I have been in New York City for two days, but I have left various items to be posted in my absence, as you have been seeing. I could not be away without, at least, leaving an intellectual contribution to be posted at the start time of my talk at the American Museum of Natural History. For those looking for an extremely thoughtful discussion of the history of cryptozoology, you may download the following paper here: Cryptozoology in the Medieval and Modern Worlds.
2010 Olympics Mascots Go Crypto
The 2010 Olympics are taking on a decidedly cryptozoological slant with two of their three official mascots being partially based on cryptids. There is no doubt that the Sasquatch-influenced Quatchi and the weird Bear-Thunderbird-Guardian Spirit Sumi will give us much to ponder as these games get closer. I especially look forward to seeing what kind of Quatchi cultural and souvenir Sasquatch spillovers these British Columbian events will produce. But why the boots? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the fun of leaving big footprints behind?
New Amphibians Discovered in Goa
A relative of the recently found Gegeneophis mhadeiensis (shown above), is the newly discovered Gegeneophis goaensis. In the February 1999 issue of National Geographic Magazine, Goa was compared with the Amazon and Congo basins for its rich tropical biodiversity. It still is giving up some of its secrets. This new animal discovery is from Goa (see map below). An intriguing other recent find there was of an ethnoknown cryptid said to be have been a “two-headed snake,” the Kadu. Zoologists claimed to have discovered a new species of legless amphibian in northern Karnataka which vacates its marshy habitat at the [...]
Ponik Needs Your Love
In The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep (NY: Tarcher/Penguin, 2003), I wrote that the aquatic cryptids seen in Lac Pohénégamook are “supposedly” some of “the ugliest-headed monsters around.” But “ugly” does not translate into disrespect or unloved in my book, and perhaps it is time to send the Poniks a little more love than usual. For centuries people in Scotland have talked about a monster lurking in Loch Ness, called “Nessy.” It turns out, just a few hours away from Bangor there is talk of a similar creature named “Ponik.” Natives [...]
Florida Confusion Continues
My gosh, now the media is throwing in Chupacabras to explain the Orangutan-Fox Squirrel-Spider Monkey reports from Baker County, Florida. Also, the Skunk Ape, Bigfoot, and something called the “Taylor Wild Man” are being pitched too. At least, they haven’t caught on to the Cryptomundian theory that it is a tree-stranded otter. Mark Lyons observes the trap set by FWC. Look, up in the tree. It’s a plane, it’s a bird, it’s … well, no one knows for sure exactly what it is. A sighting three weeks ago of what appeared to be a large, orange colored monkey in a [...]
Watch the Skies! Here Comes Birdzilla!
Get ready. They are coming. Not by land or sea, but by the airwaves. The invasion has begun. They are here! Have you noticed that when the thoughtful pieces on cryptozoology turn up, the segments are populated by “friends of the family,” commenting on the subjects under discussion? Have you also noticed the manufactured tension in these appearances? Often the media naturally sets up the “good cop, bad cop” scenario for their stories, and you should expect to see it again this week (if not on the History Channel, certainly in the stories done in the wake of “Birdzilla”). How [...]
Barta: Ethnoknown Viper Discovered
According to cryptozoologist Chad Arment, an apparently previously ethnoknown cryptid viper has been discovered. The barta, a feared snake, is well-known to the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh. Arment points out that the alleged “suicide” (see below) is probably a misunderstanding of behavior. Protobothrops jerdoni is a known viper from India and Southeast Asia that may be related to the newly found snake. The following report is dateline Itanagar, India: A deadly hiss has emanated from the country’s easternmost state, Arunachal Pradesh. A three-member team discovered what could be a new species of pit viper snake, from the remote Sango [...]
Cryptozoology A to Z Fire Sale
Heads up, for those interested. How can online sellers afford to stash so much off the price? If you’ve been looking for this, get it cheap now. For some reason, Amazon.com is having a super discount sale ~ with one-third off the list price ~ on Cryptozoology A to Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature (1999). Right now, Cryptozoology A to Z is selling for $10.20 US, and ranked as: #2 in Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Science #10 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > [...]
Land of CZ Logos
Cryptozoology has inspired some dynamic, colorful and intriguing logos for organizations, publications, and expeditions. Concurrently today, I will share and launch the new Duncan Hopkins-designed logo for the International Cryptozoology Museum. But before that event, I wanted to give a tip of my fedora to the legacy of logos that exist in the field of cryptozoology and the species or cryptids tied to those symbols. At the top of the page is the okapi used as the International Society of Cryptozoology’s official logo on their journal Cryptozoology, as well as the ISC Newsletter. The ISC was founded in 1982, and [...]
Megalania
Does a Komodo Dragon-type monitor roam the fringes of the Outback of Australia? Is there a surviving population of a huge species of the family Varanidae in Oz? Rex Gilroy thinks so, and he rolls the name off his tongue with ease, Megalania, the man eating giant lizard:
Follow CryptoZooNews
Not Found
The resource could not be found.