With a title like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, one would expect to see a variety of odd and magical creatures the likes of which you’ve never seen, and you’d be right. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of all the beasts that will be found in the film featuring information from our visit to the set of the film last year and information from J.K. Rowling’s mini “text book” of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, first published in 2001. Check it out below!
RELATED: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Review
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
The film stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, Jenn Murray, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, Gemma Chan and newcomer Faith Wood-Blagrove. It was also revealed recently that Johnny Depp will have a small role in the film leading to a bigger role in the second film.
Fantastic Beasts Creatures
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Billywig
A vivid sapphire blue, the Billywig is a flying insect creature often never noticed my Muggles or even magical people. The beast's wings are attached at the top and spin around in order to fly with the side effects of its sting causing giddiness and floating. They are native to Australia.
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Bowtruckle
A Bowtruckle is a tree guardian who is a small twig-like man. Newt Scamander’s own personal Bowtruckle is named Pickett in the film and he's quite attached to the character. They can be found sporadically across Europe including West of England, Southern Germany, and certain Scandinavian forests.
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Demiguise
Capable of making itself invisible, the Demiguise is an illusive creature that resembles a Sloth. What makes it especially capable of hiding though, is that it has precognitive abilities and can tell the future. According to the original text, their fur is highly sought after because it is used to make invisibility cloaks. They can be found in the Far East.
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Diricrawl
Unlike other beasts found in the film, the Diricrawl is actually known to Muggles as the Dodo bird. Diricrawls posses the ability to vanish and reappear elsewhere in a puff of feathers which is what has led us to believe they are extinct. They originated on the small island nation of Mauritius off the coast of Madagascar.
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Doxy
Though the original Fantastic Beasts text describes them as being often mistaken for Fairies, the Doxy looked much different in the production art for the film than it has been described. What we saw on set looked more like a Gecko with the head of a moth, though it’s possible this is just one of its forms as the original book described them as having “minute human forms.” They’re found in Northern Europe and America and are quite poisonous.
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Erumpent
Though the name may conjure one image, Erumpent’s are commonly mistaken for Rhinos due to their giant horns. This sharp extension of the nose is capable of crashing through skin and metal but even more worrisome injects what it pierces with a deadly fluid causing it to explode. Male Erumpents often make each other explode when trying to show dominance.
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Fwooper
A brightly colored African bird, the Fwooper is said to have a song that can drive the listener insane. As a result, Scamander made note in his book that a “silencing charm” is required for anyone to own them as pets. They can be found in Africa.
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Graphorn
Said to be found in mountainous European regions, the Graphorn is said to be used by Mountain Trolls as mounts, though they’re not too keen on this themselves.
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Mooncalf
Described as “an intensely shy creature,” the Mooncalf gets its namesake because it only emerges from its burrow during the full moon. The beat has giant bulgy eyes on top of its head with four long legs and very flat feet. The original text makes mention that it does “complicated dances” believed to be the start of a mating ritual which result in what we Muggles would call “crop circles.” They are found worldwide.
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Murtlap
The Murtlap can be found on the coastal portions of Britain and appears to be a rat-like creature with a sea anemone on its back. The growth on its back can be picked and eaten to create a resistance of curses and jinxes.
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Niffler
A small rodent/mole-like creature, the Niffler has fancy for anything shiny and as a result is used by Goblins in the search for treasure. They're described as a "British beast" in the text.
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Nundu
The original Fantastic Beasts text describes the Nundu as “a gigantic leopard,” but the concept art we saw for the film shows it more as a lion. The key difference being its color, which was more of a blue or purple, and that the creature was capable of inflating like a puffer fish. This is in keeping with the beast’s original description, which said its breath “causes disease virulent enough to eliminate entire villages.” The text also says it “has never been subdued by fewer than a hundred skilled wizards working together,” so it will be interesting to see how Newt gets the beast back in his satchel. You can find them in Eastern Africa.
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Occamy
Found in India and other parts of the Far East, the Occamy is a serpentine creature with feathers. They can reach up to 15 feet in length and are aggressive to anyone who approaches them or their eggs, which are sought after for being made of pure silver. The Occamy has appeared in the trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and also as the “S” in the film’s logos.
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Swooping Evil
A large, blue and green winged creature, the Swooping Evil mostly sticks to its cocoon form, which is much smaller than when its wings are extended. Its venom is capable of making people forget.
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Thunderbird
Featuring multiple sets of wings, the Thunderbird is capable of sensing nearby danger and can cause thunder and rain storms at will. Thunderbirds can be found in the Western parts of the United States.
