Case file · Cryptid
The ahuizotl of Lake Texcoco
Book 11 of the Florentine Codex (completed about 1577) describes the ahuizotl, a dog-like water creature with a hand at the end of its tail that dragged people under and left their bodies without eyes, nails and teeth.
1577 CE · 19.47, -99.02 · status: legend
The account
The creature was linked to the rain god Tlaloc, and its victims were buried in a special way. The ahuizotl was also the name glyph of the ruler Ahuitzotl (1486–1502).
The sceptical view
Scholars have suggested it was inspired by otters, which lived around the lake, combined with drownings.