Monday, April 4, 2016

C is for . . .

Image: Wikipedia Creative Commons


Cryptozoology. Yeah, baby. It's not a virus or the study of burial habits; it's the study of animals whose existence has not been proven. You know some these critters even if you aren't familiar with the word. Here's a brief quiz.

A. What creature shows up in Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer and is later rendered harmless by a dentist? (It's also featured on a super-awesome roller coaster called Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom.)

B. What creature lurks in the deep waters of a Scottish Lake?

C. What creature needs a serious trip to the barber shop and has trouble finding shoes in his size?

D. What creature has the bill of a duck, the tail of a beaver, and lays eggs?

Okay, we've got the Abominable Snowman (otherwise known as a Yeti), the Lock Ness Monster, Big Foot, and the duck-billed platypus. Oh, wait! That last one is real. Go figure. Now if these four were on an alien's multiple choice test of which earthbound creature actually exists, I would totally not guess D. Would you?

Let's make this a little tougher. Can you name these creatures?

Take a bunny, give it some horns, and you get:



This fellow is more joke than true cryptozoology, but there is a root of truth to the idea. According to The Cryptid Zoo, Shope papillomavirus can cause hornlike growth in rabbits, but not necessarily on the head and symmetry is definitely not guaranteed. (This guy also the subject of a darn cute Pixar short, Boundin'.)

How about the blood-thirsty "goat-sucker" of Puerto Rico that looks like a dog or coyote with a bad case of mange, vampire teeth, and some dragon wings tossed in for good measure? (It's also the name of a Walking Dead episode.)

Image source: reblog Frontview.Org

And finally, a creature from legends of the Algonquin Indians and other tribes of North America and Canada. It's associated with extreme cold and hunger, and it's a curse that befalls those who resort to cannibalism. (And it's mentioned in Stephen King's Pet Sematary.)

Image: Wikipedia Commons

Looks part deer, part bear, and part zombie, huh? Give up? The first is a jackalope, the second is the chupacabra, and the third is the Wendigo.

Do you have a favorite cryptozoological fiend, book, or movie? Ever seen something odd in the fading glow of evening?

24 comments:

  1. Ha, at first when I read the quiz questions, I thought, wait, a platypus is real! Some of those creatures sure are scary looking!

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  2. I knew Chupacabra - one of my all-time favorite TWD episodes. :)

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  3. I've always had a soft spot for Nessy :) My life has been very boring and I have never seen any creature that might be supernaturally inclined.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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  4. I went to Loch Ness in December and guess what I saw? That's right, water. Next time...!

    'The Choir', a short story with 2 neglected words

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  5. Had a super fascination for this subject and fulfilled the wish in one of my blogs...Thanks for rekindling it.

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  6. My family took a road trip through the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana when I was in grade school. I saw jackalope postcards and paraphernalia everywhere and became obsessed with seeing a real one. Still haven't though!

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  7. Looks like obscure science to me, similar to counterfactual history, which is also studied by some weird academics.

    Cold As Heaven

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  8. We love talking about the Mexican Goat Sucker, El Chupacabra! It was it's own X-Files episode!

    These are great!

    Heather M. Gardner / @hmgardner
    Co-Host, Blogging from A to Z April Challenge
    The Waiting is the Hardest Part

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  9. I love monsters of all types, but the Latin American monsters are my favorites. : ) Weird science is a great theme. I'm looking forward to your posts.
    Robin from Write On Sisters

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  10. Oh the jack-o-lope! We have those here in Texas, and the chupacabra, though I didn't know about it being in Puerto Rico.

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  11. Oh the jack-o-lope! We have those here in Texas, and the chupacabra, though I didn't know about it being in Puerto Rico.

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  12. Thanks for the new words (and for those creepy last two photos!) ;)

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  13. Wow. Those pictures are enough to keep me up at night. :)

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  14. I haven't seen anything recently... lol! But I do enjoy researching the mrs unusual animal, and my actual job is writing about animals. And poems about them. ~Liz http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com

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  15. Yikes! I would not want to meet these creatures on a dark night, or in the daylight either. Interesting. What great inspiration for a novel where weird creatures rule the world. Maybe that's been done.

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  16. Wow, some of those creatures (the starving bear, deer thingy...) are terrifying!

    As for Nessie, that might be my favorite of them all. I don't know why, I just like him (or her!) the best. :D

    Great post and very informative. Can't wait to read more!

    Kat Morrisey @ Lost & Found in Fiction

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  17. Great post! Fascinating stuff that could be fodder for stories...

    Yvonne

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  18. I love cryptozoology and watch all the shows Netflix had on it. Every year, there's a paranormal convention in my town and they have cryptozoolgists there as well. Last year was an expect on Big Foot.

    ~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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  20. Love your theme and all three posts so far! Am going to keep returning through the month.
    Ranee Kaur Banerjee
    purplemangotree.blogspot.com

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