The tsuchinoko (ツチノコ) is a mythical creature (or UMA) from Japan resembling a snake. The creature is also known as "bachi-hebi" in Northern Japan. References to the tsuchinoko legend can apparently be found in the Kojiki. Loch Ness Monster (Painting) by Heikenwaelder Hugo Cryptozoology is the study of animals that are rumored or suspected to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing; the term also includes the study of animals generally considered extinct, but which are still occasionally reported. ... Unidentified Mysterious Animal, or UMA, is an animal whose existence is believed by some people but not by many scientists. ... Superfamilies and Families Snakes (from Old English snaca, and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European base snag- or sneg-, to crawl), also known as ophidians, are cold blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. ... Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記) is the oldest surviving historical book dealing with the ancient history of Japan. ...

Characteristics

• The tsuchinoko's body is wider around the middle than regular snakes.
• The tsuchinoko carries venom similar to that of a viper.
• Tsuchinoko are able to jump distances of one meter (3.3 feet).
• Some tsuchinoko have been known to speak human language, but they often lie.
• The tsuchinoko enjoy alcohol.
• The tsuchinoko are reptiles of the snake family, have scales, and are typically about 60cm (2 feet) long (according to the Japanese comic "Doraemon", issue 9).

Although there have been many reported sightings, no one has actually found or studied a tsuchinoko. A tsuchinoko was apparently once captured, but the captor released the animal before informing the media because snakes are believed to bring bad luck. Several years later the story was picked up by the media and broadcast on TV. Genera Adenorhinos Atheris Azemiops Bitis Cerastes Daboia Echis Eristicophis Macrovipera Montatheris Proatheris Pseudocerastes Vipera This page is about Viper snakes. ... Orders  Crocodilia - Crocodilians scary crocodiles. ... Superfamilies and Families Snakes (from Old English snaca, and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European base snag- or sneg-, to crawl), also known as ophidians, are cold blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. ... In most biological nomenclature, a scale (Greek lepid, Latin squama) is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animals skin to provide protection. ... See comedian Stand up comedian List of Comedians List of British comedians comics comic book comic strip underground comics alternative comics web comic sprite comics manga graphic novel List of comic characters This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same... Doraemon ) by Hiroshi Fujimoto, pen name Fujiko F. Fujio, is a Japanese manga about a robotic cat, Doraemon, who has travelled back in time from the future to aid a schoolboy, Nobita Nobi. ...

Some video games of Japanese origin feature the tsuchinoko, often as a secret item or enemy. Notable examples include Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, We Love Katamari, Me and My Katamari, Siren, Radiata Stories, and Pokémon (the character Dunsparce). A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (commonly abbreviated MGS3) is a stealth-based game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. ... Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is a game that is a part of the Castlevania video game series. ... We ♥ Katamari (みんな大好き塊魂; Minna Daisuki Katamari Damashii, roughly Everyone Loves Katamari Damacy) is a video game published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Siren is a survival horror/stealth game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 console in 2003. ... Radiata Stories is a video game from developer tri-Ace. ... Pokémon , IPA //, although frequently, and even intentionally mispronounced //), is a multi-billion dollar media franchise[1] created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996 (it celebrated its tenth anniversary on February 27, 2006) and controlled by video game giant Nintendo. ... Dunsparce (ノコッチ Nokocchi in Japanese, Dummisel in German and Insolourdo in French) is a fictional character of the Pokémon franchise. ...

Disclaimer

As with all mythical creatures, it is possible that a regular animal may be mistaken for a new species. Some believe that the tsuchinoko may simply be a normal snake with a swollen belly due to the recent swallowing of a large meal.