Women in Cryptozoology

Colloque Européen de Cryptozoologie

An exciting cryptozoological conference is taking place in Europe in September. There will be rare appearance from Russia by Dr. Marie-Jeanne Koffmann and M. Michael Trachtengerts. Details are to be found in French and some English below. Bonsoir à tous, Il est grand temps de remplir vos bulletins d’inscription au colloque : la date limite arrive à grands pas !!! Comme je l’ai dit, pourquoi ne pas venir en groupe pour diminuer les frais de voyage. Si vous en faite la demande une fois que vous serez inscrits, je vous mettrai en contact avec les gens qui viennent de votre [...]

Kids & Cryptozoology: Alberta Style

I enjoy leading workshops with children, of course, because future cryptozoologists are out there. Recently, in Alberta, some kids got to attend a “dragons day camp.” While there, I spoke to them about cryptozoology on a Monday. Here I am, looking as if a wood bison is about ready to charge me. What’s so incredible about having so many taxidermy-available wood bison in one place is that the Royal Alberta Museum even has one in their children’s classroom. I was honored to be able to write “Cryptozoology” on the work board, as a wood bison graced the same space. Here’s [...]

Beautiful New Manta Video

The smaller manta. The larger manta, the new species. It truly is a tale of Beauty and the Beast. Dr. Andrea Marshall is shown on a beautiful new video, swimming with the recently discovered manta and discussing her discovery. The scenes remind me of the swimming ballet of The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Dr. Marshall (pictured above & below) can be viewed on the video by clicking here. Quite compelling. Dr. Andrea Marshall is also pictured above. The photo accompanies her notice that she supports her work by conducting trips and tours related to manta research. In one planned [...]

When Cryptozoologists Die

Bill Rebsamen’s tribute to Scott Norman, who passed away suddenly earlier in 2008. This may be a difficult essay for you to read, but this is a subject we all have ignored for a long time. There is a darker side that occurs after the obituaries and remembrances are written. What happens after the tributes are published? Why have we avoided the obvious, and watched legacies vanish? There are some things I’ve got to say. We shall pick up an existence by its frogs. Wise men have tried other ways. They have tried to understand our state of being, by [...]

New Crayfish Species Discovery

In 2005, a new species of crayfish, Cambarus (Tubericambarus) polychromatus (the painted-hand mudbug) was described by Roger Thoma, Raymond Jezerinac and Thomas Simon in volume 118 issue 2 of the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Specifically, the cited journal article is: Thoma R.F., Jezerinac, R.F., and Simon, T. P. 2005. “Cambarus (Tubericambarus) polychromatus (Decapoda: Cambaridae), a new species of crayfish from the United States. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 118(2):326-336. Now, this new species has been identified from southern Illinois, according to the US Forest Service’s Mike Welker on June 30, 2008: The Cambarus polychromatus, commonly [...]