History Main / ReptilesAreAbhorrent

This trope is not applied with equal frequency and intensity to all reptiles. {{Snakes|AreSinister}} (especially venomous ones) and [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile crocodilians]] tend to be the reptiles most associated with villains. Meanwhile, {{turtle|Power}}s and [[LovableLizard certain small, cute lizards]] like geckos, chameleons, frilled lizards and the like are seen as cute and harmless, and are less likely to be considered evil, while [[MaliciousMonitorLizard large lizards like monitors]] and gila monsters are basically snakes with legs. Stereotypically reptilian features such as {{fangs|AreEvil}}, claws, tails, visible scales, and slit pupils may distinguish villainous reptiles from friendly ones, as does the use of [[PoisonIsEvil venom]]. Also, while this trope primarily applies to real-life reptiles or characters based on them, it can also factor into how [[OurDragonsAreDifferent your dragons are different]]. Indeed, the classic European dragon: The grotesque, poisonous, [[PlayingWithFire fire]]-[[BreathWeapon spewing]], [[MonsterMisogyny maiden-abducting beast]] of Medieval lore might well be the ''ultimate'' incarnation of this trope.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Chronopia}}'' has the Stygians, who are a mix of dinosaur like reptiles, and SnakePeople. They are bloodthirsty desert raiders, and make constant human sacrifices to their Priestesses.

* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** In the ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' episode "Rebellion on Planet Beest" (''sic''), the reptiles, amphibians, and fish on a planet of {{Beast M|an}}en [[LesCollaborateurs side with the Decepticons]]. It's up to the mammals and birds to form [[LaResistance a rebellion]].
** Several Decepticons in the Generation One had reptilian alternate modes, as well as the Dinobots and Sky Lynx (who, despite his name, turned into a dragon) on the Autobot's side.
** ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', as explained in the toy section.

* An issue of ''NewScientist'' with a cover story about "Gaia's EvilTwin". The cover picture showed Gaia surrounded by "good nature"; green shoots, flowers, butterflies and doves, and Evil Gaia surrounded by "bad nature"; black roots, flies, carrion birds, and ''snakes''. This did not reflect the actual story in any way (it was about the nature of mass extinctions).

** ''Man-Eating Super Snake'', a documentary that indulges in blatant [[YouCanPanicNow fearmongering]] based on the possibility that the feral Burmese Pythons and African Rock Pythons in the Everglades will breed and produce hybrids with the size of the former and the purported aggression of the latter. Not only is this premise utterly sensationalistic and like something out of a Creator/{{Syfy}} [[Film/SyfyOriginalMovie original movie]], but Burmese and Rock Pythons have ''already been hybridized in captivity''; "Burmrocks", as they are known, are no larger or more aggressive than their Burmese or African parents. In fact, they're actually quite docile, a trait they inherit from their Burmese parents, ''exactly the opposite'' of Animal Planet's "Man-Eating Super Snake".

* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': Main villain Yzma uses her fair share of decorative snake motifs. Also, one of her {{Mooks}} was transformed into a lizard.

* Invoked in ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'' by the Baudelaire's second guardian Dr. Montgomery "Uncle Monty" Montgomery, a herptologist who, while he works with various kinds of snakes, overall describes them as misunderstood creatures. He discovers a new species which he names The Incredibly Deadly Viper, but is actually nonvenomous and friendly, which he purposely named as a prank to his colleagues in the field.

* ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'' has the PunchClockVillain Sir Hiss. Oddly enough, he's a goofy IneffectualSympatheticVillain. Another villain is an axe wielding crocodile {{Elite Mook|s}}. Two others are reptiles [[PunchClockVillain under the service]] of the Mammalian Prince John. The movie does feature a more sympathetic turtle: Toby, {{nerd}}y friend of [[CheerfulChild Skippy Rabbit]].
* Kaa in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Jungle Book|1967}}'' is another funny villain. In the book, Kaa was one of the main mentors for Mowgli. In the Disney adaptation, he was [[AdaptationalVillainy transformed into a villain]]. [[note]]There's a whole chapter in the seminal {{Doorstopper}}, ''The Illusion of Life'' in which the authors go on and on about how they struggled to make both Kaa and Sir Hiss "cute" so that they ''wouldn't scare the women in the audience''.[[/note]]

** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] for Louis the gator, who is quite friendly, and Juju, Mama Odie's snake, who's not only friendly but is more scared of Mama Odie when she involves him in some of her crazy antics.

* In the 1982 ''Film/{{Conan the Barbarian|1982}}'' film, the primary antagonist Thulsa Doom is the leader of a snake cult. He can [[ScaledUp turn into a giant snake]] and uses one as an arrow.

-->-- '''Carl von Linné; a.k.a. Carl Linnaeus, also the {{epigraph}} of the ''Literature/JurassicPark'' book.''' [[note]]It should also be noted that not all reptiles are pale in color, none have cartilaginous skeletons, many are quite clean and docile, not to mention mute, and very few have venom. Also, there are 8,240 species of reptile and only about 5,416 species of mammal, so their Creator clearly ''has'' exerted his powers to make many of them. Also note that Linnaeus actually spoke of amphibians, but he used that term to mean both amphibians and reptiles, and even some fish like sharks that do have cartilaginous skeletons.[[/note]]

See also WhatMeasureIsANonCute, ScaledUp, FangsAreEvil, PrimateVersusReptile, and DragonsAreDemonic. Compare BearsAreBadNews, CatsAreMean, CruelElephant, FeatheredFiend, MisterMuffykins, SavageWolves, ThreateningShark and YouDirtyRat. Contrast with TurtlePower and LovableLizard. This is also closely related to GoodAnimalsEvilAnimals.

* A toad in a well causes it to dry up in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20171010082330/http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/slavonic/wratislaw/rightremains.html "Right Always Remains Right,"]] [[https://web.archive.org/web/20171010081212/http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/slavonic/wratislaw/3goldenhairs.html "The Three Golden Hairs of Grandfather Allknow."]] and [[https://web.archive.org/web/20060104231007/http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/29devilgoldhairs.html "The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs."]]

* Teknophage from ''ComicBook/MrHeroTheNewmaticMan'' is an obvious one. A MagnificentBastard, as well as TheChessmaster as the ruler of many multiverses, including his home planet Kalighoul.
* Alison Bechdel's ''ComicBook/FunHome'' mentions how unsettling snakes are, and somewhat rhetorically suggests that this is because they are a strange mix of masculinity and femininity.

* The Dystopians in ''ComicBook/RequiemVampireKnight'' are {{evil brit}}s that performed evil deeds in name of colonialism and reincarnated as humanoid lizards in Hell. They are extremely greedy and cunning, and serve as rivals to the vampires' supremacy in the afterlife. Notably, despite being an evil race, they ironically have at least [[TokenHeroicOrc one heroic member]], Sir Tolecnal (to get a clue who he used to be in life, read his name [[SdrawkcabName backwards]]) who serves as the closest thing as a KnightInShiningArmor, but this [[CrapsackWorld world being what it is]], he is [[GoodIsDumb dumb as a sack of bricks]].

* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'', the Crimson Cobra is a cobra wearing mechanical arms who owned an EvilInc, and opposed the Chaotix.
* ComicBook/JudgeDredd regularly came to blows with the Kleggs, a race of alien LizardFolk (with some crocodilian features, depending on the artist) who were among the most dangerous enemies of Mega-City One.

* [[AlwaysChaoticEvil No reptilian Brute in]] ''Manga/KillingBites'' [[AlwaysChaoticEvil has ever been portrayed as having anything close to redeeming qualities]]. Cobra is a pervert whose only motivation is raping as many pretty girls as he can get his hands on. Gecko is a {{Sadist}} who enjoys watching others suffer before she kills them. The Horned Dragon sisters are {{Creepy Child}}ren who have no idea what morals are, and [[spoiler:the Chameleons are Sumitomo's [[{{Mooks}} personal hit squad]] called in to do unsavory things on his behalf]]. It's apparently explained in that the therianthrope powers are essentialy PersonalityPowers, and that said powers are modeled on their {{Animal Motif|s}} that reflects their personality.

** Franchise/GreenLantern Isamot Kol the alien space cop lizard-man is a good guy, but Ophidian the Orange Entity, the living embodiment of temptation and selfishness, takes the form of a giant snake.

** Killer Croc, one of Franchise/{{Batman}}'s most brutal enemies, is a man with a bizarre skin condition that gives him the appearance and toughness of a crocodile. He has Crocodile-like habits in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' as well. Although there's at least one continuity where he gets to go off and live in peace with Comicbook/SwampThing. Croc also sometimes appoints himself protector of sewer-dwelling homeless and runaways. Later depictions of him have him behaving much more {{beast|Man}}-like than before (he has grown a freakin' tail), due to a virus injected in him by Hush; now he's often engaging in cannibalism. This is lampshaded in a backup story in ''Legends of the Dark Knight'', where he realizes that as he's becoming stronger and tougher the more animalistic he gets, he's also losing his humanity. He kidnaps a scientist to try and reverse the changes, but when she reveals that there is no way, he loses what little self control he had left and eats her.

** Turtle Man is a rare example of a mean ''turtle''. He's "the Slowest Man Alive" and is a minor enemy of Franchise/TheFlash. He was originally a joke villain, but later became a credible threat when he gained the power to drain speed from other objects, including the Flash himself.

** [[http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Gordanians The Gordanians]] are a race of LizardFolk slavers who terrorize the Vega System, home to ComicBook/{{Starfire}} and the ComicBook/OmegaMen.

** Franchise/{{Superman}}'s enemies Lord Satanis and Syrene can summon animals, but in ''ComicBook/TwoForTheDeathOfOne'' they only ever summon snakes. Satanis summoned a nest of vipers to kill some poor villagers who offended him, Syrene summoned giant -literally- infernal snakes, and she even transformed the ground under her husband into a humongous snake which swallowed him whole.
** In ''ComicBook/SupermanFamily'' #174, an alien race of serpent men attempts to subjugate mankind by mind-controlling ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} into working for them.

* Kaa in ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook'' is another funny villain. In the book, Kaa was one of the main mentors for Mowgli. In the Disney adaptation, he was [[AdaptationalVillainy transformed into a villain]]. [[note]]There's a whole chapter in the seminal {{Doorstopper}}, ''The Illusion of Life'' in which the authors go on and on about how they struggled to make both Kaa and Sir Hiss "cute" so that they ''wouldn't scare the women in the audience''.[[/note]]

* In his [[Film/{{Gojira}} original]] appearance, Franchise/{{Godzilla}} was portrayed as a walking nuclear explosion, destroying everything in his path. In subsequent movies, however, he was depicted in a grayer light, and became a hero at times.

* Rattlesnake Jake and [[spoiler:the corrupt Tortoise John]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''.

** {{Inverted}}, for the most part. Of all non-human races in the setting, dragons are actually the one which is ''the closest'' to humans, being integrated into their society, living and fighting by their side and even being the most friendly on personal levels.

** The Ice Warriors were introduced as a villain race, although they eventually became a more sympathetic ProudWarriorRace.

* While the Gorn in ''Franchise/StarTrek'' doesn't play this Trope straight, the ones in ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' sure do, though it probably doesn't help that they've been conquered by the [[ProudWarriorRace Klingons]].

* In one arc of ''Webcomic/TheWotch'', Anne and Robin turn into a snake and dragon respectively through changing [[http://www.thewotch.com/?epDate=2005-03-25 the dimension they're in]].

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' had Franchise/TheFlash attempt to stop the [[MineralMacGuffin Heart of Darkness]], a purple crystal that enclosed the vengeful spirits of an evil ancient race of {{snake people}} called the Ophidians who attempted to destroy humanity by possessing anyone who touched it. Also counts as DarkIsEvil as the Ophidians worshiped the moon and preferred the night over the light, which transfers over to the spirits' possession being broken through [[WeakenedbytheLight intense light]] and main attempt to destroy humanity by destroying the sun. Any herpetologist will tell you that since snakes are cold-blooded, they need warm environments to increase their metabolism as they can't regulate their own body heat. Cold environments like the sunless night would make them more sluggish.

** Blatantly invoked in ''Series/FatalAttractions'', during an episode about an [[CrazyCatLady animal hoarder]] who owned several Nile monitors and allowed them [[TooDumbToLive free reign of his apartment]]. The man died in his apartment and his body was discovered in a heavily decomposed state, with his pet lizards having fed upon the body. The show seemed to go out of its way to demonise the reptiles themselves (as well as the people who own them, painting them as egomaniacs who form no emotional bonds with their pets), with no shortage of re-enactments featuring close-up shots of plotting, shifty-eyed lizards filmed in a sinister monochrome. The show also [[WildMassGuessing hypothesised]] that the monitors [[EvilPlan deliberately envenomated their owner and waited around for him to die]] like Komodo Dragons, a hunting strategy which Komodo Dragons themselves [[ScienceMarchesOn are no longer believed to use]], let alone Nile Monitors. It also perpetuated the [[http://www.reptilia.org/pdfs/habitarium/HabitariumPrograms-SalmonellaandReptiles.pdf myth]] that reptiles spread salmonella.[[note]]Reptiles are no more ''specifically'' prone to carrying salmonella than any other animal, and 95% of all reptile-related salmonella infections come from green iguanas and red-eared sliders, (both of which are species unsuited for but commonly kept by novices, and often in unsanitary housing conditions.)[[/note]] The show also neglected to mention the far more likely possibility that the man simply died and was scavenged upon by his starving pets.

* Creator/RaymondEFeist's novel ''[[Literature/TheRiftwarCycle A Darkness at Sethanon]]'' introduces the Panathathians, a race of snake-men who worship a race of evil {{Precursors}} that will [[SealedEvilInACan destroy the world if ever freed]]. Naturally they are attempting to do exactly that. Notable for being ''literally'' AlwaysChaoticEvil: they were created by a Vahleru specifically to serve her and are genetically incapable of anything else; even a brand-new hatchling has an inherent hatred for other life.
* Invoked in ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle''. [[TheHeartless The Serpents]] are fond of appearing as immense, monstrous snakes (hence the name) because they feed on negative emotions and have determined that this form evokes a great deal of fear, hatred and revulsion in most humanoids. That said, they have VoluntaryShapeshifting powers and can take any shape they want when they want to be more subtle - the giant snake-monsters are just a preference.
* In Taylor Anderson's ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'' series, a pair of WWII destroyers slip sideways into a [[AlternateHistory timeline]] where dinosaurs were never wiped out and humans never evolved. Instead two other intelligent races did, one mammalian, one reptilian. Guess who the bad guys are? It should be noted, however, that the Grik (as they're called) are actually more [[FeatheredFiend bird-like]] than reptile-like, complete with feathers.
* One of Literature/DoraWilkSeries' creepies and sickest villains is an Asper, a type of demon that can control snakes and other reptiles. He also has reptilian fangs with painful, snake-like poison which he doesn't shy away from using, not to mention that when he does TortureForFunAndInformation, it doesn't have the "Information" part in it.
* Subverted, invoked, ''and'' reconstructed in ''Literature/{{Dreamsnake}}'': Someone's violent phobia of snakes gets the titular creature—a tiny, cute, docile alien viper whose venom is a sedative and mild hallucinogen but not lethal—killed and kicks off the FrontierDoctor heroine's troubles. And while she views her cobra and rattlesnake (which serve as her medical kit) as both [[CoolPet pets]] and essential tools, not even ''she'' can find anything likable about the dangerous, ill-tempered, and downright ugly sand vipers.
* In ''Literature/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas'' Raoul Duke has hallucinations of man-eating LizardFolk when he makes it to the hotel bar.
* In Creator/GeneStrattonPorter's ''Literature/{{Freckles}}'', the FriendToAllLivingThings Freckles makes an exception for snakes. Killing one was an important part of FaceYourFears for him, and the summer where they retreat to the swamp is nasty.
* ''GatorGumbo'': The main character is an old alligator that can no longer catch prey. The other animals taunt him over this. In the end, he makes a batch of gumbo. The other animals refuse to help but want some. [[spoiler: So they get close enough and he sweeps them into the pot, cooks, and eats them.]]
* Invoked often in ''Literature/HarryPotter'':

* Basilisks in ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' are abhorrent, ''and'' they destroyed Frank's bow!
* The ''Literature/{{Hoka}}'' series has two races of [[LizardFolk Reptilian Aliens]] that are presented as universally and unquestionably unpleasant.
* Subverted in the ''Literature/{{Hurog}}'' series. There is a {{basilisk|AndCockatrice}}, and watching how it eats a man (thrown at it by the villain) is an abhorrent experience for the protagonist. However, later on, [[spoiler: after the basilisk breaks free from the villain's enchantment,]] it is treated as just another dangerous animal, and a rare animal at that. The protagonists make an effort to get it to the equivalent of a zoo. (Where it will, presumably, be fed animals instead of sentient beings). It makes sense considering that the protagonist's title means "Guardian of Dragons" and basilisks are related to dragons, in about the way apes are related to humans; basilisks are not as sentient as dragons.
* In his biography ''Fouché: Bildnis eines politischen Menschen'' (English title: "Joseph Fouché") Austrian novelist Stefan Zweig notes how much the coat Fouché got when he was made a count and later a duke by Napoleon -- a snake wound around a golden column - was to this master of intrigue who also managed to amass a huge fortune.
* The Snake in ''Literature/TheLittlePrince'' could certainly qualify. He gets a VillainSong, "A Snake in the Grass," in the 1974 movie version.
* Exploited by Biosyn in ''Literature/TheLostWorld1995''. Dodgson remarks that while animal rights activists can easily drum up support for laboratory dogs who "lick your hand and break your heart," reptiles are less likely to garner such public sympathy. Hence, his expedition to Isla Sorna for potential experimental subjects.

* In his ''Literature/{{Pellucidar}}'' series, Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs created two reptilian species: the Snake People Horibs who are villains right out of central casting, and the more nuanced [[GiantFlyer Mahars]] who are telepathic, parthenogenic pterosaurs who start out ruling Pellucidar but are overthrown by the human hero. [[spoiler:It later turned out that the Mahars -- who are deaf and communicate ''entirely'' by telepathy -- were unaware that humans were sapient.]]
* ''Literature/{{Redwall}}''. While the mammals are split between being good or evil, every single reptile and amphibian is a bad guy. In the first book, a snake is given a demon's name (which it likes to chant for some reason) and likened to a giant, intelligent, evil dragon/monster. In one of the later books, a desert-dwelling character [[FurryConfusion keeps a pet sand lizard]]; "Get 'em when they're young and they're good likkle critters." This was [[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/bargain-book-bin-3.php lampshaded hilariously]] by Website/SomethingAwful, though it was in response more [[CarnivoreConfusion to the mustelids all being evil]].

* Literature/SherlockHolmes can't stand snakes. The arch-villain Professor Moriarty and the 'worst man in London', blackmailer Charles Augustus Milverton, are both compared to reptiles: Moriarty in the way he moves his head, Milverton because he gives Holmes the creeps. The only actual reptile in the series is the Indian swamp adder, which kills people.
* Similar to the Disney's ''Aladdin'' example, the Queen of Underland in ''Literature/TheSilverChair'' turns into a giant snake when she finally runs out of subtler options for killing the heroes. Prince Rillian is glad, because it meant he [[WouldntHitAGirl wouldn't have to kill a woman.]]
* This trope becomes Reptiles Are Stupid in Foster's ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'' series, in which reptiles are the only air-breathing vertebrates that ''aren't'' intelligent tool-users. Except for the turtles and dragons, which get an exemption on grounds of popular appeal. Lizards and snakes also grow large enough to be used for meat and pack animals, nicely averting CarnivoreConfusion.

* Played straight in-universe in Kent Starrett's Picture Book, ''Literature/TheStarPixieAndTheSerpentQueen.'' Subverted in that the Serpent Queen is actually pretty nice and friendly to the other protagonist.
* This trope is discussed at some length in the ''Literature/StarTrekTyphonPact'' novel ''Seize the Fire''. The book also plays with it when the reptilian Gorn show similar revulsion to mammals.

* In Korney Chukovsky's children story ''StolenSun'', a crocodile swallows the sun (just go with it) and it takes a bear to tear him apart and release it.

* Central to the conflict of Creator/HarryHarrison's ''Literature/WestOfEden'' trilogy: humans find reptiles disgusting and frightening, and the [[LizardFolk Yilanè]] (intelligent descendants of mosasaurs) have an equally low opinion of "ustuzou" (mammals.) Each ends up seeing the other as vermin to be wiped out.

* A brief scene in the ''UsefulNotes/DavyCrockett'' mini-series featured Davy up against a few alligators.

* The ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'' actually subverts this: Lizardman race are mysterious, quite defensive, and may seem harsh from time to time, but they are nice guys in general and are trying hard to protect the world from Chaos. The REALLY abhorrent ones are actually their rival mammalian race called Skaven, degenerate [[http://warhammerfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Horned_Rat satanist]] rats that are irredeemably evil and disgusting.
* The ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' card game has several sets of Reptile-type monsters that either affirm or subvert this; the Venoms (evil corrupting snakes with [[SnakePeople Naga]]-like "gods"), Aliens (patterned off of the reptilian humanoid and Roswell Gray alien theories, but no official word on their allegiance), the Gagagigos (flip-flopped between evil and good, but now officially evil), and the Worms ([[LightIsNotGood Light-Attribute, but horrendously ugly, and the enemies of the]] [[DarkIsNotEvil Dark-Attribute Ally of Justice monsters]].
** The Gagagigo cards are actually all the same character at different points in his life. He start as a good UglyCute lizard kid, who grew up to be an evil lizard man, but turned good after becoming friends with a hero. [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul He turned bad again as a result of being turned into a cyborg.]] At his most evil, he actually appeared LESS reptilian and more like an AnimalisticAbomination. In his most recent form, [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor (he is back to good again thanks to his friendship with the aforementioned hero)]] he looks like an angelic cyborg lizard man. So this is a ZigZaggingTrope for him.
* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' snakes were originally depicted as nasty creatures with cards like Serpent Warrior, but more recently the Orochi were powerful and noble {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s, if a bit hostile. However, Orochi are surely the least snake-like "snake men" ever illustrated: they have hair, [[NonMammalianMammaries breasts]], four arms, two legs, and no tails, and their faces are mostly humanoid. Dragons have been in every alignment (including a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot genius dragon mad wizard scientist]]), but skew towards evil or violently, destructively instinct-driven. Reptiles may be simply animals, but aside from some Orochi there aren't many heroic reptiles, nor are many in White, the most community-driven, justice-oriented, or stereotypically "heroic" color.
* One of the fictional series in ''TabletopGame/CartoonActionHour'', "Warriors of the Cosmos," has a evil snake-human in the form Serpentina, but that tabletop kisses the mouth of 1980s cartoons very hard.
* The ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' superhero RPG had the ubiquitous VIPER criminal organization as well as reptile-themed villains. One was King Cobra (formerly Dr. Timothy Blank), a Mad Scientist who discovered the Coil Gene, which mutates humans into super-powered reptilian creatures. He was his own first subject. His goal is to turn every human in the world into reptiles... loyal to him, naturally. He's been a master villain in ''Champions'' for at least the last three editions of the game, probably longer.
* In the Ani-Earth AnimalSuperheroes setting for ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'', it is specifically stated that reptiles tend to be villains, with snakes as evil masterminds, lizards as mid-level bad guys and crocodilians as dumb mooks. Freedom City's BigBad, Overshadow, becomes Cobrashadow.
* In the ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'' sourcebook "Mythologies", one of the possibilities for the first vampire? The son (or daughter) of Eve, the First Woman... and The Serpent of Eden. The book includes several snake-based powers to apply to vampires to further imply that this might be true, including making snakes into default forms for the Protean discipline, it being easier to Ghoul snakes, and making vampires immune to snake venom (ordinarily, snake venoms -- like most haemotoxins -- work just fine on vampires).
* In ''TabletopGame/DragonDice'', there exist the Swamp Stalkers, a race of war refugees and deserters who sought refuge in the setting's swamps and were there transformed by Death into a race of snake men with the power to mutate members of other species in order to increase their numbers.

** The kobolds (as of 3rd Edition) are little, cowardly, yet malevolent lizard-people distantly related to dragons.
** The Troglodytes, ChaoticEvil lizard-like humanoids that live underground and raid human settlements to [[ImAHumanitarian feed on the inhabitants]].
** Similar to ''Warhammer'' below, the LizardFolk of D&D play with this trope. They're often used as antagonists, but their default alignment is TrueNeutral (at least in 3rd Edition/3.5) and they really just want to be left alone.
** The [[SnakePeople yuan-ti]], probably the most iconic D&D race for this trope. They range from mostly-human people with a few snake features to mostly-snake people with a few human features, as well as several other heavily-mutated varieties. Their patron deity is Merrshaulk, a ChaoticEvil giant snake-monster that spends most of its time slumbering in its realm in the Abyss.
** The Naga ([[BeastWithAHumanFace giant snakes with humanlike heads]]) are an interesting case; on the one hand, there are several variants, spread all over the CharacterAlignment chart; on the other, evil variants are usually (depending on edition) more numerous than nonevil ones, and unlike most other human-headed, animal-bodied monsters, in 3e at least they had the "aberration" creature type, which was usually reserved for either [[OurMonstersAreWeird really weird monsters]] or outright {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.
** The Bullywug race of frog-like humanoids, Chaotic Evil (as almost everything non-herbivore there). Defeated by tempting them with alcohol which they can't resist and so drink until knocked out by severe intoxication.
** The [[{{Precursors}} Sarrukh]] in the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' feature a long history... of which a huge chunk boils down to explaining the general tendency towards this trope, as the Sarrukh are both the originators of almost ''every'' reptilian race and their history once their empires were reasonably established was one of moral degeneration and corruption, with good coming mostly as comparatively minor side-effects (such as the move from 'honoured Sarrukh sacrifices' to 'mass slave sacrifices' -- led to the creation of a good demigodess of purification, but also was a major factor into the corruption and splintering of the World Serpent deity into several mostly-evil gods, such as Merrshaulk).
** Many demons and devils have something of a reptilian appearance, the Marilith being the most well known, appearing as a six-armed woman from the waist up and a huge snake from the waist down. On the flip side, Lillends and couatls are heroic celestial beings: couatls being winged snakes with psychic powers while Lillends are beautiful winged women from the waist up and snakes with brilliant, iridescent scales from the waist down.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] example from the Lizardmen in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}''. On one hand, they're scary as hell, they're capable of realigning the landscape and don't care if there is anyone living on it (read: this is one of the reasons why the Dwarves are a DyingRace) and they commit shockingly brutal genocides. On the other hand, they're the foremost enemies of Chaos, the targets of their genocides are AlwaysChaoticEvil creatures like the [[YouDirtyRat Skaven]], they're sided with Order rather than Destruction, and the reason for the continent shenanigans is the result of BlueAndOrangeMorality that says that the world must be reset to the way it was according to the Old One's plans. WordOfGod has said that Lizardmen default to LawfulNeutral, making them a rare example of LizardFolk being ''good guys''... Or rather, [[BlackAndGrayMorality Good-ish guys]].

* One of the villains in ''TabletopGame/{{Crimestrikers}}'' is Dolores Dedmond, an anthropomorphic rattlesnake. She's an amoral MadScientist who creates horrific weapons as well as an arrogant {{Jerkass}}.

* The Zyglak in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}''. There's also the Skakdi -- a group of them (the Piraka) were collectively the BigBad of the 2006 StoryArc, and one of their leaders (Nektann) briefly became TheDragon to overall series BigBad Teridax during the 2010 arc. It is not uncommon for villains to get [[BalefulPolymorph turned into snakes]].

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura''; the lizard people in the game, the Bedokkan, are introduced as [[AlwaysChaoticEvil a barbaric, primitive people]] who have captured an elf; the most obvious solution is to kill them all. However, with a bit of negotiation, you find that the Bedokkan are a peaceful-ish tribe of indigenous people with a threatened homeland, albeit one that is made up of 9-foot tall magic lizards.

* The PC FightingGame ''Battle Beast'' had a villainous "Toadman" and you got bonus points for squishing toads.

* A rather generous amount of reptilian or amphibious antagonists show up in the ''Machinima/GamingAllStars'' series. To elaborate, there’s [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros Bowser and numerous members of the Koopa Troop]] (Turtles), [[VideoGame/{{Rampage}} Lizzie]] (Collossal Killer Lizard), and [[VideoGame/PrimalRage Diablo]] (Demon resembling a T-Rex) in ''The Ultimate Crossover'' and ''Remastered''. [[VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage Gulp, Ripto]] (Vaguely saurian beings), [[VideoGame/MarioParty Koopa Kid]] (Another Turtle), [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2 Wart]] (Frog), and [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry King K. Rool]] (Crocodile) appear in [[AdaptedOut just]] ''The Ultimate Crossover''. [[VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures General Scales and the Sharpclaw]] (Anthropmorphic Theropod Dinosaurs), [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest Captain K. Rool and the Kremlings]] (Also Crocodiles), and [[spoiler: [[VideoGame/GodOfWar the Hydra]] (Serpentine Abomination)]] are eligible for this trope in ''2''.

** When the ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' comic began rebooting the characters as more alien and/or more racially diverse, they redesigned Projectra as coming from a race of sentient snakes, making her a rare heroic example in comics. She does state that she has run into prejudice before, and this is given as the reason she appears to strangers initially in a 'normal' appearance. (She was later mutated into a slightly more humanoid form and slipped into a mild HeroicBSOD due to horror at her appearance.)

* Creator/RaymondEFeist's novel ''[[Literature/TheRiftwarCycle A Darkness at Sethanon]]'' introduces the Panthathians, a race of snake-men who worship a race of evil {{Precursors}} that will [[SealedEvilInACan destroy the world if ever freed]]. Naturally they are attempting to do exactly that.

This trope is not applied with equal frequency and intensity to all reptiles. {{Snakes|AreSinister}} (especially venomous ones) and [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile crocodilians]] tend to be the reptiles most associated with villains. Meanwhile, {{turtle|Power}}s and [[LovableLizard certain small, cute lizards]] like geckos, chameleons, frilled lizards and the like are seen as cute and harmless, and are less likely to be associated with evil, while [[MaliciousMonitorLizard large lizards like goannas]] are basically snakes on legs. Stereotypically reptilian features such as {{fangs|AreEvil}}, claws, tails, visible scales, and slit pupils may distinguish villainous reptiles from friendly ones, as does the use of [[PoisonIsEvil venom]]. Also, while this trope primarily applies to real-life reptiles or characters based on them, it can also factor into how [[OurDragonsAreDifferent your dragons are different]]. Indeed, the classic European dragon: The grotesque, poisonous, [[PlayingWithFire fire]]-[[BreathWeapon spewing]], [[MonsterMisogyny maiden-abducting beast]] of Medieval lore might well be the ''ultimate'' incarnation of this trope.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':

* [[AlwaysChaoticEvil No reptilian Brute in]] ''Manga/KillingBites'' [[AlwaysChaoticEvil has ever been portrayed as having anything close to redeeming qualities]]. Cobra is a pervert whose only motivation is raping as many pretty girls as he can get his hands on. Gecko is a {{Sadist}} who enjoys watching others suffer before she kills them. The Horned Dragon sisters are {{Creepy Child}}ren who have no idea what morals are, and [[spoiler:the Chameleons are Sumitomo's [[{{Mooks}} personal hit squad]] called in to do unsavory things on his behalf]]. It's apparently explained in that the therianthrope powers are essentialy PersonalityPowers, and that said powers are modeled on their AnimalMotif that reflects their personality.

** [[http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Gordanians The Gordanians]] are a race of LizardFolk slavers who terrorize the Vega System, home to [[ComicBook/TeenTitans Starfire]] and the ComicBook/OmegaMen.

* ''Series/DoctorWho''

* Franchise/PowerRangers

* In mythological studies, there is a trope called "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaoskampf#Chaoskampf Chaoskampf]]". It is always along the lines of "[[ShockAndAwe storm god]] fights huge serpent/dragon, representing order vs chaos". It appears in the form of [[Myth/HinduMythology Indra vs Vritra]], [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Zeus vs Typhon]] and [[Myth/NorseMythology Thor vs Jormungandr]]. It's very common in Indo-European traditions, and the ancestral IE mythology is thus assumed to have had such a myth as well, but similar myths are present in unrelated traditions -- [[Myth/JapaneseMythology Susano'o vs Orochi]] is a notable example.

* The EvilSorceress Zenobia in ''Pinball/{{Sinbad}}'' summons a giant serpent to menace the hero.

* The ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' card game has several sets of Reptile-type monsters that either affirm or subvert this; the Venoms (evil corrupting snakes with {{Naga}}-like "gods"), Aliens (patterned off of the reptilian humanoid and Roswell Gray alien theories, but no official word on their allegiance), the Gagagigos (flip-flopped between evil and good, but now officially evil), and the Worms ([[LightIsNotGood Light-Attribute, but horrendously ugly, and the enemies of the]] [[DarkIsNotEvil Dark-Attribute Ally of Justice monsters]].

* In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', the Demon of Song looks like a giant frog when its "mouth" is closed. When the mouth opens, it reveals its true ghastly face and long spindly arms. The face is the only vulnerable part of the demon since the frog body is {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le. [[spoiler:It also has a surprisingly beautiful singing voice.]]

** The {{Naga}} are a powerful race of former elves [[ScaledUp transformed into snake-things]] by an [[EldritchAbomination Old God.]] Guess how friendly they are? ''Warcraft'' generally tries to show everyone except demons as being fairly morally neutral depending on what their leaders choose to do, but Naga get very few instances where they aren't being [[AlwaysChaoticEvil total jerks]] [[ForTheEvulz for the hell of it.]]

* [[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP-682]], the "Hard-to-Destroy Reptile." It's a giant {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le lizard-monster that finds all life on Earth [[HumansThroughAlienEyes utterly repellant and horrifying]] and responds by [[OmnicidalManiac trying to make it]] ''[[OmnicidalManiac stop]]''

* There's a PlaygroundSong based upon a Creator/ShelSilverstein poem called "I'm Being Swallowed by a Boa Constrictor", which exploits the fear of a snake being able to eat a person.
-->''Oh, heck! He's up to my neck!''\\
''Oh, dread! He's up to my [[SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion * GULP* ]]'

* The death metal band Nile get a lot of mileage out of this one, from serpents to crocodiles to the deliciously Lovecraftian "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lta-5A7TUmE prehuman serpent volk]]" to TURNING INTO A SNAKE.

%%* "Ah don't like spiduhs an' snakes..."

''Oh, dread! He's up to my [[SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion * GULP* ]]''
* Never smile at a crocodile. Never tip your hat and stop to talk a while...

* Music/TearsForFears: Near the beginning of the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUfcT5OoP-8 Pale Shelter]]" music video, there's a close-up of an alligator opening its eye (it's now fully alert because it detects a potential prey nearby, so this specific shot enhances its menacing, predatory nature) before it enters a swimming pool. It then quietly approaches its target, and the woman doesn't notice the alligator until it's right next to her. She screams in terror, but the camera cuts away before the alligator (presumably) attacks her.