Leucrocuta

Name: Leucrocuta, Leucrota, Corocotta,

Features: Horse’s head and hind quarters, front legs and body of a lion

Source: Indian and Ethiopian Mythology

Habitat: India

The Leucrocuta is an extremely speedy beast that either has a horse’s or badger’s head with a large bony gum instead of teeth that stretches from ear to ear.

This feature is always prominent in illustrations of this very odd looking beast.

Being about the size of a donkey, this creature is described in various ways including being part lion, horse, hyena or badger.

One version describes this monster as having a horse’s head, the front legs, body and tail of a lion with the hind quarters of a horse.

Other depictions have it sporting a badgers head, the neck, tail and breast of a lion with a horse’s legs and rear.

Most accounts describe it as having cloven hooves and being able to make sounds that resemble human speech, much like the sounds a hyena makes.

It is said to have been able to call victims by their names to lure them out and tear them to pieces. It would also imitate the sounds of a wounded person, so it could attract curious dogs and feast on them.