"Lurcher The lurcher is the offspring of a sighthound mated with another breed, most commonly a pastoral breed or a terrier type of dog. Historically a poacher's dog, lurchers in modern times are used as pets, hunting dogs and in racing. While not a pure breed, it is generally a cross between a sighthound and a working dog breed. Collie crosses are popular, given the working instinct of a sheepdog when mated with a sighthound gives a dog of great intelligence plus speed—prerequisites for the hunter/poacher. In the US midwest, crosses with large scent hounds are fairly common. The distinction"
"do not impale the prey. Instead, they wrap around the head of the victim and suffocate them. They do not let go until either they or the prey is dead. They can only be fought off by others, or with small weapons the prey was already holding. Lurkers are solitary creatures, unlike the piercer which lives in colonies which can be huge. Females lay glutinous sacks of eggs on the ground, and newborns feed upon vermin which can be found on cave floors, until they are old enough to fly and can attack in the above described method. Lurkers were"
"Lurker (Dungeons & Dragons) In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy role-playing game, the lurker is an aberration. It is similar to the darkmantle and the piercer, but attacks with suffocation instead of impaling. The Lurker resembles a flat, grey stingray with two small eyes at the front. They are capable of both creeping along a ceiling and slowly gliding through the air. The darkmantle is said to be the result of crossbreeding a lurker with a piercer. Lurkers live underground. The lurker above first appeared in ""The Strategic Review"" #3 (August 1975) and appeared in first edition ""Advanced Dungeons &"
"""lurker"" entry in the ""Monstrous Manual"" (1993). The ice trapper appeared in ""Dungeon"" #78 (January 2000). The trapper is a variation of the lurker. Instead of attacking by dropping from above, it waits on the floor and kills by closing itself over prey that walks on top of it. Another, more different variation of the lurker. The miner waits on the floor of forests, waits until prey walks on top of it, and then attacks with two poisonous barbs. Rob Bricken of io9 identified the trapper as one of ""The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters"". The trapper is"
"fully detailed as the ""lurking ray"" in Paizo Publishing's book ""Misfit Monsters Redeemed"" (2010), on pages 46–51. Trapper (Dungeons & Dragons) In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy role-playing game, the trapper is a type of fictional monster. The lurker (later known as the trapper) first appeared in ""The Strategic Review"" #5 (December 1975). The trapper appeared in first edition ""Advanced Dungeons & Dragons"" in the original ""Monster Manual"" (1977). The miner first appeared in the original ""Monster Manual II"" (1983). The trapper was further detailed in ""Dragon"" #84 (April 1984). The trapper and the forest trapper (miner) appeared under the"
"first described in the AD&D ""Monster Manual"" (First Edition) by Gary Gygax. The original name of the monster in that publication read ""Lurker Above"". The ""Above"" was subsequently dropped and they became simply lurkers in later editions of AD&D. Lurkers and their variations cannot speak, and they are neutral in alignment. Rob Bricken of io9 identified the lurker as one of ""The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters"". The lurker above is fully detailed as the ""lurking ray"" in Paizo Publishing's book ""Misfit Monsters Redeemed"" (2010), on pages 46–51. Lurker (Dungeons & Dragons) In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy"
"Wolverine The wolverine () (also spelled wolverene), ""Gulo gulo"" (""Gulo"" is Latin for ""glutton""), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids. A solitary animal, it has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times larger than itself. The wolverine is found primarily in remote reaches of the Northern boreal forests and subarctic and alpine tundra of the Northern"
"Knocker (folklore) The Knocker, Knacker, Bwca (Welsh), Bucca (Cornish) or Tommyknocker (US) is a mythical creature in Welsh, Cornish and Devon folklore. It is the equivalent of the Irish leprechaun and English and Scottish brownie. The Cornish described the creature as a little person two feet tall, with a big head, long arms, wrinkled face, and white whiskers. It wears a tiny version of standard miner's garb and commits random mischief, such as stealing miners' unattended tools and food. The name comes from the knocking on the mine walls that happens just before cave-ins – actually the creaking of earth"
"Lemur Lemurs ( ) are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. The word ""lemur"" derives from the word ""lemures"" (ghosts or spirits) from Roman mythology and was first used to describe a slender loris due to its nocturnal habits and slow pace, but was later applied to the primates on Madagascar. As with other strepsirrhine primates, such as lorises, pottos, and galagos (bush babies), lemurs share resemblance with basal primates. In this regard, lemurs are often confused with ancestral primates, when in actuality, lemurs did not give rise to monkeys and apes, but evolved independently."
"Tales of these creatures are thought to have developed as supernatural explanations for the frequent and deadly cave-ins that occurred during 18th century Cornish tin mining, or else a creation of the oxygen-starved minds of exhausted miners who returned from the underground. The knocker or bucca (Cornish) is the Welsh and Cornish equivalent of Irish leprechauns and English and Scottish brownies. About two feet tall and grizzled, but not misshapen, they live beneath the ground. Here they wear tiny versions of standard miner's garb and commit random mischief, such as stealing a miner's unattended tools and food - they were"
"Kultarr The kultarr (""Antechinomys laniger"") (also called the ""jerboa-marsupial"") is a small insectivorous nocturnal marsupial inhabiting the arid interior of Australia. Preferred habitat includes stony deserts, shrubland, woodland, grassland and opens plains. The kultarr has a range of adaptations to help cope with Australia’s harsh arid environment including torpor similar to hibernation that helps conserve energy The species has declined across its former range since European settlement due to changes in land management practices and introduced predators. The kultarr is a small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae with unique morphological features. It is nocturnal, hunting a variety of invertebrates"
"Leatherback sea turtle The leatherback sea turtle (""Dermochelys coriacea""), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and is the fourth-heaviest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell, hence the name. Instead, its carapace is covered by skin and oily flesh. ""Dermochelys"" is the only extant genus of the family Dermochelyidae. ""Dermochelys coriacea"" is the only species in genus ""Dermochelys"". The"
"Grue (monster) A grue is a fictional predatory monster that dwells in the dark. The word was first used as a fictional predator in Jack Vance's ""Dying Earth"" universe (described as being part ""ocular bat"", part ""unusual hoon"", and part man). Dave Lebling introduced a similar monster, whose name was borrowed from Vance's grues, into the interactive fiction computer game ""Zork"", published by Infocom. ""Zork""s grues fear light and devour human adventurers, making it impossible to explore the game's dark areas without a light source. The grue subsequently appeared in other Infocom games, including ""Wishbringer"". Due to ""Zork""s prominent position"
"Luperosaurus Luperosaurus is a genus of geckos commonly known as camouflage geckos, fringed geckos, wolf geckos. or flap-legged geckos. Species in the genus ""Luperosaurus"" are found in the Southeast Asian mainland and archipelago, extending from the Malay Peninsula, through the Philippines and Indonesia. These are small geckos, characterized by the flaps of skin on the front and rear of their limbs and sometimes, along their bodies. The original spelling intended was ""Lyperosaurus"" (= vexing gecko), for possessing characters from two different genera known to John Edward Gray, who named the genus. Most species of ""Lupersaurus"" are known from one or"
"Luwr Luwr (or Luvr; Turkish: ""Lura"", Hungarian: ""Búvár""), is a legendary female animal in Turkic and Nivkh mythologies. It is the creator wildduck. In the Altai creation myth, in the beginning of the Earth emanated from Water. In ancient Turkish beliefs, Tangri (God) Kaira Khan is a pure, white goose that flies constantly over an endless expanse of water (time). But before Ak-Ana appears to urge Kaira Khan to create, he experiences a disturbance of his calm. From the bottom of the Water a ""sacred duck"" Lura lifted up the sand, clay and silt, from which the Earth was created."
"Lutra Lutra is a genus of otters, one of seven in the subfamily Lutrinae. The genus includes these recent species: The genus most likely evolved in Asia during the late Pliocene epoch; the oldest fossil belonging to the genus is of the species ""L. palaeindica"", and dates from the late Pliocene. ""Lutra"" species are semiaquatic mammals, so they are well-adapted to both water and land. They prefer shallow, narrow areas of streams surrounded by mature trees and with rocks, especially where weirs reduce the flow of the water, as well as attract fishes. They seem to tolerate roads and residential"
"Locust Locusts are certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming gregarious. No taxonomic distinction is made between locust and grasshopper species; the basis for the definition is whether a species forms swarms under intermittently suitable conditions. In the solitary phase, these grasshoppers are innocuous, their numbers are low, and they do not pose a major economic threat to agriculture. Under suitable conditions of drought followed by rapid vegetation growth, serotonin in their brains"
"operate and distributes nationally. Knocker also appeared as a name for the same phenomena, in the folklore of Staffordshire miners. Knocker (folklore) The Knocker, Knacker, Bwca (Welsh), Bucca (Cornish) or Tommyknocker (US) is a mythical creature in Welsh, Cornish and Devon folklore. It is the equivalent of the Irish leprechaun and English and Scottish brownie. The Cornish described the creature as a little person two feet tall, with a big head, long arms, wrinkled face, and white whiskers. It wears a tiny version of standard miner's garb and commits random mischief, such as stealing miners' unattended tools and food. The"
"of Horrors"" (2002) from Necromancer Games. Vulchling In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy role-playing game, the vulchling is a type of fictional monster. The vulchling first appeared in the original ""Monster Manual II"" (1983). A vulchling is one of a race of bird-like creatures with the appearance of vultures with vaguely human features. A vulchling favors desolate or subterranean lairs. A vulchling will consort with harpies or even vrocks at times. A vulchling roosts in trees or on ledges and swoops down upon unsuspecting prey, attacking with extended talons. Thereafter, the vulchling hops to the attack with its sharp beak."
"""opportunistic eaters"". Some otters live in solitude, while others live in groups. Lutra Lutra is a genus of otters, one of seven in the subfamily Lutrinae. The genus includes these recent species: The genus most likely evolved in Asia during the late Pliocene epoch; the oldest fossil belonging to the genus is of the species ""L. palaeindica"", and dates from the late Pliocene. ""Lutra"" species are semiaquatic mammals, so they are well-adapted to both water and land. They prefer shallow, narrow areas of streams surrounded by mature trees and with rocks, especially where weirs reduce the flow of the water,"
"Umber hulk An umber hulk is a fictional creature in the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" roleplaying game. They are large, bipedal, insect-like aberrations with an ape-like build. The creature has the ability to confuse any creature that sees all four of its eyes at once. They are often found in the Underdark, where they are sometimes captured and enslaved by other races, such as illithids. Despite their bestial appearance, umber hulks possess a significant intelligence and language of their own. The umber hulk was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the ""D&D"" game. The umber hulk was introduced to the"
"Orc An orc (also spelled ork) is a fictional humanoid creature that is part of a fantasy race akin to goblins. While the overall concept of orcs draws on a variety of pre-existing mythology, the main conception of the creatures stems from the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, in particular ""The Lord of the Rings"". In Tolkien's works, orcs are a brutish, aggressive, repulsive and generally malevolent species, existing in stark contrast with the benevolent Elvish race and generally serving an evil power. Tolkien's concept of orcs has subsequently been adapted and imported into other works of fantasy"
"Luskhan Luskhan (meaning ""water spirit chief"") is an extinct genus of brachauchenine pliosaur from the Cretaceous of Russia. The type and only species is ""Luskhan itilensis"", named by Valentin Fischer and colleagues in 2017 from a well-preserved and nearly complete skeleton. As an early-diverging brachauchenine, ""Luskhan"" consequently exhibits an intermediate combination of traits seen in more basal (less specialized) and more derived (more specialized) pliosaurs. However, ""Luskhan"" departs significantly from other pliosaurs in that it exhibits a lack of adaptations in its skull to feeding on large prey; its slender snout, small teeth, and short tooth rows instead indicate a"
"Palorchestes Palorchestes ('ancient leaper or dancer') is an extinct genus of terrestrial herbivorous marsupial of the family Palorchestidae. The genus was endemic to Australia, living from the Late Miocene subepoch through the Pleistocene epoch (around 11.6 mya – 11,000 years ago), and thought to be in existence for approximately . One species, ""Palorchestes azael"", was almost as large as a horse, being around in length with a weight of about , and had four powerful legs. The appearance of the animal's nasal bones suggests that it possessed a short proboscis, leading to the nickname of the ""marsupial tapir"". Since it"
"Thrush nightingale The thrush nightingale (""Luscinia luscinia""), also known as the sprosser, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats. It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in forests in Europe and Asia and overwintering in Africa. The distribution is more northerly than the very closely related common nightingale, ""Luscinia megarhynchos"", which it closely resembles in appearance. It nests near the ground in dense undergrowth. The thrush nightingale"
"Luscinia Luscinia is a genus of smallish passerine birds, containing the nightingales and relatives. Formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, they are now considered to be Old World flycatchers (Muscicapidae) of the chat subfamily (Saxicolinae). The chats are a lineage of Old World flycatchers that has evolved convergently to thrushes. The word ""Luscinia"" was used for nightingales and similar birds in Classical Latin (e.g. in the AD 70s ""Naturalis Historia"" by Pliny the Elder), if not earlier. Etymologically, it might be derived from ""luscus"" (Latin for ""half-blind"", ""half-understood"" etc.) or ""clueō"" (Latin for ""to be well-known"") +"
"Hunting Horror A Hunting Horror is a fictional monster in the Cthulhu Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. The creature was first mentioned in Lovecraft's novella ""The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath"" (1926). And in the air about him were great viperine creatures, which had curiously distorted heads, and grotesquely great clawed appendages, supporting themselves with ease by the aid of black rubbery wings of singularly monstrous dimensions. <br>—August Derleth, ""The Lurker at the Threshold"" Hunting Horrors resemble enormous ropy, black serpents or worms with bat-like or umbrella-like wings. Their forms are said to continually shift and change, twitching and writhing, so"
"seeing an analogy that fit with his naming scheme, Linnaeus adapted the term ""lemur"" for these nocturnal primates. However, Dunkel ""et al."" noted in 2012 that it has been commonly and falsely assumed that Linnaeus was referring to the ghost-like appearance, reflective eyes, and ghostly cries of lemurs. It has also been speculated that Linnaeus may also have known that some Malagasy people have held legends that lemurs are the souls of their ancestors, but this is unlikely given that the name was selected for slender lorises from India, according to Dunkel ""et al"". Lemurs are primates belonging to the"
"Recluse spider The recluse spiders or brown spiders, genus Loxosceles (), also known as fiddle-backs, violin spiders, or reapers, are a genus of venomous spiders known for their bite, which sometimes produces a characteristic set of symptoms known as loxoscelism. Recluse spiders are now identified as members of the family Sicariidae, having formerly been placed in their own family, the Loxoscelidae. Although recluse spiders have a bad reputation, they are usually not aggressive. Sicariidae are of the superfamily Scytodoidea. Other families in the Scytodoidea include Drymusidae, Scytodidae, and Periegopidae. ""Loxosceles"" is distributed nearly worldwide in warmer areas. All have six"
"Vulchling In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy role-playing game, the vulchling is a type of fictional monster. The vulchling first appeared in the original ""Monster Manual II"" (1983). A vulchling is one of a race of bird-like creatures with the appearance of vultures with vaguely human features. A vulchling favors desolate or subterranean lairs. A vulchling will consort with harpies or even vrocks at times. A vulchling roosts in trees or on ledges and swoops down upon unsuspecting prey, attacking with extended talons. Thereafter, the vulchling hops to the attack with its sharp beak. The vulchling appeared in the ""Tome"
"to choose their next life, assign them lots, and presents them all of the kinds, human and animal, from which they may choose their next life. ""Lachesis"" is a genus of pit vipers sometimes called bushmasters. It includes the largest venomous snake in the Western Hemisphere. Lachesis Lachesis (; , ""Lakhesis"", ""disposer of lots"", from , ""lanchano"", ""to obtain by lot, by fate, or by the will of the gods""), in ancient Greek religion, was the second of the Three Fates, or Moirai: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. Normally seen clothed in white, Lachesis is the measurer of the thread spun"
"Lynx (mythology) The lynx, a type of wildcat, has a prominent role in Greek, Norse, and North American mythology. It is considered an elusive and mysterious creature, known in some American Indian traditions as a 'keeper of secrets'. It is also believed to have supernatural eyesight, capable of seeing even through solid objects. As a result, it often symbolises the unravelling of hidden truths, and the psychic power of clairvoyance. It is claimed by Theophrastus (c. 371 – c. 287 BC) that the lynx's urine hardens into a precious stone with attractive properties akin to amber. Known as ""lapis lyncurius"""
"Lutung The lutungs are a group of Old World monkeys and make up the entirety of the genus Trachypithecus (derived from Greek ""τραχύς, trachys"" meaning ""rough"" and ""pithecus, πίθηκος"" meaning ""monkey""). Their range is split into two parts; one part is much of Southeast Asia (northeast India, southern China, Borneo, Thailand, Java, and Bali), the other part is extreme southern India and Sri Lanka. Most of the species in this genus can be referred to as lutungs, langurs, or leaf monkeys. The name ""lutung"" comes from the Sundanese language and means ""blackness""; it is preferred by some authors because it"