The Chimera was a monstrous beast which ravaged the countryside of Lycia in Anatolia that was to be able to breath fire. There have been many discriptions of how it looks but in all the descriptions it is part lion, goat and snake.
The hero Bellerophon was commanded to slay it by King Lobates. He rode into battle against the beast on the back of the winged horse Pegasus and, driving a lead-tipped lance down the Chimeras flaming throat, suffocating her.
The Chimera may have once been identified with the winter-rising Constellation Capricorn (the serpent-tailed goat).

Next to the dragon, the chimera is the second most popular beast to guard portals.

The chimera is also female and is the youngest daughter of Echidna and Typhon. She is also said to be the last child the two had together.

The word chimera is also used in modern pop-culture within both the fantasy and science-fiction communities to refer to unnatural beings created from the combination of two or more animals by means other than breeding.