Finding a new species is always exciting. Making a discovery in the USA is downright remarkable. But it’s been done, and the new frog shown above, the Cajun chorus frog (Pseudacris fouquettei) can be added to the amphibian hall of fame. This one was found in Ripley County, Missouri. Writing in the Kansas City Star reporter Bill Graham details the discovery in his article, “Researchers with KU ties identify a new type of frog”. Joseph T. Collins, a retired KU herpetologist who, with three proteges, wrote a paper about the frogs. “The pinnacle in science is discovery,” said Collins, 68, [...]
Loren Coleman
Bigfoot in the Classroom
Today, Wednesday, February 20th, I journey north to give a 1:10 pm to 2:00 pm lecture in a classroom at the DP Corbett building at the University of Maine at Orono. This event serves as a contemporary example of how cryptozoology and Bigfoot studies are being used in colleges, universities, and, yes, in secondary and elementary settings. Do you think this college class is being given in the anthropology or zoology department? Actually, neither. The course involving the subject of 50 years of my passionate research interest is English 101, an introductory composition course required of all first year UMaine [...]
Dark of the Moon
On Wednesday, February 20, 2008, beginning at 10:01 EST, 9:01 CST, 8:01 MST, 7:01 p.m. PST, etc., the moon will move completely under the shadow of the Earth in a total lunar eclipse. The eclipse can be seen in the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Hope for good weather because the next total lunar eclipse won’t happen until December 2010. The moon will be completely under Earth’s shadow for about 50 minutes. During this time, the moon won’t be completely obscured because of indirect light coming from the Earth’s atmosphere. But the moon will appear to change colors from light gray [...]
Devil Frog Discovered
The illustration depicts the ancient frog species Beelzebufo, or “devil frog,” staring down what the National Geographic says is the largest frog species living in Madagascar today. Actually, it looks more like a common toad to me. Today, the largest living Madagascar frog is just 4 in (10 cm) long. The world’s largest frog is the African Goliath frog (Conraua goliath) from central Africa: 13 in (33 cm) in body length (legs excluded), and weighs up to 7 lb (3 kg). A pencil is included for scale as apparently pencils did not exist 70 million years ago. Evidence of a [...]
Dark Matters
Life is not all about Yetis, of course. As I have mentioned in the past, I have another blog that deals routinely with my research and consulting on the copycat effect, school shootings, and suicide clusters, often with a sidetrip into twilight language. As you can imagine, I have had to put some time and some words over there lately. I could tell something was on the horizon, and then the Northern Illinois University shootings occurred. For those interested in these topics, I have recently written several essays on the current events: Dates & Dark Matters NIU Blame Game NIU [...]
New Columbian Bird Species
Adult and juvenile Antioquia Brush-Finches. Painted by Robin Restall According to Donegan, T. M. 2007b. “A new species of brush finch (Emberizidae: Atlapetes) from the northern Central Andes of Colombia.” Bulletin British Ornithological Club 127: 255-268, there is a new species of Atlapetes based on the discovery of 3 old skins, one each at three different Colombian collections, previously labeled as A. schistaceus from remnant forest patches in the n. Central Andes of Colombia. Searches by Donegan and others at and near the type locality have not revealed any additional specimens. Only one of the three has a date (1971), [...]
How To Escape A Yeti
I was recently talking to Boing Boing‘s David Pescovitz about the long-held belief that the best way to escape a Yeti is to run downhill. Why might such a plan work, you ask? I’ve been reading about the reason behind why this works for a long time. First, the PG version: One of the earliest records of reported footprints in Western literature appeared in 1889, in Major Lawrence Austine Waddell’s Among the Himalayas. Waddell reported his guide’s description of a large apelike creature that left the prints. Most accounts relate that one of the tales that Waddell heard was of [...]
Yeti Author Has Died
Tribhuvan Nath is shown at the far left, in white, at a news conference in 2002, discussing foreign investments in newspapers in India. The well-known veteran Indian journalist Tribhuvan Nath, 86, died at 1:50 am on Monday, February 18, 2008, at his home in Panchkula, near Chandigarh, India. In addition to his newspaper work, Nath had a biological interest in Nepal, which inspired him to co-author a book entitled On The Yeti Trail: Search for the Elusive Snowman (New Delhi/London: UPB Publication, 1994; 119 pages long), with his late contemporary, Madan Mohan Gupta, a correspondent of the UPI. Tribhuvan Nath [...]
Cryptozoology for Beginners
B.T. Makishima has kindly published on Sunday, February 17, 2008, a new blog entitled “My recommendation for a book for beginners.” Makishima writes: My recommendation for beginners in the field of cryptozoology who want a book to read about is Cryptozoology A to Z. I know, I know, it sounds like a little kid’s book. But, if you don’t believe me, check out this info. First of all, it is 258 pages long, second, it alphabetizes the names and histories of the cryptids, and third, well, I think no little kid would understand ANY of it. (Read the rest here.) [...]
Animal X Downloads
Yes, Loren Coleman is in the “Winged Creatures” episode, even if he is not in this new trailer from “Animal X.” The trailer was not placed online until 2008. Its appearance is a sign that all of the “Animal X” episodes from three seasons are now obtainable through online ordering. We are seeing a shift from DVDs to online ordering, instant obtaining of cryptozoology documentaries. The “Animal X” overview of this specific program includes images and words, beyond the trailer: Dan and Nat investigate unidentifiable winged creatures reported around the world in their latest investigation. They travel to Mexico, Point [...]
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