Question

Specific term required. Henry H. Tryon described how stories of these beings were spun with a combination of a “colorful bit of description” and “an arresting sport of personal experience” by veteran workers teasing newbies. Tryon’s text on these beings illustrates a cat with a mechanical-jointed (15[1])arm grasping a bird. An earlier field guide to these beings was dedicated to the “Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo” (15[1])by William Thomas Cox. (-5[1])These beings include a thorn-covered alcoholic cat and a snake that grasps its tail in its own mouth and rolls (-5[2])around like a (15[1])(*) hoop. (-5[1])Another (-5[1])one of these beings is hyper aware of its wart-covered skin and can thus be tracked by its tear-stained trail. Such beings may have been encountered by figures like Sourdough Sam and Johnny Inkslinger. For 10 points, the wampus cat and squonk are among what fantastical animals described (-5[1])in the tall tales of lumberjacks? ■END■ (10[3]0[1])

ANSWER: fearsome critters [or fearsome creatures; prompt on cactus cat, hoop snake, squonk, or wampus cat before mention with “What class of beings is it a part of?”]
<AY, Mythology>
= Average correct buzz position