Leontophone (Leontophonos, Leophontes) is a small animal from Medieval bestiaries that is deadly to lions. To be killed, the lion need only bite the leontophone. Though, in a proper ritual, the leontophone's flesh is burned and its ashes are sprinkled on a piece of meat, which is placed at a crossroad; if a lion eats even a small amount of the tainted meat, it dies. The ancients considered this method a 'happy arrangement', since both lions and leontophones die in the process; from this, one can safely assume that not only were lions considered dangerous, but leontophones may have been considered pests.