The splintercat is a legendary fearsome critter in the folklore of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The splintercat is a nocturnal feline of great ferocity. It flies through the air with terrific speed and when it hits a large tree, it knocks the branches off, withers the trunk, and leaves it standing like a silvery ghost. These dead snags can be seen in many parts of the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...

. The splinter cat performs this feat that it is named after to expose raccoons and bees. However, the act of breaking open trees with its head leaves it with a constant headache, which causes it always to be in a foul mood. Accordingly, one is advised to never approach a splintercat. Splintercat Creek, found in the northern Cascade Range of Oregon, is named after this legendary animal. The splintercat appears in the 1974 children's book ''

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles ''The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles'' is a children's novel written by Julie Edwards, the married name of singer and actress Dame Julie Andrews. More recent editions credit the book to "Julie Andrews Edwards". Plot summary Three sibling ...

'' by Julie Andrews Edwards. This particular splintercat answers to the Prime Minister of Whangdoodland and also enjoys playing

cat's cradle Cat's cradle is a game involving the creation of various string figures between the fingers, either individually or by passing a loop of string back and forth between two or more players. The true origin of the name is debated, though the fir ...

. An alternate version of the splintercat legend comes from Nova Scotia. In this version they come out at night in winter. If you spend time in the woods during the winter you can hear the trees crack from frost expanding. In a quiet wood, this sound is eerie and loud and is said to be a splinter cat emerging from a tree after a long summer hibernation. They are described as having exceptionally long claws and powerful legs. Their fur is patterned and colored similar to the bark of their favourite tree. They are perfectly still and leap on their prey from the shadows.

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* * * * * * "National Wildlife and Conservation Digest: Covering the North American Continent" Fearsome critters Mythological felines Cat folklore {{Mythology-stub