According to legend the Yara-ma-yha-who is three to four feet tall and resembled a frog or monkey-like little man owing much of its height to a comically oversized head. Its entire body was said to be covered in red skin or hair, and the tips of its fingers and toes were described as "octopus-like" suckers. Its face was dominated by a wide, toothless mouth like that of a frog, apparently large enough to engulf a human being.This creature was said to live almost exclusively in the foliage of fig trees, patiently lying in wait for a lone human stopping to rest at the base of its tree. Once the victim let their guard down, the monster would drop from above and begin a multi-step feeding ritual.