Chupacabra

beast · Puerto Rico · Caribbean

First reported in Puerto Rico, 1995, preceded by the 1975 'vampiro de Moca'. The name — 'chupa' (sucks) + 'cabra' (goat) = 'Goat-Sucker' — coined by Silverio Pérez. The Canóvanas sighting set the classic image: 4-5 feet, gray, wraparound eyes, spines. Types: bipedal reptilian kangaroo; quadrupedal hairless dog-like (mangy coyotes). Radford's 2011 study found predators and disease, not a vampire.

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