Summary

Strange beasts of all kinds have crawled, run, swam, and flown through humanity's imagination and travelers' tales since the dawn of time. From Gryphons and Unicorns, to Dragons, Mermaids, and even more bizarre and fantastical animals, A Wizard's Bestiary takes you on a magical journey through the ages and around the world, to discover elusive creatures of myth and legend. Beware--here be Monsters!

The first section lists over 1,000 fantastic creatures from every land in an encyclopedic, alphabetical glossary format, from Aatxe to Zyphoeus. Each entry includes a small illustration, as well as cross-references to other related beasts.

Next, the authors present more in-depth features on some of more interesting of these legendary beasts, such as the Sea Serpent and the Man-Eating Tree of Madagascar. History, myths, and legends of each creature are presented, with particular emphasis on identifying real-life origins of mythical creatures in actual living animals, such as the link between the Kraken and the giant squid. This section is divided into these categories:

* Creepers

* Walkers

* Swimmers

* Flyers

* Demi-Humans

* Animate Plants

Expanded cryptozoological entries include the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, Mokele-Mbembe, El Chupacabra, Mothman, and other mystery monsters reported by eyewitnesses but not yet confirmed by science.
They are grouped into the following categories:

* Primates and Hominids

* Bipedal Monsters

* Carnivorous Mammals

* Herbivorous Mammals

* Sea Serpents and Lake Monsters

* Birds

* Reptiles

* Amphibians

* Living Dinosaurs

* Mystery Monsters

A Wizard's Bestiary is profusely illustrated with old woodcuts, engravings, and other images from historical sources, as well as interpretations by modern artists, including the authors. No other bestiary has been so well-illustrated! Hand-drawn medieval-style maps by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart show purported locales of different beasts on all continents and seas.