John Wooldridge, our representative for Missouri and the Ozarks, is preparing an article for posting here on the mystery animals of the regions in question.
Currently, the list below identifies those creatures, monsters and mysterious beasts that John has his sights set firmly on. If anyone reading this has any data that may assist John in writing his article, he welcomes any and all contributions, leads and material. You can contact him direct at brojo2005@hotmail.com
Aquatic:
Lake Monsters:
-“The Camden Sea Serpent”
-[also see “Old Blue”]
-in Lake Creve Coeur
-in Lake of the Ozarks (both aquatic megaserpent(s) and giant catfish)
River monsters:
-‘The Creature in the Hole” [Arkansas]
-in Kansas River
-in Mississippi River
-in Missouri River [see Missouri River “dragon”]
-Bally Sally Cato (giant)
-Bingbuffer/ Kingdoodle
-Bald Knob Buzzard
-Bloody Bones
-Bogie-Bird
-The Booger Cats
-The Booger Dog
-The Booger Under Nob Hill
-Boogers/ buggers (boogiemen/ bogeymen)
-Chawgreen
-Clew-Bird
-Cross-Eyed Crud
-Darby-Hick
-eastern cougar subspecies
-Fillyloo
-Galoopus
-Geek-Squaw
-Giant birds [Thunderbirds; Piasa birds]
-Giant catfish:
-“Old Blue”
-Giant centipedes
-Giant frogs/bullfrog(s)
-Giant woolybear caterpillars
-Giasticutus/Glasticutus
-Gollywampus
-Gollywog
-Gowerows/ gowers/ gowrows:
-The Gowrow In Marvel Cave
-William Hope’s gower
-The gower from “Jack and the Gower”
-Graveyard Dogs
-Great Galliwampus
-Guffel-Bird
-Hairy hominoid: Foukes Monster/ The Boggy Creek Creature
-Hairy hominoid: Momo/ Mo-Mo/ Mo Mo
-Hairy hominoid: Old Sheff [hairy hominoid;1869]
-Haunt/ haint (“as a noun, a spirit or ghost”)
-Heber Springs Water Panther
-Hicklesnoopus
-Jimplicute
-Milermore/ Mileormore
-Missouri River “dragon” (aerial cryptid; 1857-58)
-Missourium: The Missouri Leviathan
-The Monster of Peter Bottom Cave
-Moogie
-The Moon-Eyes/ The Moon Eyes
-Nighbehind
-The Old Black Booger [Satan]
-Old Blue (see giant catfish)
-Old Raw Head/ Raw Head/ Rawhead
-Old Walleyes
-Orance/ orange [Missouri]
-The Ozark Howler
-Ozarks Buck Bass
-Paynter
-Ponjureen
-Razorbacks/ razorback hogs
-Ring-Tailed Tooter
-Sally-bally
-Side-Hill Hoofer/ Sidehill Hoofer
-Snakes: blue-racers
-Snakes: coach-whip snakes
-Snawfus
-Spook lights/ spooklights/ ghost lights/ foxfires/ ignis fatuus/ feu folle
-The Spook Light/ The Hornet Light
-Taneycomo Turtle
-Toodalong
-Whangdoodle
-Whiffle-Bird
-Whistling-Wampus
-Willipus-Wallipus
-Wampus-pussy
-Wowser(s)/ Wowzer
-“Yellow-bellied marmot(s)”/ “big goldy groundhogs”
-Yowho
I applaud Mr. Woolridge's ambition and his obvious research to date to compile such an exhaustive list. Reading some of those names, I wonder whether somebody is pulling our leg, though! Of course, having lived and worked in the rural/semi-rural South for some time, I can attest to how creative and "colorful" names of critters and places can be. The overly-skeptical might dismiss such a mind-boggling list of putative cryptids as too long for such an area that is so geographically well-defined (limited) and having been largely inhabited (settled) for 150+ years. However, I get the impression that some of those names are redundant for certain types of cryptids (especially the hominids and the big cats), and that they are simply very localized terms for the same phenomena. Sometimes you can get parsimony to work for you. I wish Mr. Woolridge luck.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I went to college in Conway, Arkansas. The local body of water (Lake Conway) was reputed to be the home of a water monster. Also, the town's high school's mascot was The Wampus Cat-- a pantherlike felid with glowing eyes! I swear!
Many thanks, I'm sure John will be very interested to read your comments.
ReplyDeleteFrom what John tells me it looks like his report is going to be a definitive study of the beasts of the areas in question.
Well, it sounds like a horror/suspense movie but who knows? Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. But one thing is that it stirs my curiousity; maybe it's really true.
ReplyDeleteWell, it sounds like a horror/suspense movie but who knows? Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. But one thing is that it stirs my curiousity; maybe it's really true.Arkansas Razorback
ReplyDelete