Love For Animals

So, lately I’ve been in the mood to post about animals that are not exactly your average pet and not exactly your ordinary animal either (at least not one that you’d be familiar with). First thing comes first–what is the definition of an animal? Dictionary.com defines an animal as “any member of the kingdom Animalia, comprising multicellular organisms that have a well-defined shape and usually limited growth, can move voluntarily, actively acquire food and digest it internally, and have sensory and nervous systems that allow them to respond rapidly to stimuli.” Now I am aware that this “animal” has already been in the news for quite some time now, getting people to raise their brows and scratch their heads in a reluctant manner. For those of you who have seen the Montauk Monster, the following picture and information may come of no surprise to you. Yet, for those who haven’t seen or heard of this animal, it is my pleasure to present to you–the Montauk Monster:

The Montauk Monster washed up on the shores of Montauk, New York (July 2008) and has created a buzz since then.

The picture is enough to appear shocking at first glance, but then again, I’ve never seen a decomposing body in its raw form. When I initially saw this picture, I immediately noticed the nose area to look like a beak. I remember thinking that it looked like a dog/pig/parrot (yes I said pig). Of course, people have resorted to claims that the animal was a subject of government experiments at a testing facility nearby. What else are people to do with the unknown, but let their imaginations get a little bit of action, ey? Jeff Corwin, the host of Corwin’s Quest on Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet network, gives his expert opinion in an interview with FOX News about what he thinks the Montauk Monster is:

Hmm… So are you sold on Corwin’s opinion? He is, after all, considered an animal expert. However, without much scientific recourse, both expert and non-expert are equally left to wonder in the dark.

Have you ever heard of the Anglerfish? If you haven’t, I’ll give you a clue. The Anglerfish was depicted in a hit Pixar movie, Finding Nemo, as a hugely jawed fish that lured/chased Marlin and Dory. Still have no idea? Well then, let me give you a glimpse into the world of the Anglerfish. The Anglerfish is truly a unique creature that lives 3,000 feet and deeper into the pitch black waters of the deep sea. The waters all over the world are home to the Anglerfish, and its scientific name is Melanocetus johnsoni (Whew! Science likes to be complex). According to National Geographic, there are more than 200 species of the Anglerfish. Although some females are only about 5 inches in length, they can swallow prey twice the size of their body! Other females are known to reach up to a maximum length of 3.3 feet. Besides its jaw, the Anglerfish has another distinctive characteristic, which is an elongated dorsal spine that produces a blue-green light through a process known as bioluminescence. This thin, long tip emerges out of its head and naturally glows in the dark, luring its prey. However, what is really unique about the Anglerfish is its reproductive process.

Female Anglerfish

The male angler is about the size of a small finger and lives like a parasite while “mating.” The male spends most of its life looking for a mate. As soon as the male fully matures, its digestive system starts to degenerate or weaken until it is physically impossible for the male to support itself. Now this is the crazy part. Once the male finds the female, he sinks his teeth into her flesh and attaches his body to hers with one bite. Eventually from that one bite, the male will fuse with the female until they share the same skin and bloodstream. The male’s internal organs and eyes will die out over time, leaving only the testes of the male for the reproduction purposes of the female. This is why the males are generally described as being a permanent “parasitic mate.” The female will carry more than one male on its body. Try six or more! It is very incredible how the Anglerfish survives in the stark conditions of our deep oceans. I’m sure there are plenty more deep fish that are just as strange, but very intriguing as well.

It’s a dog, no it’s a monster, no it’s a chupacabra? There’s no doubt that this animal does exist. However, much of its extraordinary appeal exists on generations of mythical folklore. For example, if you look at the following pictures, the first one is someone’s depiction of a chupacabra, while the second is a picture collage of a chupacabra (similar to the appearance of chupacabras seen in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Mexico).

I don’t know how the drawing resembles at all what the chupacabra is now known to look like (albeit the spotted pattern on the drawing has been seen on some chupacabras). I was watching a TV show called MonsterQuest on the Texas chupacabra. I was only able to watch a few parts, but the appearance of the animal’s skin suggests that it may be suffering from a skin disease known as Mange. Yet, since scientists didn’t have living tissue samples from the animal, they could not prove or disprove the presence of Mange. Teeth pulled from an Elmendorf, TX chupacabra and a hair sample from a Puerto Rico sighting were matched through a DNA test and proved to be a 100% identical match and they both match the domestic dog. On the other hand, mitochondrial DNA tests done on a Cuero, TX chupacabra link the animal with coyotes and wolves. Instead of the chupacabra being a part of a whole new species, one theory indicates that maybe the animal is a hybrid of a coyote and wolf.

It is still peculiar how the chupacabra is thought to kill though. Reports state that livestock animals are drained of their blood, but the only exit wounds evident are small puncture wounds found on the prey. El Chupacabra, the modern day vampire? The whole deal with the chupacabra is strange, but it really doesn’t sound as strange as everyone is portraying it to be. With mythical folklore, ideas have been passed down for a long time, but I seriously think that a lot of the hype comes from old stories, beliefs, and simply, the unknown. Folklore has really clouded the discovery of this animal in the sense that everything this animal does is somehow seen as extraordinary. 

For instance, during the MonsterQuest episode, a cryptozoologist and a wildlife expert sprayed a wooden post with coyote urine and the next day they returned to find that the post had been clawed at. The night before, they claimed to have seen something move in that same area. The claw marks were made from a three-foot stance. They looked at the post like it was unbelievable how the animal could’ve reached it to create such deep scratch marks on it. It’s an animal, no doubt, with some pretty huge claws as seen on a dead chupacabra; however, I don’t think scratching on a pole should be seen as evidence of an extraordinary animal. My dog can reach at least four feet when on her hind legs and if she had huge claws, she would be able to do the same. Sure, it’s remarkable how long the chupacabra’s claws and teeth are, but it’s not the only animal that exists with those physical characteristics. My point is that folklore has portrayed the chupacabra as a creature unlike anything this planet has ever known. It’s as if people are trying to apply the same kind of awe factor known in folklore to that of the scientific discoveries about the animal. I’m not saying the chupacabra doesn’t exist. I just think the chupacabra is an animal of an unknown breed from the canidae family; I’m not going to join in on a frenzy that says it’s an evil monster that commits outrageous acts (especially when someone glorifies a scratched post as an incredibly odd event).