A small creature with large hind limbs, a reptilian head, and large oval eyes. It may also have wings, spikes running down its back, and long claws on both the hands and the feet.

The body is heavily muscled and the creature is fast and strong for its size. It climbs like a monkey and jumps like a kangaroo. It may resemble a dinosaur, have eyes that glow red or yellow, and leave three toed foot prints.

It feeds on small animals such as goats and sheep, which are later found with small puncture wounds in or around the neck and chest, or sometimes in the forehead. The prey will be completely drained of blood, and often the heart or liver will be missing.

The first widely publicized reports of the Chupacabra appeared in Puerto Rico in 1995, a short time later reports began to appear in South America, Mexico, the US, even Australia and the UK.

Cryptozoologist, Scott Corrales, has suggested that the Chupacabra may be related to the Maboya, a spirit of Taino mythology that appears in many forms including the Ciguapa.

Also known as the goat sucker or Goatsucker.

See Also: Creatures by Type » Vampires

References

Clark, Jerome, & Coleman, Loren. Cryptozoology A to Z. New York, NY: Fireside, 1999.

Corrales, Scott. Chupacabras: And Other Mysteries. Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Greenleaf, 1997.

Stephen Wagner. On the trail of the Chupacabras. Web site: http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa051898.htm. Retrieved on 04/22/2008.