iguanodont:

The basilisk (Naja regula) and the cockatrice (Regulus gallus) do have overlapping distributions, but they are not the same creature.
The basilisk is the tiniest of spitting cobras, maxing out at only around 12-14 inches. However, it is also among the most venomous, and packs both a deadly bite and the ability to spit blinding venom several feet away with deadly accuracy. But before you get too disappointed, there may be some truth to the reports of insta-death odors and environment wrecking toxins as well, though not in the way you might think. These diminutive serpents dwell in volcanic regions surrounding the Red Sea and along the Great Rift Valley, where hidden gas vents may have made it appear that local flora and fauna have dropped dead for no reason.
The cockatrice, meanwhile, is a much showier beast. A flightless member of the wyvernidae family, it is swift footed and aggressive. Both sexes possess the red head and wattle, but the male’s crest is much more pronounced and swells with blood during mating rituals and threat displays. All dragons can spit up the contents of their stomach to some degree; the genus Regulus has honed this defense mechanism to a precise spurt of chemicals that can cause a painful burning sensation and blindness, much like the spitting cobra. This is generally a last resort; they prefer to simply bite and kick.
The female lays 3-5 eggs in a shallow depression lined with dry grass and leaves. It is up to the male to incubate the eggs and protect the chicks from predators, especially mongooses, which seem undeterred by the cockatrice’s aggressive nature. Cockatrices are found in Northern Africa, as well as parts of Southern Europe.