The first known records of the beast known as the basilisk come from first-century Roman writer Pliny the Elder. In his original writings, the basilisk is described as a massive snake with crown-like features on its head. Somewhere along the line, it became a giant snake with the body and head of a rooster and wings of a bat. Other than razor-sharp claws and insane strength, there were several things that the basilisk had that could kill you.