You are out in the Pine Barrens for a nice camping trip. After a fun filled day of activities, you return to your tent. After the sun goes down and the forest becomes quite dark, you begin to hear noises of almost innocent birds or mammals. They sound strange to you, but you shake them off and pretend they are nothing. As you prepare to sleep and lay your head down, you hear a spine-chilling wail almost like a coyote. It sounds close. Against you’re better judgment, you look out of your tent and see the source of the noise. Looking down at you with its cold eyes and menacing jaws, it watches you and unfolds its large bat-like wings. It, then, hisses at you, then turns and flies off into the night. You may not realize it, but these accounts happen quite regularly. What you just read is a typical sighting of the New Jersey Devil.

 The Origin of the Devil

 Although the above sighting of the Jersey Devil is just an general example, there are many other sightings that are very real and quite frightening. But what exactly is the New Jersey Devil and why is it called a devil? With cryptozoology, there are many theories for a variety of cryptids and the NJ Devil is no different.

One of the most popular legends of the Jersey Devil is the Leed’s story. It is the oldest known detailed account of the Jersey Devil. In 1735, Mrs. Leeds of Smithville was busy raising her twelve children. She became pregnant with her thirteenth child. At one point she then cursed the unborn child saying, “Let this child be a devil!” Months later when she was giving birth, the curse she said before had vanished from her mind when a beautiful baby boy was born. According to the myth, her curse become reality and the child became a bat-like, winged animal, known as NJ Devil.

 We will revisit the Leed’s Devil story later and apply some sense to what seems like a fairy tale. But regardless of the Leed’s story, sightings of this creature have continued afterwards and still do to this day. Sightings that each have their own unique story and have left the victims with a new definition of fear. But what exactly is the NJ Devil?

 Theories of the NJ Devil

Because the NJ Devil is a very popular being in the paranormal realm and cryptozoology, there are many theories. We picked the top 3 theories, the other theories fall into one or more of these three theories.

Crane Theory- A quite popular theory, the Sandhill crane was a very common bird in the Pine Barrens. It stands roughly 4 feet tall and with a wingspan of 6 to 7ft, this is a big bird. What is very interesting about the Sandhill crane is that it makes a loud screeching sound. Due to land development, the bird is a rare sight to see and it’s more common in the southern states like Georgia and Florida. Some problems with this theory are that the Sandhill crane is herbivorous and there have been many sightings involve the NJ Devil stealing and killing livestock. It also is known to harass people and animals. These are traits of a carnivorous animal. The NJ Devil is also said to be taller than the average Sandhill crane.

Pterosaur Theory- Apart from the Jersey Devil having many of the same characteristics as other possible living pterosaurs around the world, this theory would seem the most plausible and the sightings point to a pterosaur like creature. For some people, the idea of  a pterosaur living in the forests of New Jersey may seem very farfetched. But the Pine Barrens covers a very large, mostly uninhabited region. Most of South Jersey is covered in thick trees; an excellent hiding place for a small group of winged cryptids. The Jersey Devil may be a pterosaur for several different reasons:

1.  Pterosaurs have bat-like wings and some have a diamond-shaped flange at the end of a long, skinny tail. The Jersey Devil is said to have a diamond-shaped flange on its long, skinny tail and huge bat-like wings.
2. Recent video evidence about another possible pterosaur called the Ropen from New Guinea shows it giving off light or being bioluminescent. Whether or not pterosaurs did this remains unknown, but the natives of Papua New Guinea say the Ropen is a pterosaur. Some people have reported that the Jersey Devil glows or has a bioluminescence. Again, this is inconclusive, but seems to be a reasonable possibility.
3. Pterosaurs are carnivorous, or at least to our knowledge. The NJ Devil has been known to carry off livestock and kill chickens and sheep. But, so far, no records show the Jersey Devil actually eating its kill.

Supernatural Theory- This theory is probably the most popular theory concerning the NJ Devil, but there is no science to back it up. Some people say that the NJ Devil is a supernatural being because it’s been around for roughly 300 years. This does not necessarily point to a supernatural being, but perhaps a colony of creatures that reproduce and continue to remain hidden. Proponents claim the NJ Devil is a supernatural being because it exhibits supernatural behavior; like being enveloped in a cloud of mist or mist always appearing when the creature comes around. The Jersey Devil is also said to escape every mean of capture and remain to avoid being caught on camera; thus proving that it is a supernatural being. There are a few things to consider about both of these points. First, the concept of eluding captured does not prove that the creature is supernatural. For example, many other well known cryptids have all avoided capture, yet they are not considered to be supernatural beings. For example, it was not until 1975 that the Megamouth Shark was discovered and cataloged. It was not until we captured it, that we knew that a 30 foot filter-feeding shark was lurking just below the surface. In this case, it is reversed, we know about the NJ Devil from sightings and personal accounts. It will only be a matter of time before we discover the true identity of this creature. It would seem that the Supernatural Theory is inconclusive and it would seem highly unlikely that the NJ Devil is a supernatural entity.

 Sightings of the Devil

In dealing with this subject, it would not be complete without including a statement from a witness. Below we have included an account of the creature given by a telegraph lineman in 1909. His report was this:

 “In an isolated spot in the Jersey Pines, about five miles from Pleasantville, at a place known as Beaver Pond, one of the linemen, Howard Campbell, was detailed on a piece of work a little distance from the rest of the men on duty. After walking a little way into the woods, his attention was attracted by something coming down the path toward him. He became so frightened by the unusual appearance of the thing that he straightway made for the nearest telegraph pole. Letting out several yells for help and losing his wits entirely by the time he reached the top of the pole, Campbell threw himself out on the mass of wires between the two poles and was lying there helpless by the time the rest of the gang, including myself, had arrived. Seeing the ‘Terror’ on the pole, I raised my gun and fired. One shot broke a wing and it fell to the ground, uttering hideous screams; but before anyone could collect his wits the thing was up and off with long strides and a sort of hop, dragging one wing, and then disappearing into the pine thicket. We got ropes and other tackle and helped Campbell down from his precarious position. As nearly as I can describe the terror, it had the head of a horse, the wings of a bat and a tail like a rat’s, only longer.”

 We should note that these people are gain nothing by telling their tales. Lastly, we should like to revisit  the first tale of the NJ Devil.

 The Leeds Devil Tale-Revisited

 As we know, the Leeds story is the supposed birth of the creature, is there any truth to this story? Do we have any proof that this even occurred?

 As the tale goes, Mother Leeds lived in a small house with her husband and her twelve other children. Investigators have confirmed that there was a Leeds family that lived in Leeds Pont at the time. Also, a local named Carrie Brown has pointed out that the actual name of the family is Shrouds, whether or not that is true remains a mystery. But a Shrouds family also lived in that location as well. And what is also very interesting is that the Shrouds house and the Leeds house are a river apart from one another. In other words, these two families probably knew each other. And when dealing with origins of monsters and cryptids, especially ones that have been around for roughly 300 years, exact locations and eye witnesses can become foggy, along with overall details.

 The Leeds account is so old and there’s no written account of it anywhere, so the story could have been manipulated and changed to better suit an audience.

 As I have stated before, this organization endorses the pterosaur theory because of the many similarities between the creature and pterosaurs themselves. So let’s look at the typical pterosaur. If the NJ Devil is a pterosaur, then this pterosaur has to be roughly between 5 and 7 feet when standing on the ground, though we need to allow for a margin of error. To be true to the account, the wingspan would need to be roughly 5 to 10 feet and the skin color would be dark brown or black. The resulting wingspread is not much bigger than a Turkey Vulture or a deer in height. Most  pterosaurs known to science are relatively small, not attaining a wingspan of no more than 4 feet.

 Closing Remarks

 For what we have found, there is something unusual in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Whether it is a missidentification of the Sandhill Crane, a remnant from a group of pterosaurs, a figment of an overactive imagination, or combination of the above – the question remains.  Could there be a small colony of these pterosaur-like creatures living in the depths of the Pine Barrens? So far the only photograph purported to be of the creature does not give enough  detail. The NJ Devil is arguably America’s oldest cryptid and it’s only a matter of time before we learn more of it’s true identity. So what is in the Pine Barrens? That is for you to decide. Just be watching the skies and have your camera ready!

             “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?  Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season?  or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?” (Job 38:31-32).  Thousands of years ago, GOD questioned Job about HIS power over the constellations.  Today, it seems many people take the night stars for granted.  We barely ever give the constellations a second thought – as far as we are concerned, the stars have always been grouped into these pictures.  But the constellations obviously must have had an origin.  Who first connected these points of light into pictures of people, animals, and objects?  Where and when did this person or group of people live?

            Even more puzzlingly, why would anyone decide to connect the stars into a bear with a long tail?  No such creature is known to exist today; what could have been the inspiration for this unusual constellation?

            Let us take a closer look at this constellation and investigate the question “Can the fossil record shed light on the origin of Ursa Major, the long-tailed bear constellation?”

 Ursa Major – An Unusual Constellation

            Ursa Major is often pictured as a normal bear with a greatly elongated tail.  The pot section of the Big Dipper forms the bear’s hindquarters and its handle forms the tail.  Other stars outline the legs and head of Ursa Major.

            When we look at the other constellations, we notice they are all more or less realistic – or at least they don’t have any obviously aberrant features.  For instance, Cygnus the Swan (also known as the Northern Cross) can be easily pictured as a normal swan, and Orion can be imagined as a realistic hunter.  Yet Ursa Major has a long tail, a feature which no modern bear has – why?  In Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia, it says “Some of the constellations are good ‘likenesses’ but most are not.  It is easy to make out the hunter Orion with upraised arm and studded belt.  Cygnus, the Swan, really looks like a long-necked bird with wings outstretched in flight.  And it takes little imagination to see the spreading horns and narrow face of Taurus, the Bull.  But Ursa Major (the Great Bear) does not look like a bear because bears do not have long tails.”[1]  Since the other constellations are realistic, is it possible Ursa Major is also a realistic depiction – a depiction of an animal which is now thought to be extinct?

            To investigate this possibility, we will now examine one of the strangest carnivores to have ever walked the face of the earth – Amphicyon.

 Amphicyon – Long-tailed Bear-Dog-Lion

            Amphicyon is a member of the amphicyonid group, often known as the bear-dogs; they shared features of both bears and dogs.  After researching Amphicyon, it is my opinion that if someone saw one of these creatures alive today, they would think it was the strangest bear they had ever seen.  Several features would give this impression, yet the most obvious would be the long tail.  There are at least eight named species,[2] one of which was about the size of a modern tiger.[3]

            Amphicyon is often called a bear-dog; it had a bear-like body overall yet had wolf-like teeth.[4]  In fact, because of the dog-like teeth, amphicyonids were thought to be dogs until about 1971.[5]  Amphicyonhad a bear-like forelimb, a hindlimb which shared features of lions and Brown Bears, yet its spine and “long, heavy tail” are “more similar to the same anatomical regions in felids [cats] than to any

Painting of the skeleton of Amphicyon from Florida. Painting copyright (c) Joe Taylor.

other extant carnivore.”[6]  Thus, according to Christine Argot, who compared the Amphicyon skeleton to that of the Brown Bear, Lion, and Timber Wolf, “the skeleton of Amphicyon major that displays a series of bear-like and cat-like morphological similarities would deserve the term of ‘bear-lion’ instead of ‘bear-dog’.”[7]  Amphicyon indeed shared features with bears, with a few peculiarities of its own.  Let us take a closer look at a few of these features.

            General bear-like appearance.  “Amphicyon resembled a modern grizzly bear in many respects, but it was not as bulky and had slightly longer legs, suggesting it was capable of greater speed.”[8]  “The form of the cranium [of Amphicyon galushai] approaches that of some large living ursids such as Ursus arctos [Brown Bear], but is most similar to the fossil skulls of…A. frendens and A. ingens.”[9]

            Locomotion.  Bears are digitigrade (walk on their toes) in their front feet and plantigrade (walk on the whole foot like people) in the back foot.[10]  The digitigrade or plantigrade status of Amphicyon is controversial.  “…in its totality, the hindfoot was probably placed in an intermediate position between the fully plantigrade stance of living bears and the more vertically oriented hindfoot of large felids.”[11]  “In the wrist, the shape of [certain structures] indicates a more plantigrade posture of the hand of Amphicyon than in extant felids, a position more similar to that of extant bears…The foot of Amphicyon was…certainly plantigrade…”[12]

            Long tail.  Of course, the long tail is the main feature of Amphicyon suggesting a correlation between it and Ursa Major.  “Amphicyon…probably looked like a large bear with the strong, sharp teeth of a wolf.  It had a thick neck, strong legs and a heavy tail.”[13]  “Based on comparison with other species of the genus, A. galushai must have had a long tail…”[14]  “…a long tail…approximately as long as the rest of the vertebral column…In comparison, the [tail] vertebrae of Amphicyon are more robust than in the lion…”[15]

            As we have seen, Amphicyon was bear-like overall with a long, heavy tail.  Ursa Major is portrayed as bear-like with a long, heavy tail.  Could there be a correlation between the two?  Could the ancients have imagined a long-tailed bear-like creature in the stars because they had seen Amphicyon, a long-tailed, bear-like creature, in real life?

 The Origin of the Constellations

        The origin of the constellations has been lost in antiquity.  Although differences exist, there are deep similarities between the constellations recognized by different ancient and modern cultures.  These similarities suggest the constellations date to a time when the entire human population was located in one area.  Does the Bible describe such a time?  Yes, it does.  “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.  And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.  And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly.  And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.  And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.  Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.  So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.  Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:1-9).  The constellations may have originated at the Tower of Babel.[16]  Alternatively, perhaps the constellations originated sometime before the Flood; Noah and his family could have carried knowledge of the constellations into the post-Flood world and passed the knowledge on to their descendants.  The constellations would then be carried throughout the world in the dispersion from Babel.  It is also possible that GOD revealed the constellations to early man.  Since the Bible does not say, it is fruitless to speculate further.

            Constellations are mentioned three times in the Bible (Job 9:9, 38:31; Amos 5:8).  Ursa Major may even be mentioned.  “Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south” (Job 9:9)  “Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?” (Job 38:32).  In these verses, Arcturus is translated from the Hebrew word vye (Ayish), which can also be translated as “Great Bear,” or Ursa Major.[18]  Job lived after Abraham and before Moses.[19]  These verses show the constellations, and possibly Ursa Major, were known before his time.

            Regardless of when the constellations were first named, it is still possible the originators modeled the Ursa Major constellation after Amphicyon.

 Ursa Major Recognized in Many Cultures

            Ursa Major was seen as a bear by many cultures worldwide.  “The star group in Ursa Major was seen as a bear in Europe, Asia, North America, and even ancient Egypt…”[20]  “Astrophysicist and astronomical historian Owen Gingerich of Harvard University suggests that the widespread identification by indigenous peoples in Europe, Siberia, and North America of stars in Ursa Major as  ‘great bear’ may indicate that this constellation originated as long ago as the last Ice Age, when migration from Asia to America was possible across the Bering Strait land bridge.”[21]

            Although the bear was widely recognized, there are differences in how it was imagined.  We can speculate that when Amphicyon became rare and then went extinct, the existence of a real long-tailed bear-like creature was forgotten.  Ancient cultures may then have sought an explanation for the long tail on the bear constellation.  Various explanations were provided.  Many cultures recognized the Big Dipper as a picture separate from Ursa Major, effectively removing its long tail.[22]  The Greeks had a lengthy legend explaining Ursa Major; they explained the long tail as follows: “The extraordinarily long tails were formed, some say, when [a false Greek god] used them to swing the Bears [Ursa Major & Ursa Minor] around before slinging them into the sky.  In this process, the tails were stretched far beyond normal lengths.”[23]  The Native Americans said the pot of the Big Dipper represented a bear; they removed its tail by saying the four stars of the handle (Alkaid, Alcor, Mizar, and Alioth) represented three hunters (or two hunters and a dog) chasing the bear, with Alcor being a pot to cook the bear in.[24]

 Summary

            This article’s premise is definitely speculative.  There is really no way to prove or disprove the idea of Amphicyon providing the inspiration for the Ursa Major constellation.  However, it is certainly possible.

            Evolutionists believe Amphicyon went extinct about 1.8 million years ago,[25] while they acknowledge the constellations originated about 4,700 years ago.[26]  Does the Ursa Major constellation provide evidence showing Amphicyon was alive much more recently than is generally believed?  The possibility is intriguing!

            The next time you look at Ursa Major, just think – you may be seeing a glimpse of a long-past time when long-tailed bear-like creatures roamed the earth.  Even more importantly, remember GOD’s control over the stars and constellation and acknowledge HIM as the LORD over your life.

            “Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south” (Job 9:9).

It now appears there is more evidence to support the possibility that  most of the larger dinosaurs are more mammal-like.  Read more on LiveScience

Finding a monster sized crustacean should be no surprise for New Zealand.  Many Giant Squids have washed upon it’s beaches, and scientists are still discovering new creatures from the surrounding ocean.  Continue reading from Global Post

Continue reading from BBC News

The animal belongs to Burmese Ferret Badger species that has a scientific name as Melogale cucphuongensis sp. nov.

The centre has published their research results about this species on Der Zoologische Garten, a very well-known peer-reviewed scientific publications…”

You can read the entire here on DTI News

According to a report in the Vancouver Sun, “An Okanagan man has video he says proves the Ogopogo may be more than just a figment of our imagination. Richard Huls says he always believed in the possibility of the monster rumored to be living in Okanagan Lake.”

From time to time videos like this surface from ordinary people visiting Lake Okanagan. One wonders how long until conclusive proof will finally be gathered. You can read more here

“I looked and immediately saw a large fin or frill sticking out of the water, dark seaweed brown in colour, somewhat crinkled at the edge. It was apparently about six feet in length and projected from 18 inches to 2 feet from the water.

“I got field glasses on it and almost as soon as I had them on the frill, a great head and neck rose out of the water in front of the frill; the neck did not touch the frill on the water, but came out of the water in front of it, at a distance of certainly of not less than 18 inches, probably more. The neck appeared about the thickness of a slight man’s body, and from 7 to 8 feet was out of the water; head and neck were all about the same thickness.

“The head had a very turtle-like appearance, as had also the eye. I could see the line of the mouth, but we were sailing pretty fast, and quickly drew away from the object, which was going very slowly. It moved its head from side to side in a peculiar manner: the colour of the hea and neck was dark brown above and whitish below, I think.

It made a wave as it went along, and under water behind the neck I could see a good-sized body.”

You can read the entire story here on Fox News