Animal Class: Unclear
Diet: Carnivorous
Note: These creatures are extinct
For centuries, it was thought that the Sphinx statue in Egypt was built just to protect tombs. However, it also was built for another purpose: to show future generations what a species that was hunted to extinction looked like.
Sphinx were fearsome predators that would wait near paths/roads for humans to walk by before asking them difficult riddles. If the humans guessed the correct answer to the riddle, they were allowed to pass. If they guessed an incorrect answer, the Sphinx would devour them.
Eventually, people got tired of their family members/friends getting eaten by Sphinx and thus hunted the species into extinction.
The existence of the species was so well hidden after they were driven to extinction that Modern Humans remained unaware of it until ancient documents were discovered that gave some info on them.
Sphinx were capable of speech, but it appears that they only used this ability in order to ask humans their riddles.
What specific type of animal they were is unclear as some documents state that they gave birth to live young whilst others state that they laid eggs.
If is still unclear as to why as to why they just didn't actively hunt out humans. As many have pointed out, their wings would have made during that very easy.
Sphinx were found throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East from Mauritania to Yemen.
A couple documents imply that they could have had some kind of hypnotic/telekinetic abilities that they used to hold their prey in place until their riddle was answered.
It is still unknown as to whether or not they hunted creatures other than Humans.
Strangely, no physical remains of Sphinx have been found. Leading many to believe that they were all destroyed. Some even believe that they didn't at all and are just a form of ancient propaganda.
Extra Fun Fact: A line of text in one of the documents goes out of its way to say that Sphinx are not related to Manticores despite both species appearing very similar. The lack of Sphinx remains means that it is impossible to test whether or not that is true.