#African cryptids

[daily-cryptids]

Abada

Origin: The Congo The Abada is similar to a unicorn with a deer-like head and the size of an ox. The Abada has two horns, one on it's forehead and the other on it's nose. The Abada was first reported by Giovanni Cavazzi and later reported by Girolamo Merolla.

[basementofthebizarre]

Cryptid Crawlies: The Legend of the J'ba Fofi

The dense rainforests of Central Africa are home to many legends and creatures that defy explanation. Among them is the J’ba Fofi (“CHAH-bah FOH-fee”), a cryptid that has captured the imaginations of cryptozoologists and adventurers alike. Known in the local Baka folklore as the “giant spider,” the J’ba Fofi is a massive arachnid. It lurks in the shadows, weaving large webs. It preys on…

[muttinthenest]

I'm just an animal.

Humans and I aren't the same species. Somehow, it's like they see the animal in me. Speak to me as rarely as they can, skirt around where I step like I'm a danger to them. They speak in a language I don't recognize, make quips about how ragged I look, how uncanny my behaviour is, and how sharp these teeth and claws I hold look in their eyes.

I am not built the same as them. My mind and body are made from different flesh. And they can tell. They can tell just from looking at me. Not one of us, I see the thought behind their eyes. I can't understand the concept that one of them could not be a danger to me, that any of them don't want to hurt me the way they have my whole life. I snarl and bite my teeth at them, then cover my mouth in hot shame. I can't even mimic their rage.

My teeth are inhuman and monstrous. I look at them in the mirror and see a wide animal maw staring back at me. I learned early to not smile or laugh in a way that shows them off. Humans don't like when a beast bares it's teeth at them.

My voice is garbled and broken, throat damaged from mimicking a language my vocal chords didn't evolve to speak. I used to take comfort in growling, snarling, crowing, screaming. It became clear that did nothing but scare them. I stopped.

Finding ones that aren't a danger is almost worse. Longing. I can be a good animal for you. Bite my tongue and hide my teeth away from you. Never speak so you can say anything you want to me. I can lay on the floor so you don't have to share your furniture with a filthy creature. Let me stay, I can be a good animal for you. I would be so good at it.

I'm as much a human as I am a rock or a leaf in the dirt below their feet.

[labete-du-gevaudan]

The habéby, also known as the fotsiaondre, or "White Sheep", is a cryptid that has been reported on Madagascar. This drawing of the creature was done by Philippe Coudray for his 2009 Guide des Animaux Cachés. It is described by witnesses as a large white sheep with drooping, furry, ears. It typically is said to have an unusually long muzzle compared to other sheep. The habéby has a white coat that is spotted with browns. It is also said to have cloven hooves that can carry it up the steepest mountainsides.

Unlike normal sheep, the habéby is said to be entirely nocturnal. It has large eyes that are described as staring and disconcerting. It will even stand up to large dogs. These odd features have some researchers believing that the habéby is not a sheep at all. It is thought by some that these creatures could have been misidentified terrestrial lemurs.

[cryptid-of-ohio]

most and least edible butterflies?

That’s a pretty good question. I had to put in a bit of research to get what I think are the objectively correct answers (I’ll give subjective answers too).

First, a few ground rules. I will only be looking at the adult stage’s edibility. My objective answers will be based off my research, while my subjective will be whatever the hell I want. I have never personally eaten a butterfly, so some of my reasoning will be based on assumptions. Anywayssss

The objective least edible is pretty easy actually. It’s the African Giant Swallowtail, which produces a cardiosteroid and could potentially kill a human if ingested.

Isn’t it beautiful?

Also, fun fact, no one has published what the caterpillars look like, or what the host plant is for this species. So that’s a neat little mystery.

As for the objectively most edible butterfly, that’s a bit more subjective. For edibility, I’m looking for no poison (obviously), as it tastes bad even if it’s not lethal. I’m also looking for a larger main body since that is where most of the nutrients will come from.

I think a good butterfly that fits those criteria would be the Western Tiger Swallowtail.

Some of you may suspect it’s poisonous due to its bright color pattern, but it isn’t. Its colors are a false warning to predators to stay away.

I will say though, if you really want to eat a butterfly I would remove the wings, or avoid them. The scales that coat them are made of keratin, aka the stuff our hair and fingernails is made of, which isn’t very tasty.

Anyways, now on to the subjective stuff. I think the least edible butterfly is the glass wing butterfly.

I mean, look at it! If it were a human it would be so emaciated! There’s nothing tasty there to eat! Not to mention, it’s also poisonous! 0/10 would not recommend eating

As for most edible, I have to go with one that might surprise you.

This is the Harvester Butterfly. It may look small and unassuming, but that’s not why I picked it for the most edible. I picked it because it’s going to be full of different nutrients than other butterflies.

See, the Harvester is unique in its eating habits. As an adult it doesn’t usually drink nectar, instead drinking minerals from the ground or sap. This is because they got most of their nutrients as a caterpillar where their diet was…

Other bugs!! That’s right! This is the only species of carnivorous butterfly on the planet. Their diet as caterpillars is almost entirely made up of eating aphids and the remains of other bugs. It also means that is isn’t poisonous, as most butterflies become poisonous by eating poisonous plants in the caterpillar stage.

I hope this satisfies your curiosity @json-derulo

[generationexorcist]

African Mythical Creatures: A Guide to Folklore Monsters

African mythology is a rich tapestry woven with diverse tales of mythical creatures and folklore monsters, each embodying the continent's profound cultural heritage and storytelling traditions.

These entities, ranging from benevolent guardians to fearsome beasts, play pivotal roles in explaining natural phenomena, teaching moral lessons, and entertaining listeners across generations...

Culture Bay

[creaturesncryptids]

Werehyena

[woodelf68]

Tempted by both the pride snail and the cryptid... surprise me? 👀

I have got NO idea what I was thinking when I drew this; it's not typical at all for me. I've always tried to be as realistic as possible when drawing animals. But here you go, a snake-leopard-elephant hybrid. A sneopardphant, if you will. (Or I suppose it could be a sneetahphant, if you prefer.)

[havinganormalone]

One thing I love about the giant squid is that one of the reasons people were so convinced they existed were scars on sperm whales. The LARGEST whale, largest animal we knew existed on earth, would occasionally be seen with scars on their bodies. What could possibly pick a fight with a creature as massive as the Sperm Whale? What's more, while most of these scars were straight lines, sometimes clusters of circular scars could be seen.

Imagine seeing these marks on a whale. You know smaller squid exist, and they make marks like this, just on a micro scale. It's 1910. You are a whaler. The creature you hunt is dangerous, capable of destroying you and your crew if you are unfortunate. And yet somewhere out there, in the vast ocean beneath you, is a creature that can hurt even a behemoth sperm whale. You don't know where it lives, or how common it is. All you can do is pray you never meet one.

[professionalnooneatall]

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[daily-cryptids]

Amali

Origin: Gabon The Amali is an amphibious dinosaur-like cryptid with 3 claws on each foot. That Amali's footprints are "about the size of a good frying pan" and is from the lakes in Gabon

[celestial-kestrel]

It's that time of year again where Mari Lwyd starts to be talked about and shared around and an INCREDIBLY misleading post gets shared a lot. As someone who grew up with Mari Lwyd I wanted to clear some things up.

Also hello, if you are unaware who Mari Lwyd is. This is about the Welsh tradition of the horse skull who visits houses during the Christmas to New Years period in Wales asking for alcohol.

First off and probably the most important one:

Mari Lwyd is not a cryptid!

I can not emphasise this enough. She. Is. Not. A. Cryptid. There is no story or mystery about a ghost or zombie horse roaming the Welsh valleys. She's not even supposed to be a ghost or a zombie. It's just a horse skull on a stick with a guy under a sheet. She's a hobbyhorse and a folk character used to tell Welsh stories and keep songs alive. When people spread the misinformation that she's a cryptid, it's the equivalent of saying Kermit the Frog is a cryptid.

She is actually only one character in a wider cast of characters who go door to door or, in more modern times, pub to pub. The cast of characters can change town to town and village to village but there are some common ones I see time and time again. The Leader, the Merryman, The Jester and The Lady are just some I see regularly. Punch and Judy used to be more popular a few years ago but I haven't seen them in a while as their tradition has mostly fallen out of popularity. In most cases, almost the whole cast will be played by men. Even the characters are considered and referred to as female. Though this again depends and varies by which group is partaking in the Mari Lwyd tradition.

This point also goes onto my second point,

Mari Lwyd does not rap.

I think this comes from a very common misunderstanding of what rap is vs spoken word. Rap is a very specific style of music originating from the African American communities of the USA and has it's own structure and motifs unique to it. It's a lot more complex than people give it credit for as a style of music and just flippantly assign anything similar to it as being rap. If someone is talking fast or reciting poetry, it is not rap. Or anything that is an exchange of words between two people is not a rap battle. Mari Lwyd does not do rap, actually something that gets left out of these posts is the fact Mari Lwyd does not even speak. It's actually the Leader, who does all the speaking and song based banter between the house/pub owner for entry. Mari Lwyd just clicks her mouth, bites people and bobs her head around.

I think Mari Lwyd is a really beautiful and unique part of Welsh culture. She's not actually as wildly celebrated as a lot of the posts make her out to be. Actually, I think most Welsh people themselves learn about Mari Lwyd through the internet as well. Her popularity is increasing thanks to the drive of local groups wanting to keep the traditions alive and a renewed desire to document Welsh traditions before they're gone. Which is why it's such a shame that she's turned into something she's not to earn horror points on the internet. I think this is why it bothers me so much to see the misunderstandings of the culture and the folk tradition. Mari Lwyd's origin is very hot debated as well as how long it's been going on for. But I think it's thanks to a lot of traditions like this that the Welsh language and our stories weren't lost forever. Welsh culture is recovering as is the language. But it's still in a very fragile place. I think it's why it's important to document and correct information when it's spread.

Anyway, if you want to see the tradition in action, here's a lovely video from the Cwmafan RFC going to one of the pubs for charity. It includes the song exchange with the pub owner for entry and the whole pub singing and joining in once Mari Lwyd and the rest are inside.

As well with another video from St Fagan's showcasing the more traditional and door to door form with the larger cast.

[godzilla-and-aang-monsters]

Mahamba

Altura: 64 metros

Longitud: 400 metros

Peso: 21,000 toneladas

Primer Avistamiento: Lago Telé [Tierra: Teratoverso]

Controles: Agua Control [Nado, giro de la muerte]

Guarida: Lago Telé [Tierra:Teratoverso] Pantano Brumoso [Avatarverso]

Aspecto: Deinosuchus + Purussaurus

Aliados:

Humanos: Aang, Katara, Soka, Iroh, Zuko, Toph

Kaijus y otras bestias: Godzilla, King Kong, Mothra, Rodan, Anguirus

Enemigos:

Humanos: Ozai y Azula

Kaijus y otras bestias: Kasai Rex, Nguma Monene

[labete-du-gevaudan]

Trunko was originally known as the Margate Sea Serpent when it was discovered washed ashore on October 25th, 1924, in Margate, South Africa. In newspapers at the time, it was even called a “Fish like a Polar Bear”.

According to eyewitnesses, the creature was seen battling two killer whales in the ocean for a length of 3 hours. It could, reportedly, lift its body out of the ocean by 20 feet and it fought the killer whales with its tail. Even though Trunko was washed up on the beach for a total of 10 days, no scientists ever went to investigate it. Photos of the carcass were discovered in 2010. Before that, no one knew photos were ever published.

Trunko was eventually chalked up to being the rotting carcass of a whale.

[cryptid-quest]

Cryptid of the Day: Vassoko

Description: The Vassoko is a strange feline-cryptid seen in the Vakaga Prefecture in the Central African Republic. It is described as a horse-sized feline, with dog ears, long fangs, illuminating eyes, a bushy tail, and can make a noise similar to an elephant. 

[can1nezz]

intro post

agere blog: @babyst4rz

bodily age: 15 !! ( dni if uncomfy )

gender identity: ftm transmasc-neutral dogthing muttboy autigender mascneutralflux + a shit fuck ton of xenos

SKIBIDI TOILET IS MY CURRENT HYPERFIXATION!!

attraction: nebularomantic, aroace ( zeloromantic , repulsed ace , mollicsexual ) objectum , techum

QPP: @dogtoothcanidae

warnings for my profile: paraphilia ( ? ) ( cannibalism , necro , snvff + mvrder ) , objectum / techum , proship , darkship , AAM

( plz tell me if i should put more stuff on here , i will tag my posts that r applicable to these warnings )

sign offs -

#🔪.txt ( jeff )

#🪽.txt ( gabriel )

#🥩.txt ( hannibal )

#🦷.txt ( dexter )

#☠️.txt ( ghost )

stuff: please xe love when ppl submit asks please i love it ask dexter questions , xe LOVE questions golly ... i/me , we/us + 3rd person things are fluidly used and fluctuated, DOES NOT MAKE SENSE SOMETIMES. AAC user !! literally just a silly fuckass emo dog !! if u look up trashy 2000s big brother thats literally me

things wrong w me:

mentally: tics, autism (medium/level 2 support needs), ADHD, spd, bipolar disorder, mentally ill + mentally disabled, skill regressed, hyperverbal and unreliably speaking but has frequent speech loss episodes, SOMEWHERE on the schizospec, cluster a , possible OSDD, AVPD

physical - ambulatory mobility aid user!! (hoping to get actual aids soon 💔), stage 2 mild osteoarthritis, physically disabled, chronically ill, chronic migraines, IBS, seizures, possible epilepsy ?

DNI: racists , misogynists , pro c paras , anti recov , i block freely.

PLEASE interact: nonhumans , other disabled ppl ( phys and/or ment ) , silly ppl , awesome people mwahahah , lgbtq+ , literally anyone i need friends , objectum

therian: caribbean reef shark, albino burmese python, raccoon, hissing cockroach, white tiger, african forest buffalo, canadian lynx, ferret, canine cladotherian (specifically canines with pointed, slightly rounded ears and long muzzles)

otherkin: angel (seraphim), demon, vampire, fae, siren, ghost/spirit, elf, dragon, hellhound/cerberus, cryptid, Lucifer/Satan (the bible)

fictkin: seek (roblox, doors), toby rogers, draculara (mh), konig (COD), simon 'ghost' riley (COD), nikto (COD), homelander (the boys), johnny 'soap' mactavish (COD), eddie munson (ST), argyle (ST), billy hargrove (ST), skibidi toilet cladokin (is that a thing? well it is now), hannibal lecter (nbc hannibal)