Amphiptere

Amphiptere by Edward Topsell (1608)

An Amphiptere (also called Amphithere, Amphitere, or Phipthere) is a type of winged serpent found in European heraldry.^[1]

Appearance

Amphipteres generally were said to have greenish-yellow feathers, a serpentine body similar to a lindworm, bat-like green wings with feathered bone, and an arrow-tipped tail much like a wyvern's. Others are described as entirely covered in feathers with a spiked tail, bird-like wings, and a beak-like snout. Even more uncommon is the description of one with legs.

Modern fiction

Amphitheres feature in the Dragonology series of books and Dracopedia: A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World. The former is presented as if it were 19th century research into real dragons.^[2]

References

1. ↑ Rose, Carol. (2000). Giants, Monsters and Dragons. Norton
2. ↑ http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7636-2329-6