Leontophone

The leontophone (also known as Leontophonus, Leontophonos, or Leophontes) is a small, likely legendary animal whose name comes from the Ancient Greek word for "lion-killer." It first appears in the writings of Greco-Roman authors and later appears in Medieval bestiaries. The creature is so lethally poisonous to lions that a lion will die simply from biting one. In a specific ritual, the leontophone's flesh is burned, and the ashes are sprinkled on meat left at a crossroads; if a lion eats even a tiny amount, it dies. The ancients saw this as a "happy arrangement" because both the lion and the leontophone die in the process, suggesting that while lions were dangerous, leontophones were likely considered pests as well.

Because of the danger they pose, lions instinctively hate leontophones. When confronted, lions often hunt and kill them, tearing them apart with their claws rather than biting. However, some sources say the lion will instead flee from the small creature, only attacking when it has no other option—since attacking may cause the leontophone to urinate, and its urine is also fatally poisonous to lions. No definite description of the leontophone's appearance exists, but some sources speculate it looks like a small boar or bear, while others think it is serpentine, with some even calling it a small "worm" (the Medieval term for a dragon).