CINCINNATI (TDB) -- There are rumors of catfish the size of cars lurking in the Ohio River. And folks on Ohio's North Coasthave long been on the lookout for Bessie, the Lake Erie monster, who also may have a Cretaceous-appearing colleague in Lake Superior. But the first big monster tale of the summer -- just in time for the dog days of August -- comes from Montauk, where the unidentified creature pictured above supposedly washed ashore on a Long Island beach. Gawker broke the story and published the photo. Nobody knows whether it's a hoax, mad science from a nearby government laboratory, or some kind of publicity stunt. Theories abound, though not all are accompanied by shark music in the background. One possibility: A turtle that lost its shell. Gawker first reported:
"A tipster says that there is 'a government animal testing facility very close by in Long Island,' but unless the government is trying to design horrible Montauk monsters that will eat IEDs and fart fire at bad Iraqis, we're not sure why they would create such an unthinkable beast. Our guess is that it's viral marketing for something."
Then came suggestions that it was tied to a promotion for the Cartoon Network, though the sight of such a carcass should scare the beejeesus out of kids. This thing looks like something that swam away from Jurassic Park, and not due to any fear of the local T-Rex clan.
There's now a report in Plum from the Hampton's that several witnesses actually saw the thing dead on the beach. Plum added that the four government scientists it spoke with, none identified, said it was like nothing they have seen before. The photographer whose picture is on the Internet is going to be on TV Friday.
Associated Content says the kinds of intellects who are susceptible to conspiracy theories seem to be leaning towards the proposition that the monster came from a federal lab:
"Speculation about the identity of the Montauk Monster is rampant. Many skeptical Americans believe that the Montauk Monster is a publicity stunt. The most conspiracy-minded are sure the Montauk monster is detritus from a sinister government operation. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-operated Plum Island animal testing facility is nearby, fueling the belief that the USDA is responsible; some would see the Montauk Monster as a hideous USDA experiment gone wrong while others might consider it a not -so-unexpected byproduct of animal experimentation. The simplest explanation might be that the Montauk Monster is a natural mutation of some sort of ordinary Earth animal, but which one?"
A mutation? A hairless beaver, or a beaked otter? If these things start floating ashore in Toledo or Cleveland, everybody would suspect the cause of the mutation. The water that flows into Lake Erie from Detroit.
[UPDATE: 8:38 pm -- This comment thread on Snopes.com has a lot of chatter contending the Montauk Monster is a drowned raccoon that lost its fur and decomposed a bit. Does exposure to Atlantic seawater cause mange? That's one question posed. Another possible species: A seal.]
that is disgusting
ReplyDeleteBill --
ReplyDeleteCould it be a bird that lost its feathers at sea? The turtle idea sounds possible too. Glad it ain't in my backyard. Yeech!!
maybe it is a turtle, the shell may have been torn of by a shark or dolphin. it looks really gross though eeeekkk.
ReplyDeleteCan't be a turtle. A turtle's shell is part of its flesh. If the shell is gone, so it a lot of the body. A normal turtle without a shell doesn't look like that. Normal turtles don't have teeth. A mutant turtle might look like that. What have the teenage mutant ninja turtles been up to lately? This sounds like a story for April to report on . . .
ReplyDeleteI have no clue what it is but it's gross, doubt its a bird cause it has leggs and arms. It kinda looks like a dog with a bird head, it's just gross and weird thats all I gotta say.
ReplyDeleteit is not a turtle, it can't be.
ReplyDeleteit has a tail too...
i think its some kind of mutation of a bird,turtle,lobster,and a something like a beaver.
ReplyDeletethat is %^&*()$ gross. maybe it was one of my moms long lost relatives from illinois. they are pretty grusome too. well i hope it doesnt bite my feet when i visit lake erie. maybe it was an imbreed, some ohio pepole are very strange
ReplyDeletelooks like someone tried to clone an imbreed from right here in ohio. looks like they they came close!
ReplyDeletelooks like Dawn Hadaway had a bad hairday. business must not be going as good as she says. or maybe this is her long lost twin. suck-me-sideways dawn. hope you drive all your cars to the impound lot.
ReplyDeleteit seems to be some kind of geneticly altered person. you can clearly see the part of clothing on its right arm
ReplyDeleteIt was just a dead raccoon. Dead animals loose their fur often very fast, especially in water, and as a result of decomposition the skin can turn to strange colours. The idea of a turtle is completely impossible, as turtle´s shells are part of their spine and ribs, and there is no possibility that they can loose their parapace. The snout is also no beak as many people think, but the defleshed upper part of the jaw. Some of the teeth are lost, so it looks a bit like a beak. If you look at the overall shape, there is also no possibility that it was a seal, as it has no flippers but legs. There are also some other photos which show it very well. The shape of the skull is exactly like those of a raccoon´s, as well as the overall body shape. You can also look at the proportions of the limbs, which are also those of a raccoon. You can even see that it has long fingers (can be better seen on some of the other photos), and not stumpy paws like a dog. All in all, there is no doubt it was a raccoon.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like something from the ice age, I doubt it was a turtle, bird, dog, or even a Raccoon. It doesn't have the right look or back legs.:/
ReplyDeleteno , this is just one of many species of animals we didn't know
ReplyDelete"Hi guys, I really enjoyed this information about A Monster On The Beach In Montauk? This Hideous Creature Makes Lake Erie's Mystery Beast Seem Downright Benign , is very interesting, I would like get more updates about this"
ReplyDeleteLOL it's pooping, look!!!!!XD
ReplyDeleteIt was a Raccoon. Someone went back to the area where it washed up and found some of its fur, then had it tested in a lab. Turned out to be a Raccoon 100%. As someone already pointed out when a land animals body decomposes in water for an extended period of time it will bloat and then loose its hair, like in this case. And the decomposition of the snout makes it appear to bbe beak-like but it's not. 100% Raccoon mystery solved!
ReplyDeleteits a damn opossum that lost its fur and teeth
ReplyDelete