Giraffized

 

I haven´t really read this blog post, I just link to it because of it´s super-weird title. Strangest I´ve ever seen!

Tapejarid Palaeobiology and the Concept of the "Giraffized" Azhdarchid  

Swamp thing

 

Just for fun, I asked ChatGPT a rather silly question, but actually got an answer. So I suppose this is today´s AI essay, LOL. 

Are there (alleged) reports of surviving dinosaurs from North America, i.e. cryptid reports interpreted as dinosaurs or similar prehistoric creatures by cryptozoology enthusiasts? 

Yes, there are a few alleged reports from North America that cryptozoologists and enthusiasts have interpreted as possible surviving dinosaurs or prehistoric reptiles. These are fringe claims and are not supported by mainstream science, but they have circulated in cryptozoological literature and popular culture.

Here are the most notable examples:

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🦖 1. Lake Monsters Interpreted as Plesiosaurs

🔹 Lake Champlain (Champ) — Vermont/New York/Quebec

• Sightings of a large, serpentine or humped creature in Lake Champlain.

• Some descriptions suggest a plesiosaur-like shape: long neck, flippers.

• Widely considered a modern myth or misidentification (e.g. sturgeon, logs, waves), but featured in cryptozoology circles since the 1800s.

🔹 Ogopogo — Lake Okanagan, British Columbia (Canada)

• Described similarly to Champ.

• Also interpreted by some cryptozoologists as a possible relict marine reptile, though more often described as serpentine.

These lake monsters are the most commonly linked to "prehistoric survivors", especially plesiosaurs, though no physical evidence exists.

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🐊 2. Bipedal Dinosaur-like Creatures

🔹 "River Dinosaurs" in the Southeastern U.S.

• Scattered reports in the 1940s–1970s, especially from rural Georgia and South Carolina, of large, upright lizard-like creatures.

• Sometimes described as being 5–7 feet tall, walking on two legs.

• Often interpreted in retrospect as hoaxes, folklore, or misidentified animals (e.g., large lizards, escaped pets, or alligators).

🔹 The "Dinosaur Swamp" legend — Louisiana

• Some local legends describe reptilian creatures in swampy areas, occasionally linked to cryptids or “living dinosaurs.”

• These often reflect tall tales, with little consistency or credibility.

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🧬 3. "Thunderbirds" as Pterosaurs

🔹 Pterosaur-like Sightings

• In states like Texas, New Mexico, and Illinois, there are scattered reports (19th century to 20th century) of giant flying creatures with leathery wings and no feathers.

• Sometimes described as having crests, long beaks, or bat-like wings.

• Occasionally interpreted as living pterosaurs by cryptozoologists.

Notable case:

• Tombstone, Arizona, 1890: A newspaper account told of cowboys shooting a huge bird with a wingspan of 160 feet. Some cryptozoologists argue this could have been a pterosaur, but the story is likely fabricated or exaggerated.

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📚 Cultural and Folk Influences

• Native American legends sometimes describe giant birds, serpent-like river creatures, or monstrous reptiles — which modern interpreters occasionally link (anachronistically) to dinosaurs or prehistoric beasts.

• These are more symbolic/mythic than cryptozoological, but occasionally repurposed in fringe literature as “evidence” of survival.

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🧪 Scientific Evaluation

• No physical or fossil evidence exists of non-avian dinosaurs or Mesozoic reptiles surviving past the Cretaceous.

• Many sightings are explained by:

  • Misidentified animals (e.g., sturgeons, birds, alligators, hoaxes)

  • Folklore and storytelling

  • Pareidolia and eyewitness error

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🧠 Why This Idea Persists

• Popular interest in dinosaurs and prehistoric life

• Influence of creationist pseudoscience (e.g., young earth creationists sometimes cite these reports as evidence against evolution)

• Cultural fascination with the idea of "lost worlds" or "living fossils"

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✅ Summary

Yes, there are alleged reports in North America of creatures interpreted as surviving dinosaurs or pterosaurs, especially:

• Lake monsters (Champ, Ogopogo) → interpreted as plesiosaurs

• Flying cryptids (Thunderbirds) → interpreted as pterosaurs

• Swamp creatures → occasionally likened to bipedal dinosaurs

But these are folkloric or anecdotal, and lack credible scientific backing. They remain part of cryptozoological lore rather than biological reality.

Would you like a list of books or articles from cryptozoology circles that promote these interpretations?

Can you tell me more about the "river dinosaurs" in Southeastern US?

Yes — the so-called "river dinosaurs" or dinosaur-like cryptids of the Southeastern U.S. are a little-known subset of American folklore and cryptozoological lore, often involving reports of large, bipedal, reptilian creatures near rivers or swamps. These reports are rare, scattered, and not well-documented in scientific literature, but they have circulated in fringe or local sources, especially in the 1940s–1970s.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s known (or claimed):

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🐊 1. "River Monster" Reports in Georgia and the Carolinas

🔹 Description (varies):

• Size: 5 to 8 feet tall

• Stance: Bipedal, walking upright

• Features: Lizard-like skin, long tail, small arms, glowing or reflective eyes

• Movement: Fast and agile; some reports say they moved “like a man,” others describe “lizard-like hops”

🔹 Locations:

• Altamaha River, Georgia (also known for the lake monster “Altamaha-ha” or “Altie”)

• Congaree Swamp, South Carolina

• Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia/Florida border

• Green Swamp, North Carolina

These areas are rich in wildlife and have long been settings for swamp monster stories, some dating back to Native American oral traditions and pioneer legends.

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👣 2. The Bishopville "Lizard Man" (South Carolina, 1988)

Although technically not a "dinosaur", this is the most famous modern case of a bipedal reptilian cryptid in the Southeast.

🔹 Reported by: 17-year-old Christopher Davis

• He claimed a scaly, green, man-sized reptilian creature attacked his car near Scape Ore Swamp.

• Had red eyes, clawed hands, stood 7 feet tall.

• Prompted a media frenzy and numerous follow-up sightings.

• Widely considered a hoax or misidentification, but still celebrated locally.

🔹 Cryptozoological Interpretation:

• Some cryptid enthusiasts speculated it could be a “relic dinosaur” (e.g., a theropod, like a small T. rex or raptor).

• Others believed it might be a mutant alligator or humanoid reptilian.

The Lizard Man became a local legend, spawning festivals, merchandise, and decades of debate.

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🦕 3. Young Earth Creationist (YEC) Influence

• Some creationist authors in the mid-20th century and beyond (e.g., John C. Whitcomb, Carl Baugh) promoted the idea that dinosaurs still exist.

• They occasionally cited Southeastern U.S. sightings (along with reports from Africa and Papua New Guinea) as evidence against evolution.

• The narrative was that humans and dinosaurs coexisted, and isolated populations may have survived the Flood.

While most cryptozoologists separate themselves from creationist agendas, there's significant overlap in dinosaur cryptid speculation.

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🧪 Scientific Perspective

Mainstream scientists consider these reports to be:

• Folkloric exaggeration

• Misidentified animals, especially:

  • Large monitor lizards seen on two legs or alligators

  • Escaped exotic pets (e.g., iguanas)

  • Bears or other large mammals glimpsed briefly

• Hoaxes or pranks

• Possibly even mass hysteria in rare cases

There is no physical evidence — no tracks, scat, remains, or credible photos — for any of these supposed creatures.

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🧠 Cultural Context

• The American South has a rich storytelling tradition, including monster legends tied to swamps, rivers, and backwoods.

• Some stories may stem from fear of the unknown, especially in isolated rural areas.

• Cryptozoological interest in the Loch Ness Monster and Mokele-mbembe (Central African "dinosaur") likely encouraged local reinterpretations of unexplained creatures as dinosaurs.

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📚 References & Sources

While not mainstream, some books and articles that discuss these creatures include:

• Loren Coleman, Cryptozoology A to Z (1999)

• Lyle Blackburn, Lizard Man: The True Story of the Bishopville Monster (2013)

• Regional folklore collections from the Carolinas and Georgia

• Cryptozoological websites (e.g., Cryptomundo, Mysterious Universe)

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✅ Summary

Yes, there have been scattered reports — mainly from the Southeastern U.S. — of bipedal, dinosaur-like creatures, especially near rivers and swamps. Most are folkloric or anecdotal and include:

• The Bishopville Lizard Man

• Rumors of “river dinosaurs” or reptilian bipeds in Georgia and the Carolinas

• Occasional interpretations by cryptozoologists or creationists as surviving dinosaurs

However, these remain unsubstantiated and are considered legend, hoax, or misidentification by mainstream science.

Would you like a map or timeline of these kinds of sightings across the U.S.?

Can you tell me about the Monster of Partridge Creek?

The Monster of Partridge Creek is a cryptozoological legend from the Yukon Territory in Canada, dating back to the early 20th century. It’s one of the more obscure “living dinosaur” stories and is often cited in fringe literature and cryptozoology discussions.

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📰 Origin of the Story

The tale originates from two main reports published in the French newspaper Le Journal in 1907 and 1908, written by a French writer and mining engineer named Georges Dupuy.

According to Dupuy, the creature was seen near Partridge Creek, close to Dawson City, during a gold prospecting expedition in the Yukon.

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🐲 Description of the Monster

According to Dupuy’s reports, the creature was:

• A reptilian, dinosaur-like animal

• Around 30 feet (9 meters) long

• Covered in scales, not fur

• With a serpentine neck and large tail

• Described as similar to a sauropod, like a Brontosaurus

Witnesses claimed the beast left large tracks in the snow and frightened both humans and sled dogs.

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🧔 Who Saw It?

Dupuy claimed he saw it himself, along with:

• Prospectors

• A local Indigenous guide named Tom, who reportedly said his people knew of such creatures

However, the only written source remains Dupuy’s articles, which appeared in Le Journal, a French popular newspaper of the time.

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❓ Is the Story Credible?

🟨 Problems:

• No independent corroboration of the event exists.

• No physical evidence (tracks, bones, photos) was ever collected.

• The story was published in a popular newspaper, not a scientific journal, and reads more like a piece of early science fiction or adventure journalism.

• The location (Yukon in winter) is ecologically and climatically implausible for a cold-blooded reptile or any large dinosaur to survive.

🟪 Some researchers believe:

• Dupuy may have fabricated the story or presented a fictionalized account as nonfiction.

• It could be a case of hoax, tall tale, or misidentification (e.g., a moose, bear, or even drifted snow around animal tracks creating odd illusions).

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🧪 In Cryptozoology

Despite the lack of evidence, the Monster of Partridge Creek is sometimes cited by:

• Young Earth Creationists seeking to discredit evolutionary timelines

• Living dinosaur enthusiasts

• Cryptozoologists interested in supposed relic populations of prehistoric creatures

It has appeared in books like:

• Mysterious Creatures by George Eberhart

• Searching for Hidden Animals by Roy Mackal

But even among cryptozoologists, it is treated as a fringe case with extremely low credibility.

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📚 Summary

• The Monster of Partridge Creek is a dinosaur-like creature reportedly seen in the Yukon in the early 1900s.

• Originated from reports by Georges Dupuy in Le Journal.

• Described as a sauropod-like reptile in a snowy, northern setting.

• Lacks any corroboration or physical evidence.

• Widely regarded as folklore, fiction, or hoax, though it continues to interest fringe theorists.

Would you like to see excerpts from Dupuy’s original articles, or how this story compares to other alleged "living dinosaur" tales like Mokele-mbembe?

Kill it before it glows

 

¨

A motley collection of "cryptid" sightings. Some are barely believable stories about bioluminescent spiders and frogs. Others are frankly unbelievable. A glowing lake monster in Lake Erie? A pterodactyl which looks like a UFO? Yeah, that´s likely...

But sure, it´s entertaining.      

Petroglyph pterodactyl

 

The moderately alternative YouTube channel "Incredible History" takes us to Utah to look at some sensational Native American petroglyphs. One is the notorious "pterodactyl". Never really understood why it can´t just be a big bird, but there is another hypothesis: its actually three different characters, two of which are humanoid and none of which is a flying creature?! Three other petroglyphs at the same site look like "ancient aliens" or something to that effect.

Make of this little excursion what ye wish.  

Two of each kind

 

Two very short pieces on “fringe cryptozoology”, one of them about creationism in cryptozoology. While not wrong, I don´t think it really explains why young earth creationists (YECs) are often interested in cryptozoology.

It has to do with the literalist reading of the Flood story in Genesis. If Noah brought two individuals of every animal species (or at least “created kind”) onto the Ark, this number must have included dinosaurs, pterodactyls, bipedal apes and other animals usually deemed extinct by modern science. I suppose a YEC *could* claim that they died out shortly after the Flood, but a more intriguing possibility is of course that they are still around – hence the interest in cryptozoology. If animals which modern science claims have been extinct for millions of years are still around, indeed, if animals from all “geological periods” in Earth history really live together right under our very noses, then “evolution” becomes a problematic concept. At least from a YEC perspective.

That being said, I also suspect that the emphasis creationist cryptozoologists put on surviving dinosaurs and pterodactyls isn´t a co-incidence. Dinosaurs are sexy, pardon my French, so obviously an expedition to Africa to find a live mokele-mbembe will get more media attention than, say, trying to prove that ground sloths died out only recently (cuz who cares).

Of course, the “cultic milieu” might also be in play here, but the more fundamentalist the Bible interpretation, the less likely it is that “rejected knowledge claims” will be accepted just because they are unacceptable to the Establishment. They must be sifted through the KJV first. UFOs survive the test if they are deemed demonic. Neo-dinosaurs survive the sifting, too, but what about bipedal hairy monsters that are too human-like? But I suppose they could be fitted in somewhere in a “Biblical” worldview, perhaps as Nephilim… 

Creationism in cryptozoology

Zooform phenomena

The Fresno dragons: a socialist plot?

 

In 1891, Californian newspapers reported "dragon" sightings in the area around Fresno. The monstrous creatures were supposedly pterodactyls. Or perhaps not, since many newspaper editors blamed moonshine or outright hoaxing. There were true believers and skeptics already back in 1891.

The most original claim is that the 1891 tall tale was a garbled version of a real incident involving a socialist-Marxist-utopian commune in the Sierra Nevada, the Kaweah Colony. After being forced off their land by the US army, the evil socialists supposedly imported two large and extremely dangerous Australian birds known as "boas", which were expected to physically attack the horses and mules of the soldiers! 

Nobody knows what on earth a "boa" might be (perhaps a garbled reference to moa?), but there is a flightless bird that roughly fits the description: the cassowary. Except, of course, that the story of how the Kaweah colonists imported them as a bio-weapon is probably just another tall tale. Still, I suppose Juan Posadas might have been interested in this fakelore...

The Fresno Dragons

 

Daimonic pterosaurs

Have I finally managed to find a fascinating episode of the almost organically boring series "MonsterQuest", now discontinued but once upon a time aired at History Channel?

"Flying Monsters" follow a team of enthusiasts into the jungles of Papua New Guinea in search of the Demon Flier or Ropen, a mysterious creature believed by some to be a surviving pterosaur. The researchers belong to a group called Genesis Park. A quick search on the web reveals that they are, of course, creationists who wish to prove that men and dinosaurs lived together, and that dinosaurs still exist. This fact is not mentioned in the TV program, however.

Sceptics believe that the Demon Fliers are simply misidentified Frigatebirds or an unknown species of bat. However, the natives in New Guinea describe the creature as monstrously large, nocturnal and bioluminescent. It's believed to attack and eat humans, or dig up human graves. Doesn't sound like a bird or fruit-bat to me!

The Genesis Park people claim to have seen these dangerous animals themselves. Interestingly, their descriptions match those of UFO phenomena: strange lights in the sky, sometimes flying in formation, coming and going at very fast speed. The few photos or films showing "pterosaurs" really show such distant lights in the sky. The team does manage to see such lights during their foray into the rain forest.

As an "armchair commentator", I suspect that we are really dealing with several different phenomena rolled into one by both native folklore and Western enthusiasts. The natives claim that the Demon Flier is a kind of ancestral spirit living in the hills. It seems to be connected to superstition about graves and death. Flying, luminescent objects are apparently common in the mythology of many peoples. In Africa, they are usually seen as witches. In Tibet, they are Bodhisattvas. In the PNG, they are "Demon Fliers". In the modern West, they would be UFOs. However, Christian missionaries and cryptozoologists have decided to re-interpret the observations in Papua New Guinea as surviving pterosaurs... The idea that the Ropen is a pterosaur probably got into the natives' heads through the medium of missionaries interested in the local lore. It would be interesting to do some research on whether the original stories of Ropens really pictured them having gigantic crests, an iconic pterosaurian feature? (Interestingly, a local flightless bird in New Guinea, the cassowary, has a crest on its head. It's also fierce and dangerous.)

Whatever the Demon Fliers might be, I think a surviving Pteranodont is the least likely explanation. Genesis Park no doubt get their ideas from a "literalist" reading of the Book of Genesis. Perhaps they should have studied some other part of their holy scripture to really understand what's going on in the heathen lands of Papua New Guinea... :-0

Pterosaurs in the backyard

Had I written this review a few years back, I would have titled it "Silly season creationism" or something to that effect. But sure, I'm still *very* sceptical to Jonathan David Whitcomb's book about - wait for it - sightings of apparent pterosaurs in the United States. Apparent...what exactly?

Creationists (and perhaps a few others) have been searching for living pterosaurs in Papua New Guinea, where there are native legends about a luminescent "demon flyer" harassing remote villages at night. Whitcomb and other enthusiasts believe, or want to believe, that there are pterosaurs at large in the United States, as well. The eye-witnesses prefer to be anonymous or pseudonymous due to fear of ridicule. Whitcomb and his fellow researchers (some of whom claim to have seen pterosaurs themselves) have sometimes kept the locations of the purported sightings hidden. This means that scientists can't do much with their material, and other cryptozoologists or investigators of the paranormal might also feel left in the lurch. Whitcomb claims to be able to tell a hoax from the real thing, but he never explains how. To be honest, I don't think he can - I wonder what would happen if a nefarious sceptic would try to prove him wrong by fabricating an observation?

Many of the "pterosaur" observations are probably misidentifications of large herons, bats, kites or pterosaur models. Many have been made at night. Others have a certain occult feel, as when one eye-witness reported a huge pterosaur in the middle of Suburbia, but nobody else noticed! The creatures are biologically impossible. What do they eat? Where do they breed? How come bird-watchers aren't seeing them? Whitcomb believes that the pterosaurs eat nightjars or bats, but shouldn't this affect nightjar or bat behaviour? I think it's obvious that we are dealing with a modern ghost story (with the usual older antecedents) rather than a flesh-and-blood creature.

In New Guinea, the Demon Flyers (or Ropens) are associated with strange lights in the sky, the lights themselves being something of a mystery. Whitcomb claims that at least in some American localities, this connection exists as well. People see strange, seemingly intelligent lights which on closer inspection reveal the form of a pterosaur. To the author, this means that the creatures are real and emit light (a bit like fireflies). The Papuans say pretty much the same thing. Of course, another explanation would be the exact opposite: the strange lights are the real phenomenon, creating hallucinations of pterosaurs. Or "hallucinations" - see my review of Paul Devereux' "Earth Lights" for more on this.

Overall, I must say that "Live Pterosaurs in America" is a rather badly written book. It's also very short. I'm going to give it three stars only because it seems to be the only book available exclusively dealing with this (far out) subject (the author himself admits, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that he isn't "normal"). Otherwise, I would have given it just two.

I think it's more likely that the U.S. hinterland is haunted by Frigatebirds with mange and a penchant for Venus, than Noah saving a baby pterosaur on the Ark. But then, you never know. Patterson-Gimlin film, anyone?

When Roger met the Russians

"Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet" is something as strange as an American remake of a Soviet science fiction film. A few scenes with English-speaking actors have been added to what is essentially a dubbed version of the Russian original.

The plot revolves around a group of astronauts and their robot, investigating the planet Venus. As usual in films of this kind, the alien world turns out to be pretty similar to Earth during the Age of the Dinosaurs. The explorers run into a Brontosaurus, a Stegosaurus, a pterosaur and even a somewhat anachronistic Dimetrodon. They are also attacked by a kind of lizard-men, but these too are really dumb animals. Only at the very end do the astronauts realize that Venus is inhabited by intelligent, human-like creatures.

"Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet" is boring, dragging and not very interesting. The producer, Roger Corman, must have realized this. Three years later, he was involved in a second remake, "Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women", in which we finally get to meet the mysterious Venusian aliens, who turn out to be telepathic females!

Despite being substandard, "Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet" must have been popular in its day. I remember several scenes from this film from my childhood, despite never seeing the film itself. Presumably, I saw them in books about *real* astronomy.

Unfortunately, however, this long-winding exploration of tropical dinosaur haunts only deserves one star. Still, it's good to know that B-movies were made on both sides of the Iron Curtain...

Dixon's dangerous dinosaurs

Dougal Dixon's “The New Dinosaurs: An Alternative Evolution” is built around the same concept as the author's classical “After Man: A Zoology of the Future”. Both books were published during the 1980's and are probably only available in used condition today. Yet, the fantasy animal genre still thrives. A recent example is the immensely popular TV series “The Future is Wild”.

Dixon's dangerous idea is that the dinosaurs and their allies never went extinct. How would the world have looked like today, if clever reptiles rather than mammals had been the dominant group of animals? Brace yourself for furry dinosaurs in the North American hills, a small European dino forming ant-like colonies, ground-dwelling pterosaurs in Africa that look like giraffes, and another pterosaur that evolved a penguin-like body. The fantasy creatures “described” by the author have peculiar names, such as Gestalt, Whulk, Dingum, Flurrit and Gimp. One of the few mammals around, a small aquatic insectivore, is called Zwim. Curiously, this parallel universe also spouts perfectly regular sea gulls!

If you like fanciful fictitious beasts with somewhat flippant vernacular names, then this is the book for you. If dinosaur-lovers will relish it, is less clear. The neo-dinosaurs imagined by Dixon have evolved, after all! :D

For your science fiction book shelf.