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Artist's rendering of a Monuca
The Monuca is a wildcat-marten hybrid with curious fur coloring originating from Cantabrian mythology. According to legend, this animal is friendly and will bring luck to men who catch it, yet is highly aggressive towards women.
Description
The Monuca mostly resembles a marten with feline traits, its most distinctive feature being its white head, purple tail and a red, blue and black body; however, it is born colorless, and will only gain this coat later in life.
Myth
The Monuca is rare, being born during spring once every 11 years from the cross of a male wildcat and a female marten, which will birth a single blind Monuca kit in a cave. Still blind and as soon as it is capable of moving, the Monuca will leave and wander the forest for days, returning to its cave once it gains sight, only to blind and kill its mother then leave again. Once the wildcat finds out, it will swear revenge and hunt down the Monuca.
After this, it will nest near rivers, and hunt birds and bugs on meadows, mostly grasshoppers and turtledoves, and will sometimes suck the blood from lambs and children, gaining its colored coat during this time. The Monuca grows throughout most of its life, usually becoming too big to run or climb trees around five years of age. Once it reaches this point, it will be easier for the wildcat to catch it, exacting revenge by blinding the Monuca and leaving it to its fate, either falling down some cliff or being preyed upon.
Hunting
Going by myth, the Monuca is extremely hard to find, as there is only a 5 year window once every 11 years, a cycle whose rythm is hard to determine, the only indications of it being around and active are sightings and reports of blood-sucking, this vampiric characteristic being shared by other mythical beings in the Cantabrian region, such as the Guajona.
Interaction With Humans
The Monuca has an high aversion towards all females, and will outright attack and try to claw out the eyes of any women who approach. Coupled with its vampiric preying upon children and cattle, its behaviour is comparatively docile towards men, though still elusive. Purportedly, its friendliness will show in full if caught and brought home, as it will grant men a lifetime of good luck.