Cryptids of the Week

Turtle Lake Monster (Saskatchewan, Canada) - Many Saskatchewan citizens have reported sightings of a long serpent with the head of a horse. Supposedly residing in the depths of Turtle Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada, sightings have been recorded since the early settlements and were called “Big Fish” by early natives. The beast is described as being 3 to 10 meters long with black or green skin and has been said to have the head of a horse. Some have claimed it has a dorsal fin, but other eyewitnesses insist it is sleek like an otter. The Turtle Lake Monster’s main MO is said to be tearing apart fishermen's nets. One sighting was reported when a fisherman and his grandchildren were out on Turtle Lake throwing out nets. That’s when they spotted a large creature approximately 13 yards from the dock. The trio watched as the creature’s head and back emerged from the water and proceeded to roll over to drop into the depths below. They described the creature’s head like that of a seahorse. A local farmer, Gordon Watt, had an encounter with the lake monster. He was casting from his boat when he noticed something about 13 yards off. “Its head came up, its back came up, and it sorta rolled over- we never saw the tail,” Watts explained. “Its head looked like a seahorse.” Many natives believe it could be misidentified as a sturgeon or another large fish, but many are still unsure.

Dover Demon (Massachusetts)- The Dover Demon is described as a little creature with a watermelon-shaped head and the body of an emaciated monkey. Every account of the Dover Demon has described the same large, glowing eyes on an unsettlingly blank face. The creature’s first reported sighting was in 1977 when four teenagers, over the span of two nights, reported seeing the small demon. William Bartlett was the first teenager to spot the creature. His two friends, Mike and Andy, were riding with William on a local backroad around 10 p.m. when William noticed a creature that was “standing on a wall, its eyes glowing [in the headlights]. It was not a dog or a cat. It had no tail. It had an egg-shaped head.” Two hours later, a teen named John Baxter was walking his girlfriend home when he encountered the creature, and it was described eerily close to how Bartlett described the demon. Baxter was the individual who drew the infamous Dover Demon sketch. He stated that “this creature had large eyes and tendril-like hands.” Most accounts of the creature line up across each witness, which gives the possible existence of this cryptid much more credibility.

Frogman (Loveland, Ohio)- In Loveland, Ohio, there is said to be a half-frog, half-man hybrid that roams the small town’s deep woods. The creature is described as a humanoid creature with many features of a frog, such as large hands with webbed fingers, a frog-like head, and leathery skin. The creature’s sighting was reported by two local police officers, Ray Shockey and Mark Mathews, on two different occasions. After years of criticism, the officers went on to “debunk” the existence of the Frogman, labeling the sighting as a common iguana. The first sighting took place on March 3rd, 1972, at 3 am. On his way back to Loveland, Officer Ray Shockey spotted what he thought was a dog at the side of the road when it suddenly stood up. Its eyes illuminated by the car lights shot up towards the officer’s car and immediately bolted over the guardrail and into the Little Miami River. The next sighting was on March 17th, 1972, by officer Mark Mathews, who had a similar experience when he stopped to move what he thought was a dead animal in the road, but the creature suddenly stood up in a crouched position and proceeded to escape via the guardrail.

Beast of Bray Road (Wisconsin)- The Beast of Bray Road has been a Wisconsin phenomenon for decades, with the first sighting dating back to 1936 and continuing well into the 1980s and 90s. Over time, the beast has been spotted across multiple counties in Missouri, such as Walworth, Racine, and Jefferson counties. The Beast of Bray Road has been described as having brownish-gray fur and standing at around six feet tall. Its head resembles that of a wolf with the body of a muscular, but very hairy, man. Witnesses claim that the beast will walk on its two hind legs or on all fours, and though it has never been reported to kill or injure anyone, it is very aggressive. Some people claim that the beast is just a misidentified Wisconsin Bigfoot called the “Bluff Monster” or “Eddy”. Other locals believe the Beast of Bray Road is a wolf, bear, or dog that has been misidentified, while natives believe it is a variation of the Wendigo legend. Whatever it may be, one cannot deny that something is stalking throughout Wisconsin’s darkest corners.

Ozark Howler (Midwest)- The legend of the Ozark Howler is shrouded in controversy and complication. Each person who claims to see the monster gives a different description than others. Some describe the Ozark Howler as a large shaggy cat with red glowing eyes, while others describe it as a large goat-like creature. The Ozark’s most prominent feature is its infamous howl that has been heard more than the beast has even been seen. The Ozark Howler’s howl has been described as a combination of an elk’s bugle and a wolf’s howl. Its howl has also been compared to that of a hyena’s laugh. Many professionals in the cryptozoological community believe that the Ozark Howler is one big hoax. Cryptozoologist Chad Arment wrote of how he and other cryptozoologists had received various emails with huge claims about a beast called the Ozark Howler. Loren Coleman, another prominent cryptozoologist, traced the emails to a university student who wanted to create his own myth and fool the cryptozoology community as a way to mock myths such as the chupacabra. To this day, it is a question as to whether the Ozark Howler is an elaborate hoax or a hidden howl on the night.