant squid can grow to 70 feet. Speaking more specifically, at least one giant squid lives in the lake near Hogwarts castle, and seems to be more or less friendly toward the inhabitants.

• the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan tickle its tentacles (PS16)

• lazily crosses the lake (PA22)

• rescues Dennis Creevey (GF12)

• eats toast (GF18)

• swims with students after exams (OP38)

streeler
XXX
Giant African snail that changes colour every hour, and deposits a trail of venom as it moves that kills and shrivels all vegetation over which it passes, and which can kill horklumps. It is often kept as a pet (FB).
streel (from Irish straoillim, trail along the ground) = Eng. to trail on the ground or float at length; when speaking of a person, to wander aimlessly [NSOED]