Cryptozoology: Cryptic Cryptids, Werewolves, Sea Monsters, Legends & More

Cryptids. Chupacabra, Bigfoot, Nessie, Mothman, and Lizard Man are some of the most prominent and well known cryptids today. Yet there are some that are of equal importance, but are less well known.Those of you who've just eaten or are generally of a nervous disposition are advised to look away now. Following are some of the cryptozoological anomalies speculated to have evolved right alongside us humans.

I am fascinated with werewolves. Yes, big hairy man beasts are my thing. I can't help myself when it comes to chasing down a good werewolf sighting. One in particular caught my eye. It wasn't just the story as much as it was the pictures. Although the carcass in question has never firmly been identified, it is most interesting none the least. Some have referred to it as a Loup-Garou or Cajun werewolf. Then again others have speculated that it could be the infamous Devil Monkey, a giant dog-like monkey known for attacking humans, livestock and even cars. There are anywhere between 3 and 7 feet tall and are able to walk both bipedally and quadrupedally. Notice the similarities between the devil monkey, werewolf, and Derrider carcass to the right and decide for yourself.

The carcass in the picture on the right was found on a lonely stretch of Louisiana highway some 16 years ago in 1996 by Barbara Mullins. The carcass was the reported as being the size of a large Saint Bernard. You could imagine how tall it might have stood if standing upright on its hind legs. The body was covered in shaggy, matted fur. The unusual head was said to look more like that of a baboons, with small pointed ears and paw less extended feet . The unusual find has been at the center of controversy ever since as reported by American Monsters. The fascinating full story on this unusual carcass can be read there.

There is nothing more freaky than a cryptozoological anomaly that mimics the 1958 science fiction movie "The Blob".Until now.

The Raleigh, North Carolina sewers are home to a slimy pulsating gelatinous blob like creature. Scientists speculate they are not in fact a living, breathing, mutant sewer monster but a mass ball of tubifex worms. Others, including people in the scientific world, are not so sure. They wriggle and breath in the small cracks of the sewer but show no visable signs of appendages or heads.

Feel free to take a peak at the gross little specimens and decide for yourself. Tubiflex worms or mysterious aliens here to suck out our brains?

Werewolves & The Beast Of Bray Road. The name rings a bell. For those of you who haven't heard of the Bay Road beast I've included the universal description of the creature below (courtesy Wikipedia).

"The Beast of Bray Road (or the Bray Road Beast) is a cryptozoological creature, most often times described as a werewolf, first reported in the 1980s on a rural road outside of Elkhorn, Wisconsin. The Beast of Bray Road is described by purported witnesses in several ways: as a bear-like creature, as a hairy biped resembling Bigfoot, and as an unusually large (2-4 feet tall on all fours, 7 feet tall standing up) intelligent wolf-like creature apt to walk on its hind legs and weighing 400-700 pounds. It also said that it's fur is a brown gray color resembling a dog or bear." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_of_Bray_Road, Wikipedia)

The Bray Road Beast has been sighted numerous times. But what exactly is the Beast Of Bray Road? A werewolf? Several theories have been put forth as to the nature of the animal. Some believe it is a prehistoric extinct form of giant wolf known as the Amarok from Inuit mythology. Amarok is a gigantic predator wolf that , unlike wolves today, hunts alone. It's massive size alone fits the bill. Standing on its hind legs it would reach well over 7 feet tall easily. Other theories include prehistoric bear-dogs or dire wolves. Knowledgeable theories but possibly not the answer to creature that trails this desolated road. If you are a firm believer in alternate dimensions , maybe these people are just lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this beast when the veil is the thinnest between our worlds.

Every now and then we have some surprising carcasses wash up upon our shores. The majority of the time, they are written off as basking sharks, large sturgeons or hairless raccoons (think Montauk Monster) and so forth. But every now and then something is dredged from the bottomless depths of our gigantic seas that can not just be written off as a floating shark carcass. Seemingly, these remains always find a way of disappearing.

In 1977 a Japanese Trawler off the coast of New Zealand hauled up an unusual carcass. The remains were similar to that of a prehistoric plesiosaur. The crew was convinced they had found the carcass of an unidentifiable animal. Despite the potential biological significance of the carcass the captain, Akira Tanaka, decided it was in the crews best interest to dump it into the ocean again so not to risk spoiling the fish they had already caught. Fortunantly, before disposing of the unusual find some photos and sketches were taken of the creature. Their Nessie, as the crew had nicknamed it, was measured and hair, skin and fin samples were collected for further analysis by experts in Japan. "The discovery resulted in immense commotion and a "plesiosaur-craze" in Japan, and the shipping company ordered all its boats to try to relocate the dumped corpse again, but with no apparent success."(Sjögren, 1980).

Although several well known scientists insisted that the carcas was not that of any known mammal, analysis later indicated that the specimens retreived were those of a basking shark. By comparing the sets of amino acids in the muscle tissue to that of a known shark species, the later results were determined. However, with out a specimen to actually examine, definitive proof of a shark carcass is not 100% accurate. Therefore, for many, the mystery continues....

At this point I am demanding they show themselves! Enough taunting and running us humans in circles. All we want, speaking on behalf of the entire human race that is, is a little peeksy, something to go on, paaalease! After years, and in some cases, centuries, these creatures have elluded us. Why and how? How can some people have sightings and not others?

One day I will get answers or maybe just a sighting or two of my own......