【神秘動物學(xué)】蘇卡拉特（Succarath）
蘇卡拉特（Succarath）或蘇（su）是在15世紀(jì)從巴塔哥尼亞南部報告過來的一種神秘生物，這種生物通常被認為與地懶有一定的關(guān)聯(lián)，就像一些作者明確報告的巴塔哥尼亞樹懶一樣。
詞源學(xué)
安德雷·戴維（André Thevet）是第一個描述這種動物的人，他寫道，“蘇”在巴塔哥尼亞語中是水的意思。喬治·埃博哈特（George Eberhart）寫道，這個名字來自Tehuelche su(“斗篷”)和carrath(“皮膚”)。
描述
耶穌會牧師佩德羅·洛扎諾將這種生物描述為：
...a hideous figure, at first sight it seems to have the face of a lion or even that of a man, because from its ears grows a beard with hair that is not too long; its body narrows towards the rear, its front end is very large; its tail is long and very hairy, and with it, it hides its pups that it places on its back. This does not prevent it from running swiftly away. It is carnivorous and is hunted by the local natives, who are interested in its fur, because, being of a cold climate; they protect themselves from the weather with it. The usual way of hunting them is to dig a deep hole which they cover with branches; the unwary beast falls into it with its brood and seeing no way out, either out of generosity or anger, tears them apart with its claws, so that they do not fall into the hands of men; roaring at the same time, to terrify its hunters, who coming close to the mouth of the pit, pierce the beast with their arrows.
...這是一個很丑陋的形象，乍一看，它的臉看起來很像獅子，甚至像人，因為它的耳朵上長著一撮不太長的胡子；它的身體向后收縮著，它的身體前端非常大；尾巴很長，毛茸茸的，這可以用它來隱藏它的幼崽，把它們放在它的背上，但這并不能阻止它迅速逃走。它是食肉動物，但當(dāng)?shù)鼐用駥λ钠っ芨信d趣，因為當(dāng)?shù)氐臍夂蚝?；所以它們用它來保護自己免受天氣的影響。捕獵它們通常的方法是：先挖一個深洞，然后再用樹枝蓋?。淮中拇笠獾墓治锖退暮⒆觽円黄鸬暨M了它的籠子里，由于沒有出路，要么是出于慷慨，要么是出于憤怒，它們就會用爪子把它們撕成碎片，以免它們落入人類的手中；他們也會吼叫，使獵人懼怕。他們近坑口，用箭射透這獸。
據(jù)說這種生物也住在河岸附近。戴維寫道，特胡埃爾什人會穿著蘇卡拉特的皮。Ambroise Paré“強調(diào)了它對幼崽的溫柔的愛”。愛德華·托普塞爾曾在《The History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents》(1697年)中寫道，這種食人妖“殘忍、難以馴服、暴力、貪婪、血腥”。格瓦拉神父在1764年描述了蘇卡拉特可以發(fā)出“可怕的咆哮”。另一位作者描述了蘇卡拉特帶著它的幼崽到花海中玩耍，并給它們?yōu)⑸舷闼?/p>
理論
弗洛倫蒂諾·阿米基諾(Florentino Ameghino)和伯納德·赫維爾曼斯(Bernard Heuvelmans)都將蘇卡拉特與大地懶聯(lián)系在一起，Dale A. Drinnon指出，這種樹懶很可能會把它們的孩子背在背上。其他可能是蘇卡拉特的動物包括水獺、美洲虎或一種巴塔哥尼亞的巨型食蟻獸。
參考
↑?Jump up to:1.01.1?Heuvelmans, Bernard (1955)?On the Track of Unknown Animals, Routledge,?ISBN 978-1138977525
↑?Jump up to:2.02.1?Eberhart, George M. (2002)?Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology, ABC-CLIO, Inc.,?ISBN 1576072835
↑?Jump up to:3.03.13.23.3?Whittall, Austin (2012)?Monsters of Patagonia, Zagier & Urruty Pubns,?ISBN 978-9871468218
↑?Jump up to:4.04.1?Thevet, André (1557)?The New Found World, or Antarctike
↑?Lozano, Pedro (1873)?Historia de la conquista del Paraguay, Río de la Plata y Tucumán
↑?Topsell, Edward (1697)?The History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents
↑?Drinnon, Dale A.?Frontiers of Zoology: More on Mapinguaris And Ground Sloths?frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com [Accessed September 2018]
