An archaic or obsolete term, possibly referring to a type of small lizard or gecko, used in medieval naturalist writings.
From Greek askalon or ascalon (possibly related to 'thrower' or 'wand-bearer') combined with bota (uncertain origin, possibly related to creatures or movement). This term appears rarely in medieval Latin bestiaries and natural history texts.
Ascalabota shows up in old natural history books as the name for some mysterious creature that nobody today is quite sure about—it's a reminder that medieval naturalists sometimes invented Latin names for animals they didn't fully understand!
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