Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids

Mythic Creatures | Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids

Are mythic creatures all relics of the past?

Of course not. Around the world today, people tell stories about creatures like Scotland's Loch Ness Monster or the Himalayan yeti. The terrifying chupacabra is a modern myth very much alive in the Americas. Thanks largely to television and the Internet, stories about the chupacabra and other modern mythic creatures spread quickly between communities, countries and even continents. And as mythic creatures take root in new settings, they often change to suit their new audiences. In some places, the chupacabra is a mysterious predator lurking in the forest; in others, it is a sensational, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, media creation.

Chupacabra
People tell of the chupacabra's glowing red eyes and glistening fangs, and of how the beast lurks in the forest, preying on goats and cattle, terrifying local residents. Chupacabra means "goat sucker" in Spanish, and according to reports, the creature acts much like a vampire, killing animals by sucking their blood. Though similar stories date back several decades, the first major wave of alleged chupacabra sightings came from farmers in Puerto Rico in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Today people across much of Latin America and the southwestern United States tell tales of the chupacabra. The fanged creature can also be spotted on T-shirts, coffee mugs and other souvenir items.

At A Glance: Chupacabra
Chupacabras are fierce, but not terribly big. Most witnesses say they are no larger than an average-sized dog.

	Descriptions vary widely, but most chupacabras have red eyes and large fangs.
	Some witnesses say that the chupacabra walks on two legs, but others say it walks on four.
	Some chupacabra depictions show the animal with lizardlike skin, while others show it with fur.
	Chupacabras have pronounced backbones, which are sometimes covered with sharp spines.
	A two-legged chupacabra supposedly hops like a kangaroo.

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