Swamp Kings
These creatures look remarkably like what a miniature T-Rex would have back in prehistoric times, assuming that it it had been covered in blue-green feathers. These creatures have clearly adapted to a freshwater aquatic life, with a waterproof coat and webbed feet. Swamp Kings will eat a lot of things, but they particularly like to eat giant snakes (which they can, and usually do). Swamp Kings, thankfully, do not fly. They might also be getting bigger ever year.
Swamp Kings originated in the High Plains, but they’ve been drifting down to Texas for the last few years now. There is a lot of new swampland in coastal Texas, to say nothing of the Gulf Coast generally: and the same things that make those areas deadly to human beings (giant Serpent-tainted monsters, mostly) make them attractive to Swamp Kings. Generally, the creatures live in family packs; the species seems to mate for life and both parents cooperatively raise offspring, although obviously research on that has to continue.
Interestingly — very interestingly — Swamp Kings at the very least can be ‘encouraged’ to mind their business around humans. They’ll eat mammalian flesh, but seem to prefer giant snake, preferably if it’s been basted in Serpent Taint for a while; also, Swamp Kings raised from the egg around humans seem to be fairly biddable, as long as they’re being left alone. There are a few mad ranchers in Texas who are trying to even trying to domesticate Swamp Kings, or at least tame them; they’re having just enough success to keep the Texan state government from swooping in to shut down the program. The advantages of a domesticated swamp critter like this are just too obvious to ignore.
One last note: Swamp Kings are smart. Smart, at least, in comparison to a giant gator or snake. Certainly they’re smart enough to hold a grudge. Adventuring parties should keep that in mind when they’re, say, planning to go raid a Swamp King nest area to steal some eggs for a mad Texan breeding baron.
Stats: Use the Giant Alligator stats from page 89 of The Day After Ragnarok: replace Rollover with Sweep. and increase Smarts to d6(A). Swamp Kings are typically encountered in groups of three or four (two adults, two juveniles): juveniles have Strength d12.