Tsuchinoko
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| Grouping | Yokai |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Mutter |
| Other name(s) | Tsuchinoko (Romaji), Bachi-hebi (North Japan) |
| Country | Japan |
In Japanese folklore, the Tsuchinoko (ツチノコ or 槌の子?), literally translating to "child of hammer" or "child of gravel", is a snake-like being. The name tsuchinoko is prevalent in Western Japan, including Kansai and Shikoku; the creature is known as bachi hebi (バチヘビ?) in Northeastern Japan.
Tsuchinoko are described as being between 30 and 80 centimetres in length, similar in appearance to a snake, but with a central girth that is much wider than its head or tail, and as having fangs and venom similar to that of a viper. Some accounts also describe the tsuchinoko as being able to jump up to a meter in distance.
According to legend, some tsuchinoko have the ability to speak and a propensity for lying, and they are also said to have a taste for alcohol. Legend records that it will sometimes swallow its own tail so that it can roll like a wheel, similarly to the "hoop snake" of American legend.
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