The leucrota is a a psychotic beast with a borderline sociopathic mindset from the Medieval era.
It is a a composite animal; a cross between a hyena-like luvecerviere beast and lion.
Pliny the Elder (Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire) describes the leucrota as a hyena-like creature, which he calls "the swiftest of all beasts, about the size of an ass, with a stag's haunches, a lion's neck, tail and breast, badger's head, cloven hoof, mouth opening right back to the ears, and ridges of bone in place of rows of teeth—this animal is reported to imitate the voices of human beings."
There is often some confusion between the more wolf like Crocotta and the more lion like Leucrocotta and in some cases the two are looked upon as the same creature. Clearly meant to be two different types of animals, authors of bestiaries often mistook them for one another due to there alleged blood relation, similarity in name and there supposed ability to speak with a human voice.
Though this creature is shrouded in folktales and mystery it is often thought that the hyena may have been the bases for the Leucrota, however most researchers simply dismiss the creature as pure fiction...
The leucrocotta is specifically mentioned in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (the 2004 first novel by British writer Susanna Clarke), in the chapter "Leucrocota, the Wolf of the Evening", where the titular character names another person in the book as one, as a reference to his personality and lifestyle...
...Vocal mimicry...
Leucrotas speak in voices chosen to lure their target away, where they proceed to feast upon the still living individual...
“...And the man who has been called approaches…but when it has drawn him away from his fellow-workers and has got him alone, it seizes and kills him and then makes a meal of him after luring him on with its call...”
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