Funeral Mountain Terrashot: Fearsome Critter

A shy addition to the fearsome critter bunch, the Funeral Mountain Terrashot was a folkloric beast, shaped like a casket that wobbled around on four legs .These creatures were first said to be spotted by Mormon pioneers, emigrating through the mountains. The Funeral Mountain Terrashots also had a pioneer instinct. Legend has it that this strange animal would form long processions in an attempt to leave the mountain meadows they called home and move onward to new ones. Upon descending the mountains and arriving in the desert, the Funeral Mountain Terrashot cannot withstand the desert’s heat, and explodes.

The explosions of the Terrashots leave casket shaped holes in the desert floor. Each hole deep, and at least as long as one of the creatures, which can range from six to eight feet in length.

It is said that the mountain range along the California-Nevada border, Funeral Mountains, is named for these fearsome critters. Although the name may be due to the arid and harsh lands of the mountain range, which were inhospitable to many pioneers.

image via lumberwoods.com