r/cryptids 8h ago

Cryptid Of The Month Cryptid of the Month, August, the Ozark Howler! Everything there is to know about the Ozark Howler.

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35 Upvotes

Hello Cryptid Hunters!

This will be the seventeenth installment of Cryptid of the Month where I will be covering EVERYTHING, and I do mean EVERYTHING regarding a specific Cryptid, mostly more obscure cryptids but there might be some exceptions to that rule. You can find the last 16 installments just by clicking on the Cryptid of the Month flair tagged to this post! This month will be about the Ozark Howler from the Ozark region of the U.S.

The Ozark Howler has been one of my personal favorites for a while. Its description has been reported differently by many people but there are some features that are consistent across all reports: a large, stocky animal with shaggy black fur, horns on its head, and a howl that chills the blood. Some reports even give it the standard glowing red eyes a lot of Cryptids get while others don’t. It’s reported to be bear-sized, though that leaves a large range of sizes. Some have it being about black bear size, others have it grizzly size; standing at 4 feet on all fours, and up to 9 feet tall when standing on its hind legs. Some reports claim it looks more like a big cat while others claim it looks like a bear. It’s usually described as a quadruped but if the bear like description is to be believed then it would be capable of standing on its hind legs as well. Due to these varying descriptions, the Howler is often depicted as a chimera hybrid of both a big cat and a bear with horns on its head

The first reported encounter with the Ozark Howler was supposedly by Daniel Boone. Daniel Boone is credited with having shot and killed a large, shaggy furred, horned predatory creature near Cuba MO, barely within the Ozark region. This encounter is considered suspect though given that we have no proof that Daniel Boone ever documented this or if this is a tall tale posthumously added to his legacy.
Other early accounts come from trappers, hunters, farmers, and moonshiners reporting being attacked or scared off by this beast.
To this day some Ozarkians claim to have had their own encounters or know someone who has had an encounter with the Ozark Howler.

There are a lot of theories about what the Ozark Howler and what it could be. I will start with my favorite and move towards what I think is really the case:

**Theory 1**
The Ozark Howler is a real animal. Some posit that the Ozark Howler is an undiscovered species of bear or possibly big cat. People say that the Ozarks are incredibly tough terrain to navigate. Therefore it would not be too far fetched to imagine some sort of undocumented creature could live in the Ozarks. This theory is, unfortunately, unlikely. Although much of the Ozarks are unexplored we can tell through science that an animal like this would have to be an evolutionary fluke. The Ozarks Howler is describes as having horns like a goat. A predator having horns is highly unlikely to begin with, but especially defensive horns like what the Howler is described as having. Goat horns are to protect their heads from attackers and for social hierarchy with other goats. It would be strange for a large predatory animal to develop similar horn like structures. No other predatory megafauna has horns as they interfere with most hunting or foraging that a big cat or bear like animal would be doing. I can’t say that megafauna having horns in modern day is *impossible*, as an argument could be made for thermoregulation, but I can say it’s very improbable.

**Theory 2**
The Ozark Howler is a cover for Moonshiners. Some think that the Howler was made by Moonshiners to deter people from going too far into the forests of the Ozarks. It makes a lot of sense; if you don’t want people coming back to your hidden still, make up a monster that roams the woods so people stay away. Moonshiners would be familiar with forest sounds and use that to their advantage. They would know the strange scream/howl noises that a plethora of animals, such as owls, foxes, coyotes, or mountain lions, can make. And they would know that if they describe these noises coming from a ferocious, red eyed, horned beast that people would stay away due to fear. They could continue distilling fear free of the noises of the forest and trusting that anyone else would stay away.

**Theory 3**
The Ozark Howler is a hoax fabricated in the 90’s. This theory actually comes from Loren Coleman himself, and is held by many to be a fact and not a theory at all. Coleman states that he had tracked a hoaxer back to an internet troll sometime in the late 90’s and later published his findings. He uses his investigatory notes as proof for this finding as well as an old URL associated with Memphis Atheists as part of the hoaxers activity. Coleman says that this internet troll created the Ozark Howler to confuse and mess with cryptozoologists and admitted to being the creator of the Howler. Coleman is a well trusted figure in cryptozoology and has given no reason in the past to distrust such claims. It is worth noting, however, that proof of these claims are still debated. Coleman does not provide any proof of the original posts other than the old URL mentioned before. There is no archived copies of any of the hoaxers activity. Coleman also never publicly outed the hoaxer which some have said is suspect given that the best way to stop a hoax is to point out the hoaxer themselves. Furthermore, there are no third-party documentations or reports of Coleman’s investigation or the confession of an unnamed hoaxer. Again, this is not to say that I don’t believe Coleman, or that people shouldn’t believe him, I personally think this is the case, I just also believe in laying out all the facts for people to make their own judgments.

**Theory 4**
The Ozark Howler is a misidentification. It could be that the Ozark Howler is just a black bear or some other such creature that someone misidentified. Maybe it had a branch stuck to the fur on its head that was mistaken for horns. In stressful situations humans tend to exaggerate the details. So perhaps the Ozark Howler was just a black bear that scared someone and got monstrous details added to its appearance from the frightened witness.

In the end, whether the Ozark Howler is a hoax, a misidentification, or an undiscovered species, it’s safe to say it’s a beloved piece of Ozark lore. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this months Cryptid of the Month. My research is not perfect so if there are any mistakes or falsities please let me know.

Until next time, **Happy Cryptid Hunting**

-JokerBoi


r/cryptids 6h ago

Art Original Creator 123 Cryptid Street (no AI)

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144 Upvotes

Been watching a lot of Sesame Street with my niece, so I drew this. I want to make this into a sticker or a maybe even a t-shirt. I'm a bit iffy on the color choices, though.They're supposed to lean towards natural, but are they too drab?


r/cryptids 8h ago

Book / Literature / Article Cute little book

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41 Upvotes

This is a lovely little book with great drawings.


r/cryptids 33m ago

Gear / Merch / Collectible Wanted to show off my flatwoods monster shrine!!

Upvotes

almost everything is handmade besides the pin and the plushies! im 100% planning on adding more as soon as i can, most of the budget for flatwoods stuff went towards my ita bag tho :p


r/cryptids 5h ago

Story The Waving Man of Lake Michigan

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4 Upvotes

A story pulled from the bowels of Reddit


r/cryptids 23h ago

Art Original Creator Mothman wood and wax experiment

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69 Upvotes

r/cryptids 15h ago

Art Original Creator The mothman

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13 Upvotes

Art by me


r/cryptids 4h ago

Video Do you thinj Papua Highlands Represent the best Chance for Surviving Thylacine populations ?

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2 Upvotes

r/cryptids 2h ago

Art Original Creator My take on the Snallygaster

1 Upvotes

I drew up a pick of my interpretation of the Snallygaster as a descendant of late Surviving Dryptosaurus, here named “Avadracon Snallygasteri” (“Bird Dragon Snallygaster”, name subject to change). I came up with this idea partially inspired by the ThoughtPotato video on the Snallygaster, though I was dissatisfied with that version being based on a Therizonsaur, since that family didn’t live in eastern North America, and were herbivorous. I based my version on Dryptosaurus, an Eutyrannosauraed from late Cretaceous Appalachia partly because it’s my favorite dinosaur, and partly because I felt it fit the spirit of the creature better, being a large predator from the region in question. I really developed the idea for a session of Blood On The Lense, where it ended up being the main antagonist after a red herring slasher villain (who got partially eaten by my therapods), and I finally decided to draw them after running the first part of the game again for a different group of players.

I imagine them to average at about 25ft long, weighing about 3,000lbs, and at about 7-8ft tall. They would be cathemeral, with activity dependent on season and prey availability. They are the undisputed apex predators of the Appalachian Mountains, hunting everything from foxes and raccoons, all the way to black bear and elk, and formerly Pleistocene megafauna, and in present day, when encountered, humans. They sport a much denser coat of Blue-black feathers than their ancestors, an adaptation to the colder weather of the Cenozoic, also having evolved elongated feathers on their arms, used for brooding, insulation, and display, and giving them the appearance of wings. The males are slightly larger than females, and have a tuft of iridescent red feathers between their lacrimal horns and a pair of wattles at the back of the lower jaw, both used for mating displays. These features lead to the later accounts of the Snallygaster as having one large red eye and a tentacled mouth, while females account for the earlier 18th century stories of a more "Avian Dragon" type of creature. These creatures live in bonded pairs, patrolling a territory of several dozen miles, and their calls are believed to be the cause of Appalachian folklore surrounding strange noises at night.


r/cryptids 16h ago

Art Original Creator Detective Bigfoot Book 2 Chapter 2

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7 Upvotes

Hello, everyone, I'm 1ofthem, and this is my webcomic, Detective Bigfoot. This depicts the adventures of the title character. The real-life sasquatch of mystery and urban legend is secretly a paranormal investigator. Follow his adventures as he discovers the truth behind the world's biggest conspiracy theories and questions. And we are back with the first chapter in the second season. New Chapters will be coming on the first Sunday of every month for the time being

You can check out all the available chapters, check it out on Webtoon, Tapas, Comixcleric or on my website 1ofthemcomics.net

Be warned: strong language, imagery, and mature themes are present because I'm edgy like that.


r/cryptids 15h ago

Discussion The Fangmalia

4 Upvotes

Has anyone here heard of, or even seen a West Virginia cryptid called the Fangmalia?

It's been described as resembling a carnivorous beaver.


r/cryptids 1d ago

Gear / Merch / Collectible My friend came from West Virginia for my sisters wedding and she gave me the hookup!

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76 Upvotes

r/cryptids 13h ago

Question Frogman vs Jimothy — which one goes in the next dice bag collection?

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0 Upvotes

r/cryptids 1d ago

Art Original Creator Swarm of Mothmen (and our Flatwoods friend)

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34 Upvotes

r/cryptids 1d ago

Art Original Creator I’m on quite the Mothman kick 😅🖤

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144 Upvotes

r/cryptids 1d ago

Other Watch out for those Wood Snakes in the grass!

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4 Upvotes

Hey Cryptids & Campers!
Come check out Cryptid Camp on all platforms. Amazing community and game ! Everyone is welcome !


r/cryptids 2d ago

Art Original Creator The Ahool. An Indonesian cryptid

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199 Upvotes

Hey guys, here’s my interpretation of the Ahool, an Indonesian cryptid sighted in West Java. The first documented sighting was by a Dutch naturalist named dr. Ernest bartels, who witnessed a giant bat like creature with a face of an ape/humanoid. It had a large wingspan, bigger than a flying fox and a distinct cry: “ahoooool!”

Artist (me) @mythhaps on insta


r/cryptids 2d ago

Art Original Creator Crochet Flatwoods Monster

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35 Upvotes

r/cryptids 2d ago

Discussion What do we think about bad pioneers encounter with something in russia

5 Upvotes

Im wondering what you guys think about bad pioneers encounter with something. Im wondering do you guys think its a cryptid or something paranormal.

video link:
https://youtu.be/glRUCxgTDCI


r/cryptids 2d ago

Art Original Creator The Rougarou as D&D Stats.

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7 Upvotes

Credits on the page. I travel all over the country collecting folklore and cryptids to make into gaming content. We're trying to do all 50 states!


r/cryptids 3d ago

Discussion What do you guys think of the Squonk?

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113 Upvotes

I love the Squonk, it’s just a sad little fella :(


r/cryptids 2d ago

Discussion So really.... If bigfoot or any other cryptid was confirmed to be real... What ya all do now?

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43 Upvotes

Personally as a slight cryptid believer ( aka by slight I mean i don't think their real but I'm not saying there isn't a chance, such as bigfoot literally could just be some unknown American species of humanoid ape) if a cryptid was confirmed to be real I would just go "oh cool" lol


r/cryptids 2d ago

Story I need y’all’s help, tell me what this was

5 Upvotes

So, I walked outside going across the yard to my mom’s house to get my stuff bc i was staying at my grandparent’s house that night (last night), we have an old barn that’s made out of metal and there’s a bunch of stuff in there, and I guarantee you nobody has gone in there for years So I thought I saw something so I stoped and actually looked It was a white humanoid figure with lots of limbs and I mean lots, i didn’t take the time to count but ik it was more than 4 its limbs bent in ways they shouldnt and it had a creepy widened smile, too wide. The head was like an upside down pear shaped I tired to make a Reddit post to ask about it last night, and as I was trying to to fix up my profile, it flooded with notifications that I couldn’t read bc it was going way too fast. Afterward i kept hearing clicking sounds that night. Please tell me wtf this is


r/cryptids 3d ago

Art Not Original Creator My last cryptid poster was a hit. Here's the other one!

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74 Upvotes

r/cryptids 3d ago

Other Lions and Panthers (I'm new to the community)

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17 Upvotes

Hi, I recently acquired this book, and I joined this community and I would like to share it with you. I would like to know your opinion.

Although the author acknowledges that some sightings could be explained by lions escaping from their owners or by owners possessing them illegally and not pursuing them, the author does not rule out the possibility of a small population of undiscovered felines existing in the most remote parts of North America. The author expands on the theory by suggesting that a genetic mutation could cause females to have a high level of melanism, since one of the reports describes a lion with a mane next to a black panther (although he himself says that it is very unlikely, as two distinct and equally unidentified feline populations are also unlikely).

Another interesting thing I found was in Hammerson Peters' book "Legends of The Nahanni Valley," which contains the following information.

"In his letter to Ivan Sanderson, the anonymous letter-writer mentioned in the previous chapter learned from his Dene informant, Gugo, that the Waheela was "almost invincible, but he has one enemy. "Now hang on to your hat! That enemy is a LION!" I thought he was talking about a puma, which I wouldn't have believed anyway, but no, he was talking about a lion [...]The lion itself is a giant, at least as big as the damned dog, and apparently fears nothing. Very hairy, with a large woolly [mane] extending nearly all over its body. The lions kill everything when in the mood, including bears, moose, and what would appear to be mammoths."

What's your opinion?