Tradition: American Mythology
Alternative Names: Tripodero
Category: Forest Dweller
The Myth
The Tripodero is a strange beast said to inhabit the chaparral and foothill forests of California. It has two contractile, telescopic legs and a tail resembling that of a kangaroo. Its unusual anatomy allows it to raise itself above the surrounding brush whenever it wishes, surveying the landscape before retracting its legs into a compact form to move through dense vegetation. The Tripodero is not particularly large, but it is solidly built, with a small head and a powerful body.
The creature’s most remarkable ability is its telescopic movement. As it travels through the brush, it periodically extends its legs to lift itself above the vegetation and observe its surroundings. If it spots game within a range of ten rods, it aims its snout and shoots itself upward until it reaches the correct height. It then releases a tremendous burst of air, knocking its victim senseless with a sudden blast. The Tripodero carries a supply of clay pellets in its left jaw, which it uses to attack its prey.
Once the victim has been stunned, the Tripodero retracts its legs and uses its tail to brush away the surrounding vegetation. It then remains beside its helpless prey, waiting until the last bone has been cracked and eaten. The creature’s combination of telescopic limbs, powerful blasts of air, and patient hunting makes it a formidable predator of California’s dense foothill forests.
Sources
Cox, William T. Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, with a Few Desert and Mountain Beasts. St. Paul, MN: Press of Judd & Detweiler, Inc., 1910. https://archive.org/details/fearsomecreature00coxw