Caipora Portuguese pronunciation: [kajˈpɔɾɐ] is an entity of the Tupi-Guarani mythology in Brazil. The word "Caipora" comes from tupi and means "inhabitant of the forest". It is represented as a dark-skinned, small Native American, naked with a very long red mane, smoking a cigar and very mischievous. Sometimes Caipora is depicted as a girl and other times as a boy. The representation of the creature varies among the different regions of Brazil, and is sometimes confused with Curupira, which is another mythological creature who protects the forest. Curupira is often depicted as a boy with red hair, who has his feet turned backwards in order to deceive trackers.