| File:Critter Martichoras.jpg |
| Picture from Paranormal Animals of North America |
The martichoras (Martichoras hastae) resembles the manticore of myth. It has a leonine body that grows to a length of 2.2 meters, with long tawny fur and a wide mouth with multiple rows of teeth, similar to a shark. From the tip of its tail are a bunch of spines, similar to a porcupine, except that these barbed spines are venomous.
The martichoras is an aggressive carnivore, hunting in a similar manner to great cats like panthers and cheetah. It forms social groups similar to lion prides, with one dominant female and up to four adult males. Female martichoras do not hunt. The spines appear to be purely a defensive mechanism, as the martichoras will not eat a creature it has killed with its spine.
The martichoras is found throughout the northern reaches of North America, stretching across territories between the former Alaska and Quebec. It appears to be allergic to pollutants, and thus stays in regions unspoiled by industrialization.
Index[]
- Critters, 35
- Paranormal Animals of North America, 106-107
- Running Wild, 145
- Howling Shadows, 66