(May 14, 2009) - Will the Montauk Monster mystery finally
be solved? The remains of a mysterious creature, said to
have been photographed on New York's Long Island last weekend,
have renewed speculation about monstrous creatures -- or
monstrous tricksters -- lurking near Montauk.
Photos of a similar carcass allegedly found in the area
became a global Internet sensation last year. Those remains
were said to have disintegrated before they could be examined,
but the newly found monster is on ice.
"The beast smelled like a mix of low-tide and rotten garbage,"
said a witness. "It really smelled horrific."
Of The Weird
A collection of photographs showing mysterious and freakish
creatures. Some are proved real, some not - take a look
and make up your own mind...
Eaten by Nepenthes Carnivorous Plant!
article by Bill Byrd.
Some information in this article comes from AP, Reuters,
As many as 4 years ago, I began to hear stories about "walking
predatory fish" that would eat anything and crawl to the
next body of water when it had depleted its habitat of food.
They were rumored to be very predatory, bred fast, and were
ferocious. I'd even heard that they attacked dogs, and the
larger specimens in China had attacked humans when large
snakeheads were protecting spawning beds and fry.
Right now, there is serious action being taken to control
and eliminate the flow of these Chinese snakehead fish into
our country. (The image left photographed by Cait Gillespie)
The Chinese snakehead, a member of the family Channidae,
order Perciformes, and class Actinopterygii (ray-finned
fishes) has at least 21 species. They are found in fresh
water ONLY and originate in tropical Africa and Asia. The
Chinese snakehead acquired its name because its head resembles
the head of a snake. These fish are aggressive predators,
and can wriggle out of the water to catch their prey. They
have an air breathing apparatus, which allows them to breath
air out of the water. Because this species fares well in
aquariums, it has been imported and sold to fish collectors.
Because it is considered a very good eating fish by many
Asian cultures, it is imported for food into the US, too.
Because of sporadic releases into US waters, Chinese snakeheads
are beginning to show up in fish populations from Florida
From Cox News service According to Paul Shafland, director
of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation's (FWC) Non-Native
Fish Lab in Boca Raton, Florida, angler Bob Newland of Sunrise
caught the first documented snakehead on October 5, 2000
while fishing a residential pond in Tamarac, Broward County.
The angler initially thought it was a bowfin until noticing
the ocellus, a distinctive dark spot rimmed in brilliant
orange near the base of the tail fin. The fish measured
26 inches long and weighed four pounds.
Shafland said "all snakeheads are distinguished by their
torpedo shaped body, long dorsal and anal fins without spines,
and toothed jaws. This snakehead typically has red eyes
and is gold-tinted brown to pale gray in younger fish while
older fish are generally dark brown with large black blotches.
The most distinctive marking is the black spot rimmed with
orange near the base of the tail fin, known as an eye-spot
While the northern snakeheads found in Maryland appear to
have been confined to one pond, the bullseye snakeheads
found in Florida were in open water with connecting canals
that potentially could enable the fish to reach the Everglades.
Northern snakeheads were also found in Florida in the St.
Johns River in Seminole and Volusia Counties.
Shafland continued "We hope the public doesn't over react
as was the case with the media inspired hysteria regarding
the appearance of the walking catfish back in the 1960s
and even the swamp eel a few years ago. The presence of
this species immediately places it into the unwelcomed and
undesirable category, but more importantly it clearly demonstrates
that illegal introductions of exotic fishes continue in
Florida." In fact, this is the sixth exotic fish that has
been documented reproducing in Florida waters since 1992."
Shafland said. The Boca Raton scientist stated that the
cooperation and assistance of knowledgeable anglers in identifying
exotics is invaluable.
How did these unwanted fish arrive in the US? According
to Shalfland, there is no question that the snakehead is
highly valued throughout Asia for its food value and taste.
"I have eaten a few snakeheads since we began our research
into this species, and can attest to their excellent taste,"
Shafland said. "Their popularity as food within the Asian
cultures in south Florida may even explain the presence
of the snakehead in Florida waters." Although not the same
species reproducing in Florida waters, FWC Wildlife Inspectors
Lts. John West and Pat Reynolds, Division of Law Enforcement,
found another species of live snakehead for sale in two
oriental food markets in late February. Some customers apparently
believe that in addition to tasting good, snakeheads have
a medicinal benefit.
There is current cabinet level reaction to the emergence
of Chinese snakehead fish in Eastern US waters. "These fish
are like something from a bad horror movie," said Interior
Secretary Gale Norton. "They eat virtually any small animal
in their path. They can travel across land and live out
of water for at least three days. They reproduce quickly."
"You’re talking about a total rearrangement of the food
chain when you introduce a top predator like this," said
Walter Courtenay, an ichthyologist with the U.S. Geological
Survey in Florida. According to the Interior Department,
snakeheads have been found in six other states: Florida,
California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island.
The Bush administration is seeking to ban the importation
and interstate transportation of live snakeheads, which
are eaten as a delicacy in Asia. Possession of the voracious
fish is already outlawed in 13 states, including Georgia,
Florida, and Texas.
"They will feed on native fish, amphibians, crustaceans,
birds, small reptiles, and small mammals," said Steve Williams,
director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "They could
impose a serious threat to some of our own endangered and
Williams urged anglers catching any unusual fish, like the
one pictured left in the image by Alex Dorgan-Ross of AP,
to alert federal wildlife officials. The Maryland snakeheads
were first found by a fisherman who hooked one. This juvenile
northern snakehead, a non-native predatory fish, was caught
at a pond in Crofton, Md., but many more remain in the water.
Scientists might poison the pond to get rid of them.
The image right is what these small fish can become, and
their impact on our fisheries is only being imagined at
this time. They, like KUDZU are gaining a place in our world,
and will have to be understood before proper response can
As fly fishers, if you encounter fish that resemble the
images in this article, alert DNR officials in your area.
Save specimens for identification, and note where they were
caught. Shoot photos of the fish and areas where you contacted
them if possible. Then get that information and frozen samples
to your local DNR fisheries biologist as soon as possible.
Agencies in the eastern USA are getting into high gear.
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources has adopted an
emergency regulation prohibiting importation, sale or possession
of snakehead fish in the state to lessen the potential for
their release into the state's waters. People who currently
have snakehead fish will have a 30-day amnesty period to
turn in the fish. The emergency regulation, filed Sept.
9, reads: "No person may possess, sell, buy, offer for sale,
import, bring or cause to be brought or imported into South
Carolina or released into the water of South Carolina any
live animal or egg of the family Channidae (snakehead)."
Violation of this emergency regulation could bring a fine
of up to $200 or imprisonment for up to 30 days.
SC DNR will give people in possession of snakeheads an opportunity
to voluntarily turn in the fish by invoking a 30-day amnesty
period on making charges for possessing a snakehead in violation
of the regulation. Fisheries biologists with the DNR will
collect snakehead fish, without prosecution, from people
who have purchased them in the aquarium trade. To report
possession of snakehead fish, call (803) 734-3886 in Columbia
or one of the following DNR district fisheries offices:
Clemson, (864) 654-6346; Greenwood, (864) 223-1307; Bonneau,
(843) 825-3387; Barnwell, (803) 259-5474; or Florence, (843)
I spoke with Ted Hendrickx, Senior Fisheries Biologist with
the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, and he told me
"we have not had any snakeheads collected in the public
waters of Georgia. To the best of our knowledge there are
not now, and have not ever been, snakeheads in the waters
of this state. We have had one isolated "snakehead" report
from a Chattahoochee tributary since "snakehead fever" set
in over recent months. It was examined promptly by one of
our Region 1 staff and it turned out to be a bowfin."
What ever the outcome, look carefully at the images of this
fairly new and unwanted visitor in American waters. If you
believe that you have caught one, if possible freeze it
and take it to your local DNR fisheries biologists to evaluate
it. Carefully define where the fish was contacted, and have
the information for DNR. As fly fishers if we carefully
start working diligently with DNR on a solution, maybe this
won't get out of hand.
According to Hendrickx, "A WRD website that allows people
to locate WRD offices that serve them is http://www.gofishgeorgia.com/.
This link will also access all types of Boating, Fishing,
and Hunting info. Go to "general info" and "contact us"
to find the appropriate office that serves a particular
county or program."
All 28 species of snakehead can
tolerate low oxygen conditions in water because they are
air breathers from an early age. When prevented from surface
access, adult snakeheads will die due to lack of oxygen.
Snakeheads usually breed in the
summer, but some species are known to breed throughout
The female northern snakehead
is capable of spawning five times a year. Northern snakeheads
can live under the ice of northern climates. Northern
snakeheads are the most available species of live snakeheads
in the fish markets of New York and Boston.
When snakeheads mate, they are
usually monogamous for an entire breeding season, and
perhaps throughout their lifetimes.
Parent snakeheads guard their
young vigorously. One species (C. micropeltes) reportedly
attacked, and in some instances killed, humans who approached
the mass of young.
Two species of snakehead are mouth brooders. The male
holds the fertilized eggs, and later the fry, in his mouth.
Scientists do not know how many
species of snakehead are capable of overland migration,
but several are known to do so. Migration is probably
an instinctual behavior for species which make their homes
in areas subject to seasonal wet/dry conditions. These
areas include much of southeastern Asia where the majority
of snakehead species are found.
Some snakeheads bury themselves
in mud during times of drought. During droughts in Thailand,
people looking for food will slice through mud until they
locate a fish.
The giant snakehead Channamicropeltes,
the most predacious of the species, and one which is known
to attack humans, has been collected in waters in Maine,
Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where the climate is not
conducive to establishing reproducing populations. If
it were to be released into subtropical waters in Florida
or Hawaii, giant snakehead might be able to reproduce
Based on water temperature alone,
all US fresh or brackish waters would allow some member
of the snakehead family to establish itself.
Because snakeheads are so predatory,
they pose a high risk to endangered species. Of all endangered
species in US aquatic habitats, 16 amphibians, 115 fishes,
and five of the 21 federally protected crustaceans would
most likely be affected by snakehead introductions.
Lake monster or loch monster is the name given to large
unknown animals which have purportedly been sighted in,
and/or are believed to dwell in freshwaters, although
their existence has never been confirmed scientifically.
Most of them have no evidence besides alleged sightings
and controversial photographs and a large portion are
generally believed not to exist by conventional zoology
and allied sciences, and are principally the subject of
investigations by followers of cryptozoology. Sightings
are often similar to some sea monsters.
Of these, Nessie of Loch Ness is almost certainly the
most famous, and is promoted heavily in the area's tourist
Arguably the most famous lake monster is the Loch Ness
Monster, which for many decades has been reported to inhabit
Loch Ness in Scotland. In more recent years, similar animals
have been widely reported, such as Ogopogo in Okanagan
Lake in the heart of British Columbia, Manipogo in Lake
Manitoba, Flathead Lake Monster in Flathead Lake Montana,
and Champ in Lake Champlain.
There are many other lakes around the world which have
monsters claimed for them (see list below). Many of these
lakes are extraordinarily deep.
for the monsters
Evidence for such animals is almost exclusively in the
form of frequently-numerous eyewitness reports. Relatively
few still photographs, almost no motion picture or videotapes,
and no living animals or animal remains have been produced.
Such photographic/film/video evidence as has been produced
has, upon close analysis, been concluded by the majority
of mainstream scientists (and many cryptozoologists) to
be inconclusive at best, and more often to be misidentified,
known phenomena or else outright hoaxes. In the case of
the famous surgeon's photo of the Loch Ness Monster, one
of the hoaxers has come forward, but believers dismiss
his testimony. Reported sightings commonly describe either
a hump or series of humps, an extremely long neck with
a visible head, or both, rising from, swimming about in,
and/or disappearing into the water. Reports of such animals
being seen on land are rare.
There are many speculations as to what the reported lake
monsters could be. Many consider them to be purely exaggerations
or misinterpretations of known and natural phenomena,
or else fabrications and hoaxes. Misidentified sightings
of seals, otters, deer, diving water birds, large fish
such as giant sturgeons, logs, mirages, seiches, light
distortion, crossing boat wakes, or unusual wave patterns
have all been proposed to explain specific reports. Skeptics
point out that descriptions of these creatures vary over
time with the values and mood of the local cultures, following
the pattern of folk beliefs and not what would be expected
if the reports were of actual encounters with real animals.
According to the Swedish naturalist and author Bengt Sjögren
(1980), the present day belief in lake-monsters in for
example Loch Ness, is associated with the legends of kelpies.
Sjögren claims that the accounts of lake-monsters have
changed during history. Older reports often talk about
horse-like appearances, but more modern reports often
have more reptile and dinosaur-like-appearances, and Bengt
Sjögren concludes that the legends of kelpies evolved
into the present day legends of lake-monsters where the
monsters changed the appearance since the discovery of
dinosaurs and giant aquatic reptiles from the horse-like
water-kelpie to a dinosaur-like reptile, often a plesiosaur.
Other widely varied theories have been presented by believers,
including unknown species of giant freshwater eels or
surviving aquatic, prehistoric reptiles, such as plesiosaurs.
One theory holds that the monsters that are sighted are
the occasional full-grown form of an amphibian species
that generally stays juvenile all its life like the axolotl.
A few have suggested the animals actually represent some
sort of psychic phenomena. Some have also suggested a
Tanystropheus, although there are very few supporters
for this theory. More reasonably, the first true cryptozoologist
Bernard Heuvelmans held throughout his life that plesiosaur-type
sighting were actually an unknown species of long-necked
NEW YORK (May 19, 2009) – The nearly complete skeleton of
a small 47 million-year-old creature found in Germany was
displayed Tuesday by scientists who said it would help illuminate
the early evolution of monkeys, apes and humans.
About the size of a small cat, the animal has four legs
and a long tail. It's not a direct ancestor of monkeys and
humans, but it provides a good indication of what such an
ancestor may have looked like, researchers said at a news
Because the skeleton is so remarkably complete, scientists
believe it will provide a window into primate evolution.
The animal was a juvenile female that scientists believe
died at about 9 or 10 months.
"She tells so many stories. We have just started the research
on this fabulous specimen," said Jorn Hurum, of the University
of Oslo Natural History Museum, one of the scientists reporting
The creature is nicknamed Ida after Hurum's 6-year-old daughter.
The unveiling, at New York's Museum of Natural History,
was promoted by a press release for the cable TV show History,
which called it a "revolutionary scientific find that will
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, among the speakers at the news
conference, called it an "astonishing breakthrough."
The story of the fossil find will be shown on History, which
is owned by A&E Television Networks. A book also will be
Hurum saw nothing wrong with the heavy publicity which preceded
the research's publication Tuesday in the scientific journal
PLOS (Public Library of Science) One.
"That's part of getting science out to the public, to get
attention. I don't think that's so wrong," Hurum said
Alien Animals & Strange Creatures From Hell Caught on
the sea monster of Lake Champlain
Ocean Animal Revealed
A fossil from famous shale deposits in Canada was thought
to be unremarkable, but a new study finds that it's actually
the remains of a 500-million-year-old monster-looking predator.
The Burgess Shale (a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Canadian
Rockies of British Columbia) has yielded exceptionally well-preserved
fossils that present a remarkable snapshot of Cambrian marine
life from 505 million years ago.
The first fragments of the monster fossil (a species called
Hurdia victoria) were described nearly 100 years ago, and
at the time, they were thought to be part of a crustacean-like
animal, and other parts were subsequently described as multiple
organisms including jellyfish, sea cucumbers and other arthropods.
Now it's clear that Hurdia was a relatively large predatory
animal, possibly up to 1.5 feet (0.5 meter) in length. It
had a segmented body with a head bearing a pair of spiny
claws and a circular jaw structure with many teeth.
"Finding a complete fossilized animal is extremely rare.
Soft tissues tend to decay rapidly after death, and harder
parts tend to disarticulate or break into pieces, often
leaving very few clues as to what the original animals looked
like," said Jean-Bernard Caron of the Royal Ontario Museum,
which houses many Burgess Shale fossils, including pieces
A study of the fossil by Caron and his colleagues, detailed
in the March 20 issue of the journal Science, sheds light
on the origin of the largest group of living animals, the
arthropods — a group that includes insects, crustaceans,
spiders, millipedes and centipedes.
Clues to the real nature of Hurdia have been accumulating
over the years as new specimens have either been collected
or discovered in museum collections. The last piece of the
puzzle was found when a specimen turned up in storage cabinets
at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in
Washington, D.C. The specimen, the best-preserved of all
the relevant fragments, was collected by Charles Walcott
in the early 20th century.
This specimen had lain untouched for decades until researchers
in the 1970s and 80s classified it first as an arthropod
and then as an unusual specimen of the famous monster predator
Anomalocaris. The new description of Hurdia shows that it
was actually related to this other beast.
One feature does set Hurdia apart from Anomalocaris — a
unique, large, three-part shell that projects out from the
front of the animal's head.
Facts About Werewolves
Here is some information regarding werewolves that is most
1. a person can become a werewolf by being born a werewolf,
bitten by a werewolf, cursed by someone you have wronged
in some way, and being given the power threw sorcery. These
are the only real ways.
2. Silver will not kill a werewolf, although it will cause
pain and discomfort.
3. The curse can never be broken, no matter what some people
or beliefs may state.
4. All werewolves can communicate threw a form of telepathy
which enables them to hunt and perform more efficiently.
5. Werewolves are virtually immortal because of the constant
regeneration of their physical tissue, making their true
age somewhat difficult to determine.
6. Werewolves in a pack have a physic link that bonds them
together, if one werewolf in the pack dies the other werewolves
can sense his death.
7. if you are bitten and you kill the werewolf you WILL
NOT be free from the curse, the curse is like a virus, or
rabies if you will, if you get bitten by an animal that
has rabies you get rabies, and if you kill the animal that
gave you rabies you will not be cured. You still have the
8. A werewolf can be killed by any wound that completely
destroys the heart or the brain, but decapitation is the
most effective way.
9. Some beliefs state that holly water can kill a werewolf,
this is false. Christianity or any thing pertaining to Christianity
offends some werewolves. Crosses, holy water, and the bible
do not ward off werewolves.
10. It is one belief that werewolves are deathly afraid
of water regardless of the amount or the circumstances,
this is also false. While it is true werewolves do not like
water it only applies to large bodies such as ponds and
lakes, but if need be the beast can enter the water.
11. There are several ways to tell if someone in a werewolf.
becoming a werewolf is not transparent, no matter how the
victim tries to hide it. Therefore, look for symptoms in
your human suspects that include increasing violence, increasing
aggression, unprovoked rages, insomnia, restlessness, and
other bizarre behavior. Unfortunately, over time these symptoms
can be brought under control, so do not rely on them exclusively.
12. Werewolves do not only turn on a full moon, neither
do they have to. A werewolf can change his form and shape
shift at will whenever he wants to, at day or night. Although
newly turned werewolves are sometimes forced to change by
certain aspects of the lunar cycles or certain sounds such
as the howling of another werewolf.
The chupacabra ("goat sucker") is an animal said to be unknown
to science and systemically killing animals in places like
Puerto Rico, Miami, Nicaragua, Chile, and Mexico. The creature's
name originated with the discovery of some dead goats in
Puerto Rico with puncture wounds in their necks and their
blood allegedly drained. According to UFO Magazine (March/April
1996) there have been more than 2,000 reported cases of
animal mutilations in Puerto Rico attributed to the chupacabra.
Puerto Rican authorities maintain that the deaths are due
to attacks from groups of stray dogs or other exotic animals,
such as the panther, illegally introduced in the island's
territory. The director of Puerto Rico's Department of Agriculture
Veterinary Services Division, Hector Garcia, has stated
that there is nothing unusual or extraordinary about the
cases they've observed. One veterinarian said "it could
be a human being who belongs to a religious sect, even another
animal. It could also be someone who wants to make fun out
of the Puerto Rican people."
Like other creatures in the cryptozoologist's barnyard,
the chupacabra has been variously described. Some witnesses
have seen a small half-alien, half-dinosaur tailless vampire
with quills running down its back; others have seen a panther
like creature with a long snake-like tongue; still others
have seen a hopping animal that leaves a trail of sulfuric
stench. Some think it may be a type of dinosaur heretofore
unknown. Some are convinced that the wounds on animals whose
deaths have been attributed to the chupacabra indicate an
alien presence. However, they do not attribute the "mutilations"
to the aliens themselves, but to one of their pets or experiments
gone awry. Such creatures are known as Anomalous Biological
Entities [ABEs] in UFO circles.
Those who think the chupacabra is an ABE also believe that
there is a massive government and mass media conspiracy
to keep the truth hidden from the people, probably to prevent
panic. This view is maintained despite the fact that the
President of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Agricultural
Commission, Mr. Juan E. [Kike] Lopez, introduced a resolution
asking for an official investigation to clarify the situation.
Inside Edition sent a crew to Puerto Rico to investigate
the ABE story. They allegedly ridiculed the Mayor of Canavanas,
a witness to the chupacabra, and basically made fun of the
Jorge Martin, a Puerto Rican journalist who describes himself
as a "leading UFO researcher," reports that it has been
brought to his attention that the U.S. and Puerto Rican
governments have captured two of the creatures. Perhaps
there will soon be a film on the ABE autopsy to rival the
discredited alien autopsy film. Martin cautions us not to
exclude other reasonable possibilities.
The ABEs can also be the product of highly sophisticated
genetic manipulations by human agencies. A Chinese-Russian
scientist by the name of Dr. Tsian Kanchen, has produced
genetic manipulations which have created new species of
electronically-crossed plant and animal organisms. Kanchen
developed an electronic system whereby he can pick up the
bioenergetic field of the DNA of living organisms and transfer
it electronically to other living organisms. By these means
he has created incredible new breeds of ducks/chickens,
with physical characteristics of both species; goats/rabbits,
and new breeds of plants such as corn/wheat, peanut/sunflower
seeds and cucumber/watermelons. These are produced by linking
the genetic data of different living organisms contained
in their bioenergetic fields by means of ultra-high frequencies
biological linking. If the Russians have created this technology,
then without doubt the US and other powers have too. Therefore,
it is quite possible that the "Chupacabras" or ABEs could
have been developed by humans. [Martin]
Martin goes on to report that a chupacabra has been killed
and blood tests have been done on the creature.
The genetic analysis so far has revealed that the blood
is in no way compatible with human blood nor with any animal
species known to science. The traces ratio of magnesium,
phosphorous, calcium and potassium are incompatible with
those of normal human blood, they are much too high. The
albumen/glouline [RG ratio] was also incompatible. The ratios
found do not allow the results of the analysis to be compatible
with those of any known animal species.
At present, we can't place the sample with any earthly organism.
Therefore it could well be the product of a highly sophisticated
genetic manipulation, an organism alien to our own environment
or perhaps extraterrestrial. [Martin]
I suppose Martin's work is what passes for responsible journalism
on some planets in the universe. On the other hand, the
sightings may not be all that accurate, the "mutilations"
not all that strange, and the evidence for these bodies,
autopsies and blood tests remains little more than speculation
for the most part. However, one alleged chupacabra was killed
in Nicaragua and was examined by scientists at the Autonomous
National University of Nicaragua. When the scientists revealed
that the carcass was that of a common dog, they were met
with skepticism and derision. Nobody wants to read a story
with the headline: Chupacabra turns out to be Chihuahua.
The Jersey Devil, sometimes called the Leeds Devil, is a
legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens
in southern New Jersey. The creature is often described
as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations.
The most popular version of the Jersey Devil legend begins
in the 18th century when Deborah Smith from England immigrated
to the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey to marry a Mr.
Leeds, who wanted several heirs to continue the family name.
Consequently, the new wife was continually pregnant. After
bearing twelve healthy children, she was dismayed to be
pregnant with her thirteenth. She cursed the unborn child,
declaring a preference to bear the Devil's child rather
than another Leeds. Apparently, her wish was granted as
the new child had cloven hooves, claws, and a tail. The
horrific newborn proceeded to eat the other Leeds children
and the parents, before escaping through the chimney to
begin its reign of terror. This version is contradicted
by the fact that Mother Leeds has descendants that, as of
1998, still lived in Atlantic County New Jersey according
to a New York Times article dated April 26, 1998 (Section
14NJ, Page 8).
There are several variations of the Leeds tale, such as
one claiming that when Leeds became pregnant with her thirteenth
child, she remarked, "May it be a devil!" The belief that
a deformed child was the work of Satan or a curse was still
common during the 1800s.
Blue Hole Home
An important piece of the Jersey Devil legend concerns its
supposed home at the Blue Hole located near Winslow, New
Jersey. According to popular folklore, the blue hole is
not only bottomless but also acts as one of the many gateways
to Hell. The water in the hole is abnormally cold, even
during the summer months, averaging only 58 degrees Fahrenheit
year-round. In addition, the hole is said to have a whirlpool
effect on any person who enters it. Unlike many of the surrounding
rivers and lakes in the region, the blue hole possesses
crystal clear water, which serves as another one of its
many eccentric features. In the 1920s, geologists put forth
various explanations for the hole. One theory suggested
that the hole is a crater from a prehistoric meteorite while
another theory proposed that the hole is a sprung or glacier
carved spring, misidentified as a pingo in the magazine
Many different descriptions have been offered by alleged
witnesses of the creature, which are as follows:
"It was three feet high... long black hair over its entire
body, arms and hands like a monkey, face like a dog, split
hooves [...] and a tail a foot long". George Snyder, Moorestown,
NJ. Sighted on January 20, 1909.
"In general appearance it resembled a giraffe... It has
a long neck and from what glimpse I got of its head its
features are hideous. It has wings of a fairly good size
and of course in the darkness looked black. Its legs are
long and somewhat slender and were held in just such a position
as a swan's when it is flying...It looked to be about four
feet high". Lewis Boeger, Haddon Heights, NJ. Sighted on
January 21, 1909.
While the descriptions vary, several aspects remain fairly
constant, such as the devil's long neck, wings and hooves.
The creature is often said to have a horselike head and
tail. Its reputed height varies from about three feet to
more than seven feet. Many sightings report the creature
to have glowing red eyes that can paralyze a man, and that
it utters a high, humanlike scream.
There are many possible origins of the Jersey Devil legend.
The earliest legends date back to Native American folklore.
The Lenni Lenape tribes called the area around Pine Barrens
"Popuessing," meaning "place of the dragon." Swedish explorers
later named it "Drake Kill", "drake" being a European word
for dragon, and "kill" meaning channel or arm of the sea
(river, stream, etc.).
Some skeptics believe the Jersey Devil to be nothing more
than a creative manifestation of the English settlers. The
aptly named Pine Barrens were shunned by most early settlers
as a desolate, threatening place. Being relatively isolated,
the barrens were a natural refuge for those wanting to remain
hidden, including religious dissenters, loyalists, fugitives
and military deserters in colonial times. Such individuals
formed solitary groups and were pejoratively called "pineys",
some of whom became notorious bandits known as "pine robbers".
Pineys were further demonized after two early twentieth
century eugenics studies depicted them as congenital idiots
and criminals. It is easy to imagine early tales of terrible
monsters arising from a combination of sightings of genuine
animals such as bears, the activities of pineys, and fear
of the barrens.
Outdoorsman and author Tom Brown Jr spent several seasons
living in the wilderness of the Pine Barrens. He recounts
occasions when terrified hikers mistook him for the Jersey
Devil, after he covered his whole body with mud to repel
Not surprisingly, the Jersey Devil legend is fueled by the
various testimonials from reputable eyewitnesses who have
reported to have encountered the creature, from precolonial
times to the present day, as there are still reported sightings
within the New Jersey area.
Many contemporary theorists believe that the Jersey Devil
could possibly be a very rare, unclassified species which
instinctually fears and attempts to avoid humans. Such elements
that support this theory include the overall similarities
of the creature's appearance (horselike head, long neck
and tail, leathery wings, cloven hooves, blood-curdling
scream), with the only variables being the height and color.
Another factor that supports the cryptozoological theory
is the fact that it is more likely that a species could
endure over a span of several hundred years, rather than
the existence of a single creature living for over 500 years.
Some people think the Sandhill Crane (which has a 7 feet
wingspan) is the basis of the Jersey Devil stories.
In 1778, Commodore Stephen Decatur, a naval hero, visited
the Hanover Iron Works in the Barrens to test cannonballs
at a firing range, where he allegedly witnessed a strange,
pale white creature winging overhead. Using cannon fire,
Decatur punctured the wing membrane of the creature, which
continued flying apparently unfazed to the amazement of
onlookers. Dating on this encounter is incorrect, as Decatur
was not born until 1779. More likely, this incident occurred
between 1816 and 1820, when Decatur was the Naval Commissioner
responsible for testing equipment and materials used to
build new warships.
In 1840, the devil was blamed for several livestock killings.
Similar attacks were seen in 1841, accompanied by strange
tracks and unearthly screams. The devil made an 1859 appearance
in Haddonfield. Bridgeton witnessed a flurry of sightings
during the winter of 1873. About 1887, the Jersey Devil
was sighted near a house, and terrified one of the children,
who called the Devil "it"; the Devil was also sighted in
the woods soon after that, and just as in Stephen Decatur's
encounter, the Devil was shot in the right wing, but still
Joseph Bonaparte (eldest brother of Emperor Napoleon) is
said to have witnessed the Jersey Devil while hunting on
his Bordentown, New Jersey estate around 1820.
bJanuary 1909, however, saw the most frenetic period of
Devil sightings ever recorded. Thousands of people claimed
to witness the Jersey Devil during the week of January 16–23.
Newspapers nationwide followed the story and published eyewitness
16th (Saturday) The creature was sighted flying over Woodbury.
17th (Sunday) In Bristol, Pennsylvania, several people saw
the creature and tracks were found in the snow the following
18th (Monday) Burlington was covered in strange tracks that
seemed to defy logic; some were found on rooftops, while
others started and stopped abruptly with no apparent origin
or destination. Similar footprints were found in several
19th (Tuesday) Nelson Evans and his wife, of Gloucester,
allegedly saw the creature outside their window at 2:30
Evans gave a descriptive account as follows: "It was about
eight feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog
and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about
two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane,
and it had horse's hooves. It walked on its back legs and
held up two short front legs with paws on them. It didn't
use the front legs at all while we were watching. My wife
and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the
window and say, 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at
me, and flew away."
Two Gloucester hunters tracked the creature's perplexing
trail for twenty miles. The trail appeared to "jump" fences
and squeeze under eight-inch gaps. Similar trails were reported
in several other towns.
20th (Wednesday) In Haddonfield and Collingswood, posses
were formed to find the devil. They supposedly watched the
creature fly toward Moorestown, where it was later seen
by at least two more people.
21st (Thursday) The creature attacked a trolley car in Haddon
Heights, but was chased off. Trolley cars in several other
towns began to maintain armed guards, and several poultry
farmers found their chickens dead. The devil was reported
to collide with an electric rail in Clayton, but was not
killed. A telegraph worker near Atlantic City claimed to
have shot the devil, only to watch it limp into the woods.
The creature apparently was not fazed as it continued the
rampage through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and West Collingswood,
New Jersey (where it was supposedly hosed by the local fire
department). The devil seemed poised to attack nearby people,
who defensively threw any available objects at it. The creature
suddenly flew away -- and reemerged in Camden to injure
a dog, ripping a chunk of flesh from its cheek before the
dog's owner drove it away. This was the first reported devil
attack on a living creature.
22nd (Friday) Last day of sightings. Many towns were panic
stricken, with many businesses and schools closed in fear.
Fortunately, the creature was seen only a few times that
day and did not attack.
During this period, the Philadelphia Zoo posted a US$1,000,000
reward for the creature's capture. The offer prompted a
variety of hoaxes, including a kangaroo with artificial
wings. The reward remains available to this day.
In addition to these encounters, the creature was seen flying
over several other towns. Since the week of terror in 1909,
sightings have been much less frequent, but did not end
by any means. In 1951 there was another panic in Gibbstown,
New Jersey, after local boys claimed to have seen a screaming
humanoid monster. As recently as 1991, a pizza delivery
driver in Edison, New Jersey described a night encounter
with a white, horselike creature. In Freehold, New Jersey,
in 2007, a woman supposedly saw a huge creature with bat-like
wings near her home. In August of the same year, a young
man driving home near the border of Mount Laurel and Moorestown,
New Jersey reported a similar sighting, claiming that he
spotted a "gargoyle-like creature with partially spread
bat wings" of an enormous wingspan perched in some trees
near the road. In January 23, 2008 the Jersey Devil was
spotted again this time in Litchfield, Pennsylvania by a
local resident that claims to have seen the creature come
barreling out of the roof of his barn. The person wishes
not to be named at the moment. There are currently several
websites and magazines (such as Weird NJ) which catalog
sightings of the Devil.
A bizarre rotting corpse vaguely matching the Jersey Devil
description was discovered in 1957, leaving some to believe
the creature was dead. However, there have been many sightings
since that time.