Nozuchi Tokage is a reptilian cryptid reported from Japan.
The name was proposed by a newspaper journalist and animal writer named Inosuke Hida. Nozuchi is the name of a Japanese yokai resembling a snake sometimes identified with tsuchinoko, while tokage is the Japanese word for lizard.
Description[]
Some testimonies give slightly different descriptions, but generally the mouth is described as large like a crocodile, the upper body as resembling a lizard or toad, and the lower body as resembling a snake, without hind limbs.
This appearance has led to suggestions of a link with the Tatzelwurm, which appears in Europe.
Sightings[]
In August 1974, a person named Yuyama saw nozuchi tokage at the foot of Mount Myōjin in Kanagawa Prefecture. It was 1 metre long and 25-30 cm wide, with a blackish-red body surface and a black tongue. The creature awkwardly climbed up the bank and disappeared into the woods.
In September 1974, a person named Yamazaki and his wife were walking along a mountain path in Aichi Prefecture when they saw a similar strange creature and reported its features in detail. The creature was about 70 cm long, with a mouth similar to that of a crocodile, an upper body similar to that of a toad and a lower body similar to that of a snake. The forelimbs were squishy textured and had three fingers. The body surface was bright vermilion with black stripes and white around the eyes.
In 1983, a 10 cm hindlimbless lizard-like creature was found and photographed clinging to a pine tree in Saga Prefecture. However, this photograph has not been published.
Explanations[]
A possible identity is that it is a tiger keelback, a snake that is in the process of feeding on toads. tiger keelbacks are close to the reported body colour and are known to favour toads. However, these features do not exactly match the reported appearance of the nozuchi tokage, so there may in fact be a misidentification of a different species or a serious misunderstanding by the witness.
In Popular Culture[]
- Nozuchi tokage appears in the smartphone game wagaya no UMA tachi. The game allows players to capture this cryptid.