Meet the Columbia River Sand Squink

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Fig

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
12,778
Reaction score
1,046
While researching american folklore and mythology, I ran in this absolute gem in a 1939 book on fearsome creatures of the woodlands (summary mine, the book itself is a PDF ( http://www.fearsomecreaturesofthelumberwoods.com/FearsomeCritters_TryonHenryH.pdf ):

A creature of the mountains of Washington, it has the lines of a coyote, the patterns of a bobcat and the ears of a jackrabbit. Its tail, long and bushy, is carried recurved against the back like a squirrel's. The creature prowls at night, looking for electric eels in the river, which are its favorite delicacy. Once it has fed, it find its courage again, and will attack its favorite victim: travelers. Running after them, on a heavy diet of electric eels, generate a great supply of of static, and the creature, by rubbing one ear against the other and waving its tail, create a show of sparks and small bolts, creature a fascinating spectacle that never fails to attract the travelers who are then never seen again. It lay eggs whose surface is similar to bakelite.
Click to expand...

I just knew I had to post this one up on Bulbagarden, given the remarkable similarities (bushy tail, long ear, relatively small size, and, oh, the bit about being very, very electric. Plus laying eggs despite generally mamalian characteristics) with a certain critter.

(I always knew Pikachu was evil, too!)
 
That's great. Never run across that legend/story, or half of the ones in that book (nice to see the hoop snake being included).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom