Tatzelwurm

In the folklore of the Alpine region of south-central Europe, the Tatzelwurm (German: [ˈtatsl̩ˌvʊʁm]), Stollenwurm, or Stollwurm is a lizard-like creature, essentially a sort of dragon (see Germanic dragon), often described as having the face of a cat and a serpent-like body which may be slender or stubby. It is further described as having either four short legs or two forelegs with no hindlimbs, the latter a trait shared with many lindworms. Stories of essentially the same creature also exist in the folklore of South Sweden. The creature is sometimes said to be venomous, or to attack with poisonous breath (a common trait in dragons, see atter), and to make a high-pitched or hissing sound. Anecdotes describing encounters with the creature or briefly described lore about them can be found in several areas of Europe, including the Austrian, Bavarian, French, Italian and Swiss Alps. It has several other regional names, including Bergstutz, Springwurm, Praatzelwurm, and in French, arassas.