You may remember Harry Potter purchasing “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” a textbook on his first-year list of supplies. But now the author of that book, Newt Scamander, is getting a movie (or five) of his own, bringing the beasts to life. Here’s what we know about seven of the many beasts in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”
Niffler
You may remember this furry creature from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” They’re black, rodent-like critters with an affinity for shiny objects. Hagrid introduced nifflers to Harry’s fourth-year Care of Magical Creatures class and let them hunt for Leprechaun gold in piles of dirt. A niffler looks for treasure with its long snout and then stores it in a pouch on its belly.
Bowtruckle
A guardian of its tree, a bowtruckle is good at camouflaging in its natural habitat. They’re selective about their trees, which can be used to make wands. A bowtruckle eats insects and has long, sharp fingers, good for picking locks or poking an enemy in the eye. They’re super small, hence Hagrid explaining that he “brought [Harry] here sixteen years ago when [he was] no bigger than a bowtruckle” in the film “Deathly Hallows: Part 1.”
Thunderbird
Closely related to the phoenix, the thunderbird is native to Arizona. The giant birds can sense danger, and their flapping can create storms. One of the houses of the American wizarding school, Ilvermorny, is named after the thunderbird and favors adventurous students.
Swooping Evil
This peculiarly named beast can be dangerous—it has the ability to suck out brains. The blue-and-green-winged swooping evil looks like a cross between a reptile and a butterfly and exists in a cocoon in its resting state. Its venom can also be used to erase bad memories.
Demiguise
The demiguise is particularly difficult to find because it can make itself invisible and tell the future, so you better be super spontaneous if you’re hoping to catch it. It’s an herbivorous, primate-like creature with silky silver hair and big black eyes. It’s peaceful unless provoked, which can happen because its hair is used to weave Invisibility Cloaks.
Occamy
The occamy will grow or shrink to fit the space available to it. It’s a winged creature with a serpent’s body, so it looks like something between a dragon and a bird. It’s fiercely protective of its eggs, which are made of silver, and is aggressive to whoever approaches it.
Erumpent
An erumpent is a massive magical beast originating in Africa. It resembles a rhinoceros with a single horn and a thick hide and tail. It can repel many charms and curses, and its horncontains a deadly fluid that can cause pierced objects (or beings) to explode.
