Crocotta (India)

Crocotta are mythical wolf-dog hybrid beasts said to roam the forests of India and Ethiopia, preying on both men and dogs. These chimerical creatures have the body of a dog, the tail of a lion, the mane of a horse and cloven hooves. They have large, grinning mouths filled with sharp teeth, and their bodies are as large as mules, covered in yellow or brownish fur with black spots and stripes. Overall, the description of crocotta bears a striking resemblance to hyenas. Crocotta are also described as genderless creatures, capable of switching their reproductive organs between male and female. Interestingly, some female hyenas have protruding clitorises that resemble penises, making it difficult to distinguish them from males. Given these similarities, crocotta may simply be exaggerated depictions of hyenas.

Crocotta are mentioned in ancient texts. In the fifth-century BC work Indica, Greek physician Ctesias described them as beasts capable of mimicking human voices and the distressed wails of dogs.