Hodag
A spiny, fire-born beast from the Wisconsin woods with a taste for white bulldogs.
1893
Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA
7 ft long, 30 inches tall
Aggressive (in legend)
Confirmed hoax, cultural icon
The Lore
The Hodag is a fearsome creature from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, allegedly discovered by Eugene Shepard in 1893. Described as having the head of a frog, the face of an elephant, thick short legs with claws, the back of a dinosaur with stout spines, and a long tail with spears on the end. Shepard initially claimed he had to use dynamite to kill it. He later exhibited a convincing hoax Hodag at the 1896 Oneida County Fair. Rhinelander adopted it as the city mascot.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Notable Witnesses
- Eugene Shepard (creator/hoaxer)
Media Appearances
- Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods (1910 book)
Similar Real Animals
You might also like
Jackalope
LowThe antlered rabbit of the American West, born from taxidermy humor and frontier tall tales.
Slide-Rock Bolter
HighA whale-shaped mountain predator that slides down Colorado slopes to swallow hikers whole.
Beast of Busco
LowA giant snapping turtle the size of a dining table, spotted in an Indiana farm pond.
Snallygaster
MediumA half-bird, half-reptile terror from Maryland with a taste for livestock and legend.
Piasa Bird
HighA dragon-bird painted on Mississippi River bluffs by the Illini, feared as a man-eater.
Bigfoot
LowThe towering ape-man of the Pacific Northwest, glimpsed in fog and legend for centuries.
Skinwalker
HighA Navajo witch who wears the skins of animals and walks between worlds.
Wendigo
HighA gaunt, insatiable spirit of the frozen north that was once human.