Yacumama

A statue depicting the mythical serpent

Yacumama(fromQuechuayaku "water" and mama "mother": "Mother of water" ), is an enormous serpent believed to live in theAmazon Rainforest.The Yacumama is believed to be the mother of all aquatic animals. According to legend, the Yacumama would suck up any living thing that passed within 100 steps of it. To protect themselves, the local indigenous peoples would blow on aconchhorn before entering the water, believing that the yacumama would reveal itself if it was present. It is sometimes believed to be a giant snake orcaecilianknown as theMinhocão.