Monster Monday: El Cuero

I came across this monster from South American folklore by accident, but I’m glad that I did because it’s absolutely terrifying. El Cuero is said to resemble a floating cured cowhide. It has stalk-like eyes, a barbed tail, and razor-like claws around its fringes which are said to be used to clasp onto prey.

Resembling some sort of prehistoric stingray from Hell it’s got wide pectoral fins and can be anywhere from 2-5 feet long and around 65 pounds in weight. The El Cuero is said to hunt around the Chilean glacial Lake Lacar in the Andes Mountains.

There is however a family of freshwater stingrays in the lake however they don’t have stalk-like eyes. El Cuero sounds like some sort of Lovecraftian monstrosity and is just another justifiable reason for thalassophobia.