The Tatzelwurm was seen in numerous areas of Europe, including Austria, Bavaria, Germany, Italy and the Swiss Alps. The creature is said to have the upper body, head and front legs of a cat and back end of a snake. Though, some witnesses describe something more dragon like or serpent like. The Tatzelwurm is said to measure in at 2 to 6 feet long.

One of the first stories of the Tatzelwurm comes from 1779, when a man named Hans Fuchs came across two of these animals. He was able to tell his family of these mysterious creatures before he died of a heart attack while running home out of fright.

Legends of the creature differ depending on the area. The Austrian and German stories of this creature claim that it is deadly. The Tatzelwurm in these areas is said to have extremely poisonous breath, enough to be lethal to a human. The Swiss version of this legend is also said to be poisonous, but not specifically its breath.