The amphibious monster that inhabits the Alps is the Tazo worm. The Tazo worm means " snake with forefeets " in German. Sightings have occurred in the mountains of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France and many other countries through which the Alps pass.
As the name says, maybe it really doesn't have a hind foot, and even if it does, it's a less strong hind foot that can't leave a mark. Although it also operates on land, it is said to survive in the water.
Forefoot snakes have existed in folk tales since ancient times, such as "becoming a prince and saving a princess", so it is considered to be just an imaginary animal. However, in 1717, explorers encountered the forefoot snake in the Alps and painted its appearance as a copperplate engraving, from which it is likely that the forefoot snake is a real unknown creature.
In 1779, Hans Fox encountered two forefoot snakes on the outskirts of Salzburg. It also led to the fatal event of a heart attack. The scene was painted by his parents, which showed a forefoot snake with sharp teeth, a large mouth, and a length of 0.6 to 1 meter, somewhat similar to a large lizard or salamander.
The Swiss naturalist Friedrich von Teskarondi wrote in 1861: "It is widely believed that the inaccessible valleys here are inhabited by 'cave worms'—a strange creature 3 to 9 feet long with two short legs. They often appear after storms ending long droughts... ”
The appearance of a forefoot snake encountered by prussian explorer John Kaiser in the Alps in 1717. This snake resembles a lizard with 2 legs.
It is said to be a photograph of the remains of the skull of the Tazo worm
After that, sightings continued. In 1924, bones resembling the bones of snakes on the forefoot were found in Italy; in Italy in 1963 and in France in 1974, salamander-like animals were seen swimming in rapids. These animals that were witnessed were all thought to be forefoot snakes.
In 1934, Swiss photographers took pictures of forefoot snakes in the Alps and published them, but this was dismissed as a fake. Do long-legged snakes really exist? There are still many mysteries about the true face of the forefoot snake.
"Legendary father of zoology" Hoy Vilman believes that since the legendary Tazo worm is considered poisonous, it is speculated that the Tazo worm is an unproven salamander with a habit similar to that of a lungfish. Lungfish are strange fish whose lungs serve as air bags to store air. This is a clear advantage in the mountainous areas during dry times.
When it encounters a drought, it can drill out of the soil of the cave and then secrete mucus to form a "cocoon". Come out again in the humid weather after the drought ends and the rainstorm has ended. This hypothesis coincides with what Friedrich von Tescarondi wrote in his book in 1861.