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[[Category:Crocodile or Alligator]]

Revision as of 23:15, 4 October 2015

The dingonek is an aquatic cryptid from West Africa.

Appearance

These creatures are described as something resembling a cross between a whale, a leopard, and a sea serpent. The only known description is of a single specimen that was fourteen to fifteen feet long. It had a leopard's head that was the size of a lioness', and long fangs jutted from its upper jaw. Its back was broad as a hippo and scaled as an armadillo's, but it was mottled. It was described as having a long, fin-like tail, which it swished back and forth like a crocodile. Its tracks were as large as a hippo's, but clawed. While modern accounts describe it as red or grey, its original description said it had the same colouration as a leopard.

Some depictions claim it has a horn jutting out of its forehead and a massive, scorpion-like stinger on its tail. The sting from its tail is deadly. However, it is unclear where these features originated, as first-hand depictions do not display it in this way. Modern descriptions also claim its scales are more like a pangolin's than an armadillo's.

A cave painting often cited as a depiction of a dingonek resembles a black and red walrus with spots. It has a long body, stubby legs, and a paddle-like tail.

Behaviour

In the only written account of a dingonek encounter, the creature slid into the water from the bank as soon as it saw people. It then floated in the water, swishing its tail back and forth in order to swim against the current. When it was shot with a .303 calibre bullet, it seemed unharmed and leapt out of the water as though it were standing on its tail.