thumb|A stuffed Wolpertinger on display in the Rheinfelder Beerhall, [[Zürich]]
In German folklore, a Wolpertinger (, also called Wolperdinger or Woiperdinger) is an animal said to inhabit the alpine forests of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Southern Germany.
Origins
Images of creatures that may be Wolpertingers have been found in woodcuts and engravings dating back to the 17th century, though they might be images of rabbits infected by the Shope papilloma virus which causes tumors that can resemble horns or antlers. The Wolpertinger myth has increased in popularity over the past two centuries because of taxidermies created by Bavarian taxidermists in the 1800s for fun and to sell to tourists as "local wildlife."
Description
It has a body comprising various animal parts – generally wings, antlers, a tail, and fangs; all attached to the body of a small mammal. The most widespread description portrays the Wolpertinger as having the head of a rabbit, the body of a squirrel, the antlers of a deer, and the wings and occasionally the legs of a pheasant.
Stuffed "Wolpertingers", composed of parts of real animals that have been stuffed, are often displayed in inns or sold to tourists as souvenirs in the animal's "native regions". The Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum in Munich, Germany features a permanent exhibit on the creature.
In popular culture
- Rumo, a 'Wolperting' is the main character of the novel Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures by Walter Moers, depicted as an anthropomorphic dog with horns.
- Wolpertingers are available as pets in World of Warcraft during special events.
See also
- Al-mi'raj
- Cabbit
- Elwetritsch
- Jackalope
- Lepus cornutus
- Rasselbock
- Skvader