#coati — Public Fediverse posts

A curious coati, perfect for testing the Sigma 150–600

📷 Sony A7IV
🔘 Sigma 150–600mm

#coati #wildlife #sony #sigma150600 #photography #photo #wildlifephotography #sony #photooftheday @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]

Did I miss Golden Week? Oh, no, Golden Week is whenever you keep its true meaning, and for me this #Coati Monday that's being gorgeous and shiny and standing out in a pleasant, soft light.

My own art this week, and yeah, it's late for Golden Week but I am really happy with how this all came out. Original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64941770/ unless FurAffinity is being all like that when you look.

Enjoying a Mecha #Coati Monday today thanks to a robotify-your-character YCH that Knopenri has been offering. Thanks to this you get to enjoy my artifice and appreciate that when I get to be too much like this you can probably find an off switch!

Original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64835035/

The tail is one of the many good parts of a coati and you can't blame anyone for wanting to try it on themselves! So this #Coati Monday I share my own depiction of @hexadoodle using his skill at taking people apart and putting them together to see how his tail-less form could be improved with a nice long bit of fuzzy ringedness! I am definitely not freaking out over the chance he might keep it for himself, don't worry!

Original art at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64775275/ and my thanks to hex for letting me borrow his whole actual character to draw this scene.

Wild Brazil released in 2014

More animals live here than on any other nation on earth.

The Pantanal has more predators than any other place on the planet.

(1/3)

#tv #animals #tuftedcapuchins #giantotters #caiman #tapir #anteaters #coati #southernlapwings #AnacondaSnake

Wild Brazil released in 2014

More animals live here than on any other nation on earth.

The Pantanal has more predators than any other place on the planet.

(1/3)

#tv #animals #tuftedcapuchins #giantotters #caiman #tapir #anteaters #coati #southernlapwings #AnacondaSnake

Wild Brazil released in 2014

More animals live here than on any other nation on earth.

The Pantanal has more predators than any other place on the planet.

(1/3)

#tv #animals #tuftedcapuchins #giantotters #caiman #tapir #anteaters #coati #southernlapwings #AnacondaSnake

Wild Brazil released in 2014

More animals live here than on any other nation on earth.

The Pantanal has more predators than any other place on the planet.

(1/3)

#tv #animals #tuftedcapuchins #giantotters #caiman #tapir #anteaters #coati #southernlapwings #AnacondaSnake

Wild Brazil released in 2014

More animals live here than on any other nation on earth.

The Pantanal has more predators than any other place on the planet.

(1/3)

#tv #animals #tuftedcapuchins #giantotters #caiman #tapir #anteaters #coati #southernlapwings #AnacondaSnake

I don't know how it is I'm spending #Coati Monday playing the Fool? It must be some April thing but how did we get this far into the month before I showed myself like this? ... not sure, it's all very peculiar really.

My own art, original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64630571/ but closely referenced to an actual photograph of a real-world coati standing on hindpaws, which shows off how good we do look those times we're made to stand on hindpaws and look around.

Time for #coati of #sky #islands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyYVCvX48zg #archaeology #wildlife #arizona #colorado

Feeling a bit flat this #Coati Monday? Me too! Thanks to Rubby the Rubber Boi for putting that feeling into perspective and up against a great display surface!

Little flat zig-zaggy commission, original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64316507/

I didn't hear until halfway through that petrifaction enthusiasts were observing Marble March! This explains why I'm seeing so many pieces of Gargoyles fan art on FurAffinity lately.

So this is why I'm jumping in to enjoy the fun, and for #Coati Monday today share some of my efforts to be a good and faithful protector of a not-always-grateful public!

My own art, original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64412204/ and you can see how foolish it is for me, who's never drawn a character twice so they look the same, would try drawing a character who's motionless in successive panels in about the same pose.

#marbleMarch

I didn't hear until halfway through that petrifaction enthusiasts were observing Marble March! This explains why I'm seeing so many pieces of Gargoyles fan art on FurAffinity lately.

So this is why I'm jumping in to enjoy the fun, and for #Coati Monday today share some of my efforts to be a good and faithful protector of a not-always-grateful public!

My own art, original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64412204/ and you can see how foolish it is for me, who's never drawn a character twice so they look the same, would try drawing a character who's motionless in successive panels in about the same pose.

#marbleMarch

I didn't hear until halfway through that petrifaction enthusiasts were observing Marble March! This explains why I'm seeing so many pieces of Gargoyles fan art on FurAffinity lately.

So this is why I'm jumping in to enjoy the fun, and for #Coati Monday today share some of my efforts to be a good and faithful protector of a not-always-grateful public!

My own art, original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64412204/ and you can see how foolish it is for me, who's never drawn a character twice so they look the same, would try drawing a character who's motionless in successive panels in about the same pose.

#marbleMarch

I didn't hear until halfway through that petrifaction enthusiasts were observing Marble March! This explains why I'm seeing so many pieces of Gargoyles fan art on FurAffinity lately.

So this is why I'm jumping in to enjoy the fun, and for #Coati Monday today share some of my efforts to be a good and faithful protector of a not-always-grateful public!

My own art, original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64412204/ and you can see how foolish it is for me, who's never drawn a character twice so they look the same, would try drawing a character who's motionless in successive panels in about the same pose.

#marbleMarch

I didn't hear until halfway through that petrifaction enthusiasts were observing Marble March! This explains why I'm seeing so many pieces of Gargoyles fan art on FurAffinity lately.

So this is why I'm jumping in to enjoy the fun, and for #Coati Monday today share some of my efforts to be a good and faithful protector of a not-always-grateful public!

My own art, original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64412204/ and you can see how foolish it is for me, who's never drawn a character twice so they look the same, would try drawing a character who's motionless in successive panels in about the same pose.

#marbleMarch

The coatis got the simplest of playthings added to their tree and it's been an absolute blast for some. Although they might need a bit more practice with that strangely behaving branch. :D

#Coati

Lot of signs of spring this #Coati Monday! For example, the leaves are looking better and the rabbits have a better choice in salads and you know, I can try eating healthier too!

Commission from @bakertoons of my dear bride BunnyHugger and myself sharing one of those happy little moments. Original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64166444/

You know, you ever wake up some #Coati Monday to find your friend's gone and swapped out tails with you and of course you admire how great your tail looks on them but it does leave you with this pretty undersized thing? Yeah, me too. What are you going to do?

This art is my own --- original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64252538/ --- and it's Austin with a particular bunny-eared flying squirrel friend whom I've known forever but preferred to be anonymous for this, just slipping in with all the other winged bunny-eared squirrels with coati tails.

These little critters are always fun to watch. Somehow they are busy climbing around their trees the whole day. The higher tree is apparently the sleeping one and the tree next to it is where they climb, play, fight… are busy most of the time. I am surprised I never saw a branch snap or one fall down from rather bold looking moves but they have surprisingly large claws and a tail to hold on to the branches. Or maybe they are chonky enough to just bounce off the ground. :neofoxgoogly:

#Coati

So, for the first #Coati Monday since the end of Fae'bruary I just wanted you to see this fifteen-minute sketch I got from @chasetheredfox.

Finally I get to hang with my magical friends who are always saying funny stuff like 'oh ... oh no ... oh, no, we can't let him have magic powers, that's ... so much trouble'! Going to be great!

Not yet posted to their gallery as far as I'm aware; again, I'll try updating when that changes.

This #Coati Monday we're back to my own art --- original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64105036/ --- and one of my favorite pastimes, spending the day with my dear bride BunnyHugger taking care of each other. So please enjoy the way I do.

One way to overcome post-con depression? Get yourself captured by a relentless and inescapable liquid fur determined to tickle every other thought out of you. And on this #Coati Monday after Motor City Furry Con that's exactly what I've got going for me. Strongly recommended.

Art by Aver the Dorbley, whose gallery is at https://www.furaffinity.net/user/aver-art/ and doesn't seem to have posted this yet. The liquid morph here is Darty, and, hey, this is how we met. (Darty is Flyynt's Dorbley character, https://www.furaffinity.net/view/62467418/)

This #Coati Monday I take the ongoing cold snap into my own paws, and particularly into my fur! It sure seems like a woolly mammoth knew something about enduring a drearily long stretch of days below freezing, so, why wouldn't a few tips from them be useful for me?

My own art, and experiment in making something look even shaggier than it already did. Original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63946101/

This #Coati Monday sees a low-melting-point coati (it's me) enjoying how, despite the frigid temperatures, the sun is still there and still warm, when you don't have dense clouds in the way, and you can still get remarkable periods of melting despite the cold of the trees and the air and everything.

Art is by Aver the Dorbley ( https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery/aver-art/ ) not yet posted in their gallery but I hope that changes soon. Also kind thanks to Aver for helping me get back in touch with my melty side; it's too easy to be too solid these days.

The one drawback of being born a coati? You never get to experience that post-transformation joy of exploring your new body and finding that it's made up entirely of good parts. Still, that's no reason not to occasionally appreciate your own body and my art this #Coati Monday is simply me taking a moment to do just that.

Original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63762847/

Good morning! And I hope it's a fine #Coati Monday for you as well; for me, it's a chance to get out on all fours and get a nice sniff from the e high point. It's so much more vibrant up there.

Artistic freedom commission from UnidentifiedTypingObject, who had a lot of good ideas and this was just the first one done. Not yet uploaded to a gallery so far as I've heard.

Happy little discovery this #Coati Monday as I go sniffing around a strange grassland and find a cute little fairy kangaroo! What are the odds?

This is another of my own pictures --- original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63609315/ --- and showing Roofus_Roo, fairy kangaroo who isn't always this small, but who isn't sad to be this small either. We've been friends forever and it's always nice running into them.

Coatimundis are curious and playful animals native to the Americas and closely related to raccoons. They lend themselves quite well to cute, cartoon artwork and I have drawn a few.

Cute Smiling Cartoon Coatimundi Two-Tone Coffee Mug by Cheerful Madness!! at Zazzle https://www.zazzle.com/cute_smiling_cartoon_coatimundi_two_tone_coffee_mug-168185300558245296 #cheerfulmadness #kawaii #coati #coatimundi #mug #cartoon #gifts #zazzle

Coatimundis are curious and playful animals native to the Americas and closely related to raccoons. They lend themselves quite well to cute, cartoon artwork and I have drawn a few.

Cute Smiling Cartoon Coatimundi Two-Tone Coffee Mug by Cheerful Madness!! at Zazzle https://www.zazzle.com/cute_smiling_cartoon_coatimundi_two_tone_coffee_mug-168185300558245296 #cheerfulmadness #kawaii #coati #coatimundi #mug #cartoon #gifts #zazzle

Coatimundis are curious and playful animals native to the Americas and closely related to raccoons. They lend themselves quite well to cute, cartoon artwork and I have drawn a few.

Cute Smiling Cartoon Coatimundi Two-Tone Coffee Mug by Cheerful Madness!! at Zazzle https://www.zazzle.com/cute_smiling_cartoon_coatimundi_two_tone_coffee_mug-168185300558245296 #cheerfulmadness #kawaii #coati #coatimundi #mug #cartoon #gifts #zazzle

Coatimundis are curious and playful animals native to the Americas and closely related to raccoons. They lend themselves quite well to cute, cartoon artwork and I have drawn a few.

Cute Smiling Cartoon Coatimundi Two-Tone Coffee Mug by Cheerful Madness!! at Zazzle https://www.zazzle.com/cute_smiling_cartoon_coatimundi_two_tone_coffee_mug-168185300558245296 #cheerfulmadness #kawaii #coati #coatimundi #mug #cartoon #gifts #zazzle

Coatimundis are curious and playful animals native to the Americas and closely related to raccoons. They lend themselves quite well to cute, cartoon artwork and I have drawn a few.

Cute Smiling Cartoon Coatimundi Two-Tone Coffee Mug by Cheerful Madness!! at Zazzle https://www.zazzle.com/cute_smiling_cartoon_coatimundi_two_tone_coffee_mug-168185300558245296 #cheerfulmadness #kawaii #coati #coatimundi #mug #cartoon #gifts #zazzle

A happy first #Coati Monday of the new year, folks! I start the year with my own art --- https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63532222/ --- and a short but honest discussion of why I'm not going in for any self-improvement projects this year.

If you find this at all relatable, well, yeah, we've been going through the same last few years.

Hope this #Coati Monday sees you able to spend some time on your hobbies! Me, I'm getting back into plastic models. And thanks to FA/peketope for helping me get ready. I hope someone has the instructions sheet.

Original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63404490/

It this kind of day… :neofoxsnug:

They seem well insulated given that it was like 1°C and between 5-10 m high on a tree the wind was probably even nastier. Chonk is useful after all!

#Coati

Who's staying hydrated this #Coati Monday? That's right, it's me. This is a simple little picture I did mostly to show that I am still drawing, and that I can draw something without going overboard on special effects brushes. I'll be back to the more usual nonsense soon.

Original at https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63401804/

Dear internet,

we need to have a serious conversation. Why didn't you tell me how stinkin' cute coatis are?

I'm disappointed in you...

Bonus 1: in German, the #coati is called "Nasenbär", i.e., "nose bear"
Bonus 2: one of them did get into out backpack while on the train in #Iguazu Falls National Park and stole a chipa (cheese bread) that he proceeded to loudly eat in the bushes

#Argentina

It's always a happy #Coati Monday when I have a fresh picture by Hornbuckle to share! This one started as a simple sketch and grew out of control. It's based on a moment of my favorite vaguely-coati-shaped four-dimensional beast Eugene the Jeep, showing how not-intimidated he is by the big baddie in a panel of Marcus Williams's fun _Eye Lie Popeye_.

You know what you need for a #Coati Monday in the cozy middle of December? How about a nice fresh pie, personally delivered? You certainly will not be unhappy with one!

This very innocent-looking and unsuspicious picture was an artistic-freedom commission from UnidentifiedTypingObject that isn't yet in a gallery, but, just wait. We'll see.

South American coati (Nasua nasua)

Cosy moments between two coati, members of the raccoon family. The South American coati lives in forests from #Colombia all the way down to northern #Argentina, but is under threat from hunting and forest fragmentation. It is protected by #WLT projects in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Photograph: Andrea Ferreira

@photography
#photography
#coati

South American coati (Nasua nasua)

Cosy moments between two coati, members of the raccoon family. The South American coati lives in forests from #Colombia all the way down to northern #Argentina, but is under threat from hunting and forest fragmentation. It is protected by #WLT projects in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Photograph: Andrea Ferreira

@photography
#photography
#coati

South American coati (Nasua nasua)

Cosy moments between two coati, members of the raccoon family. The South American coati lives in forests from #Colombia all the way down to northern #Argentina, but is under threat from hunting and forest fragmentation. It is protected by #WLT projects in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Photograph: Andrea Ferreira

@photography
#photography
#coati

South American coati (Nasua nasua)

Cosy moments between two coati, members of the raccoon family. The South American coati lives in forests from #Colombia all the way down to northern #Argentina, but is under threat from hunting and forest fragmentation. It is protected by #WLT projects in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Photograph: Andrea Ferreira

@photography
#photography
#coati

South American coati (Nasua nasua)

Cosy moments between two coati, members of the raccoon family. The South American coati lives in forests from #Colombia all the way down to northern #Argentina, but is under threat from hunting and forest fragmentation. It is protected by #WLT projects in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Photograph: Andrea Ferreira

@photography
#photography
#coati

Pop Cryptid Spectator 13

Hello and welcome to the Pop Cryptid Spectator no. 13.

In this edition:

• The crypt-illogical slip into the irrational
• News people don’t know their animals
• AI cryptid articles – It’s how stuff works
• Cryptid merch: Squishables Mothman series
• The Hebridean Mermaid
• Ogopogo float may sink
• Cryptid Media: More podcasts

The crypt-illogical slip into the irrational

I focus very much on the present, popular, news and views of cryptozoology, but when I look at traditional cryptozoology, I find that the most cogent writing clearly points in the direction of today’s Pop Cryptids. For example, Adrian Shine appeared on the latest episode of Monster Talk to discuss his lifelong research into sea serpents, and lake monsters claims in Scotland in his new book A Natural History of Sea Serpents. In this interview, Shine shares his wisdom gained from synthesizing decades of careful observation, and this is enlightening.

Among the wise things he said so eloquently, he noted that cryptozoology was a way to rationalize monsters. At its time of inception, that made sense: cryptozoology attempted to remove the magical aspects about mystery creatures, and apply science to the process of discovering amazing new animals. But, as he also says, hidden animals require lost worlds. We have very few of these “lost worlds” left, and people aren’t exploring them due to our natural limits (such as the ability to spend time in the deep ocean). If there are animals, there, they aren’t cryptids, they are just new to us. Therefore, that negates the formation of lore about them that defines a cryptid.

We aren’t going to find a Yeti or Nessie because it is clear after all these centuries that the stories were not reflecting real animals as collectively described, but a monstrous interpretation fed by cultural factors and confirmation bias. Current monster hunters will disagree but I’m being logical, here. The scientific evidence for real cryptids has not improved.

Today’s shift back to seeing cryptids as less zoological is, in a way, rational – in a cultural sense. As people attempt to create an alternate world of magic and mystery, adding cryptids to the fantasy environment makes sense. The colorful world of pop cryptids is what we get from that reconstruction. The cryptids don’t make zoological sense, but they make cultural sense.

As I wrote in a review of Shine’s book in PCS 7, A Natural History of Sea Serpents is a fantastic book and I could listen to Adrian Shine talk all day long, he’s astute and articulate. I deeply appreciate his careful research that helps me see old cases in a new light, find the through-lines of this complex subject, and understand the wider view.

Meanwhile, I hate to admit, the cryptid content that mostly appears in media – made by amateur researchers, people seeking an alternative reality, or just jokers – is not high quality (with only a few rare exceptions). It’s not even very creative. But because cryptids are a mainstream thing now, anything goes. And anything, no matter how poorly done, how ridiculous, or how misleading, will get clicks. See the following two examples.

News people don’t know their animals

You can bet that the “mystery animal” videos that get shown on the local news reports are going to contain some cringeworthy comments by the reporters. TV news anchors read what’s been written for them and respond and ad lib based only on whatever background info them have. They usually don’t know anything about a natural subject. One sad side effect of Pop Cryptids is that many now know the names of local cryptids and throw them out there as “possibilities”. In the process, they reveal shallow knowledge of the lore and history of the creature, and ignorance of the local wildlife. These three news personnel from Pueblo, Colorado speculate on what this animal is from a dark and grainy video. At least they recognize the red eyes may be a camera artifact, but one suggests it’s a chupacabra. In a broadcast on another station, the pair of presenters also give ridiculous opinions (such as it’s a person dressed up). The Colorado wildlife officials said it might be a raccoon with mange.

My initial thought is that it’s a coati, an animal found as far north as Arizona and sometimes kept as a pet. It’s not unusual to see coati in unexpected places. It’s unclear what it’s doing in Colorado, but it’s only a “cryptid” is the loosest interpretation of the word. Meanwhile, mystery mongering sites like Coast to Coast AM promoted this story with a sensationalist headline. This kind of treatment is really disappointing and leads to the audience being misinformed or alarmed. There is no good excuse for such awful framing of an interesting animal story.

AI cryptid articles – It’s how stuff works

I have mentioned AI generated cryptids several times in this publication – videos, photos, and monsters that came from AI image-generation apps. But now I’m starting to notice that AI-written articles on cryptids are becoming a common thing. Several “infotainment” sites quickly generate pieces to capitalize on a trending news story or subject. Cryptids are one of those topics. The popular site How Stuff Works revealed just how their stuff works, by using AI to produce a recent article on the Loveland Frog. This article followsr news coverage for the frogman’s festival in March. The content is unoriginal, just more AI slop we have to wade through.

Squishables Mothman series

Squishables are sold in many toy and gift stores across the country. Their newest series of cuddly plushies is an array of fun Mothman critters. My favorite is the Rosy Maple mothman (genius!) – modeled after the stunning yellow and pink rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda). I remember the first time I saw a rosy maple moth and could not believe it was real! And now it’s a variety of mothman. Check out the other varieties.

The Hebridean Mermaid

A woman who pretends to be a mermaid landed a gig promoting a new BBC series about mermaid tales and folklore around the waters of northern Scotland. Looks like a cool topic for programming!

Many people “become” mermaids by donning tails and learning how to dance underwater. If you aren’t aware of how popular indulging in mermaid fantasy is these days is, you can check out a series on Netflix called MerPeople. It’s an eye-opener.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7hUc8HVSFk

Old-school cryptozoologist-types reject mermaids as cryptids, calling them “fantasy” creatures. But this take is proof of how the idea of ‘cryptids’ is selective and changes over time. There are undoubtedly cases in the centuries gone by, and even now in non-Western news reports, of people who say they have seen mermaids. It’s no joke. Although many faked videos attempt to capitalize on that belief, most are poorly done hoaxes.

Remember in 2012, there was a huge hubbub about Mermaids: A Body Found aired on the Discovery Network. There was NO doubt that more than a few people who knew nothing of nature accepted that Mermaids: A Body Found was a science show about real mermaids.

Are mermaids cryptids? Absolutely. They are legendary, culturally known, and we have plenty of documented claims asserting they really exist, and some that claim they had been captured. There is no line between cryptids and folklore/fantasy creatures now. It’s all the same concept.

Ogopogo float may sink

The City of Kelowna, B.C. has had a parade float for decades. The most popular design for the float has been that of the local Lake Okanagan monster, Ogopogo. According to The Kelowna Courier, for more than 50 years, the float has featured various representations of Ogopogo. Back in 2016, there was an idea to highlight other tourism opportunities of Kelowna with the float. That didn’t go over well, and after a public outcry, the town’s beloved cryptid was restored. Now the float requires repairs and the city council determined they just can’t afford the steep price tag. So, Canadian parades will be without Ogopogo for a time.

Cryptid Media: More podcasts

Here’s another podcast recommendation. Check out Squaring the Strange episode no 250 – Cryptids go Pop! where I was invited to discuss my interests, and this publication, with Ben and Celestia.

For some deep dives, check out the Bigfoot two-part episode and the Loch Ness Monster three-part treatment from the Mythillogical podcast – a well-researched tour through the folklore aspects of these two cryptids. If Charles and Crofty are reading, feel free to message me if you need help with North American pronunciations.

Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to sharon(at)sharonahill.com. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.

For more, click on Pop goes the Cryptid landing page. Make sure you subscribe to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. 

Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on Substack. Please share this with cryptid fans you know!

Pop Cryptid Spectator 12

Pop Cryptid Spectator 11

Pop Cryptid Spectator 10

Pop Cryptid Spectator 9

Pop Cryptid Spectator 8

Pop Cryptid Spectator 7

Pop Cryptid Spectator 6

Pop Cryptid Spectator 5

Pop Cryptid Spectator 4

Pop Cryptid Spectator 3

Pop Cryptid Spectator 2

Pop Cryptid Spectator 1

#1 #chupacabra #cryptid #Cryptozoology #deathOfAUnicorn #popCryptid #reddit #rollerCoaster #scientific #seaSerpents #Skinwalker #Wendigo

https://sharonahill.com/?p=9144

Pop Cryptid Spectator 13

Hello and welcome to the Pop Cryptid Spectator no. 13.

In this edition:

• The crypt-illogical slip into the irrational
• News people don’t know their animals
• AI cryptid articles – It’s how stuff works
• Cryptid merch: Squishables Mothman series
• The Hebridean Mermaid
• Ogopogo float may sink
• Cryptid Media: More podcasts

The crypt-illogical slip into the irrational

I focus very much on the present, popular, news and views of cryptozoology, but when I look at traditional cryptozoology, I find that the most cogent writing clearly points in the direction of today’s Pop Cryptids. For example, Adrian Shine appeared on the latest episode of Monster Talk to discuss his lifelong research into sea serpents, and lake monsters claims in Scotland in his new book A Natural History of Sea Serpents. In this interview, Shine shares his wisdom gained from synthesizing decades of careful observation, and this is enlightening.

Among the wise things he said so eloquently, he noted that cryptozoology was a way to rationalize monsters. At its time of inception, that made sense: cryptozoology attempted to remove the magical aspects about mystery creatures, and apply science to the process of discovering amazing new animals. But, as he also says, hidden animals require lost worlds. We have very few of these “lost worlds” left, and people aren’t exploring them due to our natural limits (such as the ability to spend time in the deep ocean). If there are animals, there, they aren’t cryptids, they are just new to us. Therefore, that negates the formation of lore about them that defines a cryptid.

We aren’t going to find a Yeti or Nessie because it is clear after all these centuries that the stories were not reflecting real animals as collectively described, but a monstrous interpretation fed by cultural factors and confirmation bias. Current monster hunters will disagree but I’m being logical, here. The scientific evidence for real cryptids has not improved.

Today’s shift back to seeing cryptids as less zoological is, in a way, rational – in a cultural sense. As people attempt to create an alternate world of magic and mystery, adding cryptids to the fantasy environment makes sense. The colorful world of pop cryptids is what we get from that reconstruction. The cryptids don’t make zoological sense, but they make cultural sense.

As I wrote in a review of Shine’s book in PCS 7, A Natural History of Sea Serpents is a fantastic book and I could listen to Adrian Shine talk all day long, he’s astute and articulate. I deeply appreciate his careful research that helps me see old cases in a new light, find the through-lines of this complex subject, and understand the wider view.

Meanwhile, I hate to admit, the cryptid content that mostly appears in media – made by amateur researchers, people seeking an alternative reality, or just jokers – is not high quality (with only a few rare exceptions). It’s not even very creative. But because cryptids are a mainstream thing now, anything goes. And anything, no matter how poorly done, how ridiculous, or how misleading, will get clicks. See the following two examples.

News people don’t know their animals

You can bet that the “mystery animal” videos that get shown on the local news reports are going to contain some cringeworthy comments by the reporters. TV news anchors read what’s been written for them and respond and ad lib based only on whatever background info them have. They usually don’t know anything about a natural subject. One sad side effect of Pop Cryptids is that many now know the names of local cryptids and throw them out there as “possibilities”. In the process, they reveal shallow knowledge of the lore and history of the creature, and ignorance of the local wildlife. These three news personnel from Pueblo, Colorado speculate on what this animal is from a dark and grainy video. At least they recognize the red eyes may be a camera artifact, but one suggests it’s a chupacabra. In a broadcast on another station, the pair of presenters also give ridiculous opinions (such as it’s a person dressed up). The Colorado wildlife officials said it might be a raccoon with mange.

My initial thought is that it’s a coati, an animal found as far north as Arizona and sometimes kept as a pet. It’s not unusual to see coati in unexpected places. It’s unclear what it’s doing in Colorado, but it’s only a “cryptid” is the loosest interpretation of the word. Meanwhile, mystery mongering sites like Coast to Coast AM promoted this story with a sensationalist headline. This kind of treatment is really disappointing and leads to the audience being misinformed or alarmed. There is no good excuse for such awful framing of an interesting animal story.

AI cryptid articles – It’s how stuff works

I have mentioned AI generated cryptids several times in this publication – videos, photos, and monsters that came from AI image-generation apps. But now I’m starting to notice that AI-written articles on cryptids are becoming a common thing. Several “infotainment” sites quickly generate pieces to capitalize on a trending news story or subject. Cryptids are one of those topics. The popular site How Stuff Works revealed just how their stuff works, by using AI to produce a recent article on the Loveland Frog. This article followsr news coverage for the frogman’s festival in March. The content is unoriginal, just more AI slop we have to wade through.

Squishables Mothman series

Squishables are sold in many toy and gift stores across the country. Their newest series of cuddly plushies is an array of fun Mothman critters. My favorite is the Rosy Maple mothman (genius!) – modeled after the stunning yellow and pink rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda). I remember the first time I saw a rosy maple moth and could not believe it was real! And now it’s a variety of mothman. Check out the other varieties.

The Hebridean Mermaid

A woman who pretends to be a mermaid landed a gig promoting a new BBC series about mermaid tales and folklore around the waters of northern Scotland. Looks like a cool topic for programming!

Many people “become” mermaids by donning tails and learning how to dance underwater. If you aren’t aware of how popular indulging in mermaid fantasy is these days is, you can check out a series on Netflix called MerPeople. It’s an eye-opener.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7hUc8HVSFk

Old-school cryptozoologist-types reject mermaids as cryptids, calling them “fantasy” creatures. But this take is proof of how the idea of ‘cryptids’ is selective and changes over time. There are undoubtedly cases in the centuries gone by, and even now in non-Western news reports, of people who say they have seen mermaids. It’s no joke. Although many faked videos attempt to capitalize on that belief, most are poorly done hoaxes.

Remember in 2012, there was a huge hubbub about Mermaids: A Body Found aired on the Discovery Network. There was NO doubt that more than a few people who knew nothing of nature accepted that Mermaids: A Body Found was a science show about real mermaids.

Are mermaids cryptids? Absolutely. They are legendary, culturally known, and we have plenty of documented claims asserting they really exist, and some that claim they had been captured. There is no line between cryptids and folklore/fantasy creatures now. It’s all the same concept.

Ogopogo float may sink

The City of Kelowna, B.C. has had a parade float for decades. The most popular design for the float has been that of the local Lake Okanagan monster, Ogopogo. According to The Kelowna Courier, for more than 50 years, the float has featured various representations of Ogopogo. Back in 2016, there was an idea to highlight other tourism opportunities of Kelowna with the float. That didn’t go over well, and after a public outcry, the town’s beloved cryptid was restored. Now the float requires repairs and the city council determined they just can’t afford the steep price tag. So, Canadian parades will be without Ogopogo for a time.

Cryptid Media: More podcasts

Here’s another podcast recommendation. Check out Squaring the Strange episode no 250 – Cryptids go Pop! where I was invited to discuss my interests, and this publication, with Ben and Celestia.

For some deep dives, check out the Bigfoot two-part episode and the Loch Ness Monster three-part treatment from the Mythillogical podcast – a well-researched tour through the folklore aspects of these two cryptids. If Charles and Crofty are reading, feel free to message me if you need help with North American pronunciations.

Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to sharon(at)sharonahill.com. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.

For more, click on Pop goes the Cryptid landing page. Make sure you subscribe to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. 

Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on Substack. Please share this with cryptid fans you know!

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#1 #chupacabra #cryptid #Cryptozoology #deathOfAUnicorn #popCryptid #reddit #rollerCoaster #scientific #seaSerpents #Skinwalker #Wendigo

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