When I first saw this legendary creature, which originated in the southern regions of France, I thought of the Japanese monster Gamera. (With two older brothers who were fascinated with Godzilla movies, I learned to love Gamera!)

It was the giant turtle shell that got me, I think. Another sea creature!

This deadly dragon creature had a lion’s head, six short bear-like legs, the body of an ox, a turtle shell armor for a back, and a scaly tail that ended with a scorpion sting. Another description called it “a dragon, half animal, half fish, thicker than an ox, longer than an horse, with teeth like swords and big as horns.”

The Tarasque was the offspring of the Onachus and the Leviathan (a giant sea serpent, right?).

In Vietnam during the French rule, there was a legendary sea creature that lived in Halong Bay. They called it Tarasque, too. I suppose it would have been called Nessie if the Scottish had ruled the area. 😉

Sources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarasque
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TarasqueStatue.jpg

Have you ever heard of this bizarre creature?