In Lake Lacar, a small glacier-formed lake in the Andes, dwells an extremely unusal cryptid known as El Cuero, or The Cowhide. This creature has a flat, hairless, ray-like body that resembles the hide of an animal floating on the surface of the water. It is known to attack and kill people and animals that mistake it for such a harmless object, dragging them underwater and draining their blood with its proboscis. This proboscis is unusual for a ray, but it is not this cryptid's only startling feature. El Cuero supposedly bears a pair of reddish eyestalks. These ususual traits and the lack of physical evidence for the animal's existence raises suspicion, but many legends and sightings of this creature exist that make its existence at least possible. Interestingly, there are many similar cryptids throughout other lakes in Argentina and Chile, all of which may be of one species.
Hi, Cuero is a common Mapuche myth, not only at Lake Lacar, but also at other Patagonian lakes. It is indeed very similar to a ray, and it is found in several lakes: Nahuel Huapi, Llanquihue, Futalaufquen, Quillen, etc. It may be also the explanation for "Nahuelito". Patagonia has many mysterious lake creatures.
ReplyDeleteSaludos desde Argentina!
Austin Whittall