Magic: The Gathering has had a lot of wacky creatures over the years, but only one was so odd that Wizards of the Coast had to clarify that it was, indeed, a real myth.
Since Magic: The Gathering was first created, there has been a whole menagerie of creatures introduced. Some are normal, real-life animals (or, at least, spins on real-life animals). Others can be of the more fantastical ones such as dragons, wurms, and the like.
But there is also a grey area, the place where many players simply just don't know.
Phelddagrif? Sure, it sounds odd, but the creature is actually just a simple anagram. Vulpine Goliath? That's totally based off a Greek myth.
There was one, though, that simply confounded Magic fans for awhile: Prowling Serpopard.
Released as part of Amonkhet in 2017, the Serpopard really confused a lot of people. Essentially a giant cat-snake hybrid, the 4/3, three green mana creature is literally listed as such. And what does it do? Well, outside of what it says in its rules text, it left many players scratching their heads.
The developers did not say that they came up with it, and, going back on mythology (specifically the Egyptian themed mythology), was a bit tricky. Finally, after a bit of confusion, those at Wizards of the Coast, came out and say that the serpopard is a more modern name for a creature found in Egyptian mythology.
The confusion was simply there because they had made it more snakelike, while in the original myth, it was like a cat with a long neck.
As ridiculous as it sounded, a cat snake (not to be confused with the cat snake found in many memes) quickly blurred into the usual lore of Magic. And while there have been so, so many other creatures in the game that have been questioned or inquired about, the serpopard was pretty much the only one that befuddled players enough that Magic had to clarify.
For those who want a serpopard of their own, it only goes for a dollar or two on the secondary market.