In medieval bestiaries, the description of the amphisbaena often varies. Some accounts describe it as part cock while others describe it with its two heads located at only one end of its body.
| Amphisbaena | |
| Other Names: | |
| Mother of Ants | |
| Images: | |
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| Serpent
with two heads, one at each end of its body, and eyes
that glowed like candles, first described by the ancient
Greeks. It is also called the "Mother of Ants,"
after the ants that nourish it. If chopped in half, the
two pieces would rejoin. The medical properties of the
amphisbaena are described by Pliny. If a pregnant woman
wore a live Amphisbaena around her neck, it would act as
a safeguard for her and her unborn child. Also, wearing a
dead amphisbaena around one's neck would cure rheumatism. In medieval bestiaries, the description of the amphisbaena often varies. Some accounts describe it as part cock while others describe it with its two heads located at only one end of its body. |