Manticore

The Manticore is a species of legendary beasts. They are extremely rare and long-lived, and are known for being exceptionally fearsome. One appears in the legend of the Norse demigoddess Erika, and she nonfatally defeats it and uses two of its teeth to enhance her war-hammer.
== Biology ==
Manticores are large, bipedal entities with feline heads and bodies, large wings, and venomous stingers. They possess large, durable teeth that often regrow within a few weeks of being knocked out. They possess venom sacs near their stomachs, and inject or spray this venom through their long, scorpion-like tails.
=== Variations ===
While the common manticore has a lion's body, bat's wings and scorpion tail, variations exist. Some manticores display the properties of different felidae (ranging from wild cats, big cats and domesticated breeds, often dependent on area and lineage), different wings (most commonly bat wings; reptile/scaled wings are often seen on archaic or 'dinosaur' breeds, and feathered wings are seen on Sphinx crossbreeds), and different tails (most commonly scorpion-like, but furred, insect, feathered or scaled tails are seen too, especially in crossbreeds).
Manticore variations (such as the 'Titanic' or 'Goliath' Manticore) can grow hundreds of feet tall, while some (such as the 'Munchkin' and 'Permakitten' Manticore) are small enough to fit in your handbag. Some even have venomous bites and claws in addition to their tail stingers, but they are fairly rare; for this reason, Manticore Spotting has been noted as a popular hobby.
== Behaviour ==
Manticores are very territorial, and generally prefer to live alone rather than in packs. A manticore mother will expel her litter from the nest as soon as they are able to see. They are fairly difficult to domesticate or train due to their aggressive, loner natures, but it is possible; some manticores even display more playful temperament.
They live in nests, usually in caves but sometimes in trees, abandoned structures or undergrowth, generally far enough from other manticore nests to avoid territorial conflict. Although they get most of their nutrition through hunting, if their nest is not close to a prime hunting spot they have been known to raid human settlements.
== Trivia ==
* The Manticore from Erika's legend is known as the Great Manticore, despite its nonthreatening appearance.
Category:Species