MINIDRAG

The 'minidrag', or "Alaspinian Miniature Dragon", is a fictional form of extraterrestrial life found in Alan Dean Foster's ''Humanx Commonwealth'' milieu.
Minidrags are reptilian, resembling flying snakes, and come from the planet Alaspin, fully grown they measure about one meter long.
They are not sapient; nonetheless, they are empathic telepaths, or "empaths" who often bond strongly to a sapient being they deem worthy. Flinx, the protagonist of many of the Commonwealth novels, has bonded to a minidrag named Pip. Clarity Held is also bonded with a Minidrag, Pip's child, Scrap. Minidrags are quite capable of defending their companions, as they spit a highly corrosive, violently neurotoxic venom, which will kill a human in under a minute if it enters the blood stream. The acidic properties of the venom enable it to burn through even titanium alloys with ease. Minidrags are extremely agile, which protects them to a certain degree against modern weaponry.
Additionally, the exact abilities of the minidrag is under some debate, as in some books Pip merely acts as a lens for Flinx while in others Pip is able to sense on her own.