Cockatrice

Generally considered to be a real nuisance, the cockatrice is one of the more complicated creatures in the game. It can turn you to stone nearly instantaneously if you touch it with your bare hands. If, however, you are wearing gloves, you can pick it up and wield it as a weapon, turning enemies to stone instantaneously. But stick it in a bag before descending stairways. Some creatures are immune to stoning, so have a different weapon ready to use.

The baby version of a cockatrice is a chickatrice, and is similarly dangerous, though much weaker and rarer.

The cockatrice has been nicknamed "rubber chicken" by the players who like to wield it and use it as a weapon.

Hissing attack

If you hear the cockatrice's hissing, there is a chance that you may begin turning to stone. If you immediately act to counter this process, you can save your life; but any intrinsic speed will be lost. The hissing attack always succeeds at new moon unless you are carrying a lizard corpse.

Acts that can halt slow stoning are:

• Eating a lizard corpse or any acidic corpse
• Polymorphing and "feel[ing] like a new (wo)man!"
• Polymorphing into a stoning-resistant monster
• Polymorphing into a golem (you'll turn into a stone golem)
• Quaffing a potion of acid
• Casting stone to flesh on oneself
• Praying

Behavior in previous versions

Before Hack 1.0.3, a successful hissing attack was an instadeath; the only safe way to fight a cockatrice was with ranged weapons. The effect of the new moon first appeared in Hack 1.0.2.