Animal Class: Mammal
Diet: Herbivorous
When a Kelpie senses danger, they have a very unique way of defending themselves: They melt away into water and reappear once the danger has passed.
Not only can they melt into water, they are also amazing swimmers and can breathe underwater with many of them diving to the bottom of lakes and ponds in order to feed on underwater vegetation.
The myth that they compel humans to jump on their back and then drown the humans by jumping into the water arose from the fact that they spook easily and their first instinct is to either dive into the water or melt into it. Many humans have ended up drowning because they tried to ride a Kelpie and spooked it in the process.
No one has ever been able to successfully ride a Kelpie and it is now believed that it is impossible to domesticate them.
Kelpies give birth to one baby at a time and for the first few months of it's life, that baby has to stay on land and cannot melt away into water or even swim. When a mother Kelpie has to leave her baby, a babysitter is available in the most unlikely of creatures: Cù-Sìths. They will guard the baby with their life until the mother returns.
They have a much longer lifespan compared to other members of the Equidae family with some Kelpies living to be over 90 years old.
While they live solitary lives, they have been known to temporarily form small herds while underwater.
Kelpies are unable to breathe saltwater or melt away into it, but they can still swim in it with many falling prey to ocean predators like Greenland Sharks, Orcas, Krakens, and Sea Serpents in the process. Some Mermaid tribes have stories of an ocean variant of Kelpies, but these creatures have yet to be seen by the scientific community and are believed to be an extinct species.
Naturally live in Ireland, Scotland, and some parts of Britain. It is believed that they once also lived in mainland Europe, but went extinct due to still unclear circumstances.
Extra Fun Fact: Kelpies are unable to melt away into water when the temperature is below freezing as they will instantly turn to ice and shatter on the ground. Many young and inexperienced Kelpies have found this out the hard way and that way always results in the death of a Kelpie.
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Cryptid/ Mythological Creature Encyclopedia
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