History Main / ApothecaryAlligator

-->-- '''''Discworld/{{Mort}}''''', Creator/TerryPratchett

-->-- ''Discworld/{{Mort}}'', '''Creator/TerryPratchett'''

* According to Creator/DianaWynneJones's Literature/TheToughGuidetoFantasyland, alligators in Fantasyland are:

* "The Return of the Sorcerer" (1931) by ClarkAshtonSmith:

* Mentioned in Book 1 of ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' (2003) in the description of the magician Arthur Underwood's study. The djinni Bartimaeus notes that this is a good indication that Underwood is distinctly second rate and trying to hide it behind impressive-looking knickknacks that don't have any use, whereas the truly powerful magicians favor a sleek, modern look.

* Mentioned in Book 1 of ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' (2003) in the description of the magician Arthur Underwood's study. Bart notes that this is a good indication that Underwood is distinctly second rate and trying to hide it; truly powerful magicians favor a sleek, modern look.

* In ''Literature/TheWiseMansFear'' (2011), Cadaceus, who purports to be a healer, has one in his tower. When the main character asks what it's for, Cadaceus admits that he has no idea.

The visual image may be inspired by early museums, "cabinet of curiosities" -- see [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Musei_Wormiani_Historia.jpg this picture]] from 1655. Admittedly the alligator (or, more likely, crocodile) is hanging on the wall (at the right), but ceiling is well filled with specimens. Note that alligators are ''only'' found in the Americas and China.

* "The Alchemist at Work", painting by David Teniers the Elder

* "The Return of the Sorcerer" by ClarkAshtonSmith:

* Merlyn's cottage in ''Literature/TheOnceAndFutureKing'':

* Miss Price's workroom in ''Literature/BedknobAndBroomstick'' by Mary Norton.

* Lord Portico's study in ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'':

** ''Discworld/TheLightFantastic'':

** Cutwell's workshop in ''Discworld/{{Mort}}''.
* The dog wizard Tibbeth's shop in ''Literature/StrangerAtTheWedding'' by Creator/BarbaraHambly:

* An early edition of ''Literature/TheSteerswoman'' by Rosemary Kirstein shows, on the cover, a scene set in a wizard's sanctum. You can tell it's a wizard's sanctum because of the stuffed crocodile hanging from the roof -- an interesting case of trope-as-shorthand, since the wizards' sanctum in the book itself is entirely bereft of taxidermied reptiles.
* Mentioned in Book 1 of ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' in the description of the magician Arthur Underwood's study. Bart notes that this is a good indication that Underwood is distinctly second rate and trying to hide it; truly powerful magicians favor a sleek, modern look.
* In "One Good Knight" (from the ''Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' series by Creator/MercedesLackey), one character comments that the Tradition ''requires'' Acadian Sophants (cross between a wizard and an adviser) to have a stuffed crocodile hanging from their rafters. When he tried to get rid of his, there was an even bigger one hanging from his ceiling the next day, looking smug.
* In ''Literature/TheWiseMansFear'', Cadaceus, who purports to be a healer, has one in his tower. When the main character asks what it's for, Cadaceus admits that he has no idea.

* ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' campaign ''The Fungi from Yuggoth'', adventure "The Thing in the Well". Dr. Cornwallis has a stuffed alligator hanging by wires from the ceiling of his alchemical laboratory.

* The description of the apothecary's shop in ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', Act V Scene I:

* The Voodoo Lady in ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' has a stuffed alligator whose tongue you have to pull to summon her.
* The Voodoo shop in ''[[VideoGame/GabrielKnight Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers]]'' has a dried alligator head. The proprietor claims it to be just a curio to impress tourists and superstitious old ladies. [[spoiler:He is lying: the head is an authentic mask for use in Voodoo rituals.]]

* Lord Portico's study in ''{{Neverwhere}}'':

* Frequently mentioned, and {{lampshaded}} as a occupational necessity, in the Literature/{{Discworld}} series. Every proper wizard has a stuffed alligator hanging from the ceiling of his laboratory, even if there aren't any alligators naturally in the area. No one, ''especially'' the wizards, is sure why.

* Mentioned in Book 1 of ''TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' in the description of the magician Arthur Underwood's study. Bart notes that this is a good indication that Underwood is distinctly second rate and trying to hide it; truly powerful magicians favor a sleek, modern look.

* In ''TheWiseMansFear'', Cadaceus, who purports to be a healer, has one in his tower. When the main character asks what it's for, Cadaceus admits that he has no idea.

* The description of the apothecary's shop in ''RomeoAndJuliet'', Act V Scene I:

* In ''TheWiseMansFear'', Cadaceus, who purports to be a healer, has one in his tower.

* In "One Good Knight" (from the ''TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' series by Creator/MercedesLackey), one character comments that the Tradition ''requires'' Acadian Sophants (cross between a wizard and an adviser) to have a stuffed crocodile hanging from their rafters. When he tried to get rid of his, there was an even bigger one hanging from his ceiling the next day, looking smug.

* In "One Good Knight" (from the ''TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' series by MercedesLackey), one character comments that the Tradition ''requires'' Acadian Sophants (cross between a wizard and an adviser) to have a stuffed crocodile hanging from their rafters. When he tried to get rid of his, there was an even bigger one hanging from his ceiling the next day, looking smug.

-->-- ''Discworld/{{Mort}}'', '''TerryPratchett'''

* Merlyn's cottage in ''TheOnceAndFutureKing'':

-->-- '''Discworld/{{Mort}}'''

* An early edition of ''TheSteerswoman'' by Rosemary Kirstein shows, on the cover, a scene set in a wizard's sanctum. You can tell it's a wizard's sanctum because of the stuffed crocodile hanging from the roof -- an interesting case of trope-as-shorthand, since the wizards' sanctum in the book itself is entirely bereft of taxidermied reptiles.

* ''CallOfCthulhu'' campaign ''The Fungi from Yuggoth'', adventure "The Thing in the Well". Dr. Cornwallis has a stuffed alligator hanging by wires from the ceiling of his alchemical laboratory.

* In "One Good Knight" (from the ''TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' series by MercedesLackey), one character comments that the Tradition ''requires'' Acadian magicians to have a stuffed crocodile hanging from their rafters. When he tried to get rid of his, there was an even bigger one hanging from his ceiling the next day, looking smug. Which makes one wonder how [[spoiler:Solon]] managed to hide the fact that he's a magician...

* The Voodoo shop in ''[[GabrielKnight Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers]]'' has a dried alligator head. The proprietor claims it to be just a curio to impress tourists and superstitious old ladies. [[spoiler:He is lying, The head is an authentic mask for use in Voodoo rituals. Making this example a subversion.]]

* Frequently mentioned, and {{lampshaded}} as a occupational necessity, in the {{Discworld}} series. Every proper wizard has a stuffed alligator hanging from the ceiling of his laboratory, even if there aren't any alligators naturally in the area. No one, ''especially'' the wizards, is sure why.

[[AC:{{Theater}}]]

* The Voodoo Lady in ''TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' has a stuffed alligator whose tongue you have to pull to summon her.

* The dog wizard Tibbeth's shop in ''Stranger at the Wedding'' by BarbaraHambly:

** Perhaps the need for the kingdom to have an EvilVizier who was a secret magician took precedence over the (fairly insignificant) need for a magician to have a stuffed crocodile hanging from his ceiling, or perhaps he ''does'' have one somewhere nobody can see it.

** Nobody ''ever'' knows the vizier is a sorcerer until it's too late.