List of megafauna in mythology and folklore

A giant animal in mythology is unusually large, either for their species or in relation to humans. The term giant carries some ambiguity; however, in mythology, definitions of what constitutes 'large' vary, with definitions ranging from 40 kg upwards. At the upper end of this scale, they may be further subdivided into small (250-500 kg), medium (500-1000 kg) and large (over 1000 kg). Megafauna often form one of the mythemes of a story. The narrative may revolve around a real animal or a primordial archetype of a gigantic creature, such as a dragon, sea monsters, or the Midgard snake.

Examples of megafauna
Numerous myths and folklore exist depicting giant animals, including Australian, Greek, Native American,  among others.

Africa megafauna mythology

 * Dingonek
 * Nandi bear
 * Mokele-mbembe
 * Grootslang
 * Salawa

Oceania megafauna mythology

 * Abaia
 * Gazeka
 * Tiddalik
 * Rainbow Serpent

Central and South America megafauna mythology

 * Headless Mule
 * Mapinguari
 * Peuchen
 * Yacumama

North America megafauna mythology

 * Amarok
 * Altamaha-ha
 * Akhlut
 * Jersey devil
 * Mothman
 * Mugwump
 * Ogopogo
 * Thunderbird
 * Tizheruk
 * Snallygaster
 * Wechuge
 * Hidebehind
 * Hodag
 * Hugag
 * Underwater panther

Eurasian megafauna mythology

 * Akkorokamui
 * Bai Hu
 * Bake-kujira
 * Baku
 * Bakunawa
 * Beast of Gevaudan
 * Behemoth
 * Brosno dragon
 * Dragon
 * Chinese dragons
 * Chimera
 * Japanese dragons
 * Gashadokuro
 * Genbu
 * Griffin
 * Cerberus
 * Hydra
 * Manticore
 * Minokawa
 * Mongolian death worm
 * Nāga
 * Nue
 * Karkadann
 * Kraken
 * Leviathan
 * Loch Ness Monster
 * Midgard snake
 * Ushi-Oni
 * Qilin
 * Shadhavar
 * Shisa
 * Sphinx
 * Raiju
 * Roc
 * Timingila
 * Ziz