
Tsuchinoko
Also known as: Bachi Hebi, Beer Bottle Snake, Nozuchi
A fat, stumpy snake that supposedly jumps, speaks, and has a taste for alcohol.
712 CE (Kojiki)
Rural Japan, widespread
30-80 cm long
Shy, elusive
Active bounties in some municipalities
The Lore
The tsuchinoko is a legendary snake-like cryptid reported across Japan for centuries. Unlike any known serpent, it has a thick, bulging midsection and a thin tail, resembling a beer bottle. Witnesses claim it can jump up to a meter in the air and sometimes rolls downhill like a wheel. Several Japanese municipalities have offered bounties for its capture, with rewards reaching millions of yen.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Media Appearances
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
- Yokai Watch (anime/game series)
Similar Real Animals
You might also like

Issie
LowJapan's answer to Nessie lives in a volcanic crater lake on the southern tip of Kyushu.

Hibagon
MediumA foul-smelling ape-man stalking the misty slopes of Mount Hiba in rural Japan.

Con Rit
UnknownA segmented, armored sea creature with dozens of lateral fins, washed ashore in Vietnam in 1883.

Nure-Onna
HighA serpent with a woman's head that haunts riverbanks, cradling a phantom baby to paralyze its prey.

Jorogumo
HighA 400-year-old spider that takes the form of a beautiful woman to lure men to their death.

Kappa
MediumJapan's mischievous water imp with a bowl of power on its head.

Gashadokuro
HighA towering skeleton formed from the bones of the unburied dead, rattling through the night to bite off heads.

Kirin
LowA divine chimera of dragon and deer that only appears to herald greatness or disaster.