Achlis

The achlis was one of several strange creatures documented in Roman mythology by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century BC. In his descriptions, Pliny portrayed the achlis as resembling an elk, but with several remarkable and unusual features.

Most notably, the achlis possessed an extraordinarily large upper lip that forced the creature to graze backward, preventing its lip from covering its mouth while feeding.

This anatomical oddity was compounded by another remarkable trait: the achlis's back legs lacked joints, compelling the creature to sleep either standing upright or leaning against trees for support. This peculiarity created a significant vulnerability that hunters readily exploited. Their hunting technique involved partially cutting through trees where the achlis was known to rest. When the unsuspecting creature leaned against the weakened tree, both would collapse to the ground. Due to its jointless hind legs, the achlis was unable to rise quickly enough to escape the hunters.