Sekulaarses

Sekulaarses is a term that appears in a limited set of early twentieth‑century ethnobiological texts and is most often discussed as a putative extinct genus of large amphibious mammals that inhabited the tropical lowlands of what is now western Amazonia. The name is said to have originated from the Pacific island language of the Sequan peoples, in which “sekula” means “water‑dweller” and the plural suffix “‑arses” was added by European naturalists in translating local accounts. Because the original type specimens have never been recovered and the primary descriptions were largely based on oral traditions, the taxonomic status of Sekulaarses remains uncertain.

In the few surviving accounts—including a sketch by the French explorer François Lévis in 1924—Sekulaarses are portrayed as semi-aquatic herbivores, roughly the size of a small buffalo, with elongated snouts and padded feet that allowed them to navigate flooded forests. Their most distinct feature was thought to be a thick, keratinous crest that ran along the back, possibly used in display or thermoregulation. Juveniles reportedly had a more pronounced crest, which may have diminished with age.

Conservationists and paleontologists have generally treated Sekulaarses as a mythological or folkloric entity rather than a scientifically documented genus. Several modern comparative studies have suggested that reported sightings may overlap with known species such as the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) or the dwarf caiman (Caiman platformensis), both of which inhabit similar environments and could have easily been confused by early collectors with a more exaggerated “carnivorous” or “herbivorous” animal. In light of this, the term Sekulaarses is often cited in discussions of the cultural significance of indigenous narratives in shaping the early taxonomic literature of Amazonian fauna.