The dodo often takes the shape of a snake.
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The dodo, from West African lore, is known as a spirit of a dead man that attacks and preys upon the living. The dodo lives in the forests where they wait to attack humans. They can shape-shift into any animal, but mostly takes the shape of a snake for a sharper sense of smell. They also appear as a giant covered in hair. One can escape the dodo by crossing some sort of running water, even a small creek. The dodo will be repelled, unable to follow.