Among the legends and myths of the Mapuche and Araucanized Tehuelche peoples of Argentina and Chile there are many tales of various demons and monsters inhabiting the region’s lakes. One of these is a particularly outlandish creature that was said to be a flattened animal resembling a piece of tanned cow-hide ringed with sharp claws, nails, or hooks all around., although also sometimes said to be more snake-like, and which they referred to as the Trelque huecuve , Trelque lafquen or Trelque leufu , meaning the “evil spirit hide”, “lake hide” or “river hide,” repectively.