Chupacabra facts for kids
 Color drawing of chupacabra
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| Other name(s) | Chupacabras, El Chupacabra |
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The chupacabra (say "choo-pah-KAH-brah") is a mysterious creature from folklore in the Americas. Its name means "goat-sucker" in Spanish. This comes from stories that say the chupacabra attacks and drinks the blood of farm animals, like goats.
People describe the chupacabra in different ways. Some say it looks like a strange dog. Others describe it as a reptilian creature, like an alien. It's often said to be about the size of a small bear. Some stories mention it has a row of spines down its back.
The first reported sightings were in Puerto Rico in 1995. Since then, people have claimed to see it in many places. These include Mexico, the United States, and even as far south as Chile. However, scientists and wildlife experts say the chupacabra is an urban legend. They explain that many sightings are actually animals like coyotes with a skin disease called mange.
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What's in a Name?
The word Chupacabras comes from two Spanish words. Chupar means "to suck," and cabra means "goat." So, it literally means "goat-sucker."
People in the Americas use both chupacabras and chupacabra. Chupacabras was the original name. You might hear it called el chupacabras (the goat-sucker) or los chupacabras (the goat-suckers).
History of the Legend
The first big reports of chupacabra attacks happened in March 1995. This was in Puerto Rico. Eight sheep were found dead. Each had three small holes in its chest. People believed all their blood had been drained.
A few months later, in August, a woman named Madelyne Tolentino said she saw the creature. This was in the town of Canóvanas. Around this time, about 150 farm animals and pets were reportedly killed.
Even before 1995, there were similar stories. In 1975, strange animal killings happened in Moca. People called the creature responsible El Vampiro de Moca (The Vampire of Moca). At first, some thought a cult was behind the killings. But then more reports came from all over the island. Many farms lost animals. All the animals were said to have been bled dry through small, round cuts.
A comedian from Puerto Rico, Silverio Pérez, is often given credit. He supposedly created the name chupacabras. This happened soon after the first incidents were in the news. After the Puerto Rico reports, similar animal deaths were reported. These came from countries like the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the United States.
Where Did the Idea Come From?
A researcher named Benjamin Radford spent five years studying the chupacabra. He wrote a book about it in 2011. He found that the first eyewitness description in Puerto Rico might have come from a movie.
Madelyne Tolentino, the woman who saw the creature, had watched the science-fiction horror film Species. In the movie, there's an alien creature named Sil. Sil looks very much like Tolentino's description of the chupacabra. She even said, "It was a creature that looked like the chupacabra, with spines on its back and all... The resemblance to the chupacabra was really impressive."
Radford believes Tolentino thought the movie's events were happening in real life. This makes her description less reliable. He thinks this seriously weakens the idea that the chupacabra is a real animal.
Also, the claims of blood-sucking were never fully proven. To know for sure, a special animal autopsy, called a necropsy, is needed. A veterinarian looked at 300 animals said to be chupacabra victims. They found that none of them had been completely drained of blood.
Radford divided chupacabra reports into two types:
- Reports from Puerto Rico and Latin America: Here, animals were attacked, and people thought their blood was taken.
- Reports from the United States: These were mostly about mammals, like dogs and coyotes, with mange. People called them "chupacabra" because they looked unusual.
In 2010, a biologist named Barry O'Connor from the University of Michigan studied the US reports. He concluded that most US chupacabra sightings were just coyotes. These coyotes were sick with a parasite that causes mange. This disease makes animals lose their fur. It also makes their skin thick and gives them a bad smell.
O'Connor thought that these sick animals might attack livestock. They would be too weak to hunt faster prey like rabbits or deer. So, attacking farm animals would be easier for them.
Some witnesses thought dogs or coyotes couldn't be the attackers. This was because the prey wasn't eaten. But this isn't always true. Dogs and coyotes can kill prey without eating it. This might happen if they are new to hunting or get hurt. The prey might also die later from internal bleeding or shock. If an animal has two holes in its neck, it's usually from a predator's canine teeth. This is how most land carnivores catch their food.
Sometimes, stray Mexican Hairless Dogs are mistaken for chupacabras. This is because they don't have much fur.
What Does It Look Like?
The most common description of the chupacabra is that it looks like a reptile. People say it has tough, scaly, greenish-gray skin. It also has sharp spines or quills running down its back. It's said to be about 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 meters) tall. It supposedly stands and hops like a kangaroo.
Another, less common, description is that of a strange wild dog. This type of chupacabra is mostly hairless. It has a noticeable ridge along its spine. It also has very deep-set eyes, fangs, and claws. Unlike normal predators, the chupacabra is said to drain all the animal's blood. Sometimes it takes organs too. This is usually done through three holes in a triangle shape, or just one or two holes.
Similar Legends
There are other legends that sound a bit like the chupacabra.
- In New Orleans, there's a story about "grunches." These creatures are said to live on Grunch Road. They are similar to the Chupacabra in appearance.
- The Peuchen of Chile also share similar habits. They are said to be winged snakes that drink blood. This legend might have come from the vampire bat, which lives in that area.
- In the Philippines, there's a creature called the Sigbin. It has many descriptions similar to the Chupacabra. The recent discovery of the cat-fox in Southeast Asia suggests that some sightings might have been of this animal, which was once unknown.
See also
In Spanish: Chupacabras para niños
