The largest of the catoblepines, the crowned catoblepas is, owing to its great bulk and pebbly hide, normally a remarkably apathetic creature. Having no natural predators, it conducts itself with an unconcerned, almost oblivious ease. This changes during the breeding season, however. Nearsighted males charge anything that moves, on the off chance that it may be a rival. Females guarding calves are no less unforgiving of possible threats. Many a safari wagon filled with admiring tourists has been dented, overturned, or worse by an alarmed catoplepas mother.Ancient Greek scholars believed that the catoblepas' gaze held the power of death, though that claim was more often applied to the crowned's smaller cousin, the maned catoblepas. We now know that such ideas are pure fantasy.***Done for Alphabestiary. [link]