There's the vampire, there's the devil, and I've recently discovered the basilisk.
Any other?
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Komodo dragon, obviously.
There is a hydra .
Quote:
Hydra are named after the nine-headed sea snake of Greek mythology and are freshwater relatives of corals, sea anemones and jellyfish. All are members of a primitive phylum, the Cnidaria, and share in common stinging tentacles and a radially symmetrical body plan. The gut of cnidarians has only one opening and is termed the gastrovascular cavity. Unlike more complex animals, cnidarians are designed around 2 sheets of tissue: the ectoderm, lining the exterior; and the endoderm, lining the gastrovascular cavity. The two are separated by a gelatinous partition named the mesoglea. This layer is greatly expanded in jellyfish, but is much reduced in hydra.
The chimaera.
The Sphynx. Ewwwww.
Amazing that I overlooked this one initially.
I give you the Hobbits of Flores or Homo floresiensis
Salamander? Not quite a case of a real animal being named after a mythological creature, I don't think, but there is a distinction between the real salamander and the legendary one.
Harpy Eagles.
I can't figure out if Griffon Vultures are named after the mythological gryphon.
In Japanese, the Kirin is traditionally a mythological beast that looks like this. This is also the creature on cans of Kirin Beer.
After exposure to the west, however, the name was applied to the more familiar real-life creature that looks like this.
Jungle nymph, no less! I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I saw the picture. That is NOT what I think of when I read the words "jungle nymph."Quote:
Originally posted by OneCentStamp
Ah, that's more like it!
Surprised nobody said 'Jesus Lizard'
There is a breed of small dog called a Brussels gryphon.
[atheist theology geek]Quote:
Originally posted by Mangetout
That's rank Arianism! Jesus isn't a fictional creature, he's a fictional creator!
[/atheist theology geek]
Echidna.