In 1779 a small, two-legged, lizard-like creature was allegedly spotted in the Alps. The man who saw it died shortly after his encounter and people began referring to the creature as the Tatzelworm. Following his encounter there were several more sightings throughout the area. It became a popular local legend and the subject of many paintings and stories.
The Tatzelworm is thought to be brown in color with clawed feet. It’s often described as resembling a log. Many say the Tatzelworm is a lizard but some legends classify it as a small dragon. Some believe it gives off an unpleasant odor, which may be toxic to humans. While it is generally thought to be shy, it may attack if it feels threatened.
Sightings have mostly stopped happening, so if this creature did exists it’s likely that it may have gone extinct. But its legend lives on through retelling of the stories that brought it into the spotlight.
Coleman, Loren and Jerome Clark. “Cryptozoology A to Z. The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature.” Simon and Schuster. 1999
Doesn't look scary...just kinda some lizard. Did it eat people?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's thought to have eaten anyone (though one never knows.) The strange part of the lizard is the toxic scent it's supposed to emit that may be harmful/deadly to humans.
ReplyDeleteOne person supposedly died after the encounter. Is that what they're basing the whole deadly/harmful thing on? How could someone else smell it to know it gives OFF a smell without having suffered the consequences?
ReplyDeleteWhen did the sightings finally die?
I'm not sure exactly how the scent thing got started. Most of the stuff I've read just says it's part of the folklore surround the creature so it's hard to say exactly how it got started. The last sightings I could find were from the 1930's-1940's although there could be more recent stuff out there.
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