Topic Three Assignment (Creature/Other)

I decided to choose the first description of the creature we were assigned and the second description of the "other". I chose the first creature because I had no idea how to even approach drawing the second one, and I chose the second "other" because I felt uncomfortable drawing the description of the humans in the reading. 

 I recognized that the first description was a hippopotamus but I decided to draw the hippopotamus based off of what was described instead of looking up a picture of a hippopotamus. I chose to have the same position as Dürer's rhinoceros because I felt it would be relevant. The hippopotamus' anatomy is a mix between several large quadrupeds that I believed would be more known at the time. Unfortunately I couldn't seperate my image of a hippopotamus' head from the description, but I was able to do that for the rest of its body. The creature is described as a large quadruped so I took reference from other creatures like elephants and cows to shape the body and legs.

I had absolutely no clue what the second "other" reading was describing. A serpent without wings? With talons? So this strange being was born. The "without wings" detail made me think of a bird so I fused a snake with an eagle.