The Ground Flattener

The Ground Flattener

Region of origin: Neptune/Miron

In March of 1840, Jakob Lorber began hearing the “Inner Voice,” ostensibly the voice of Jesus Christ in his heart compelling him to write down what it told him. For twenty-four years, he wrote a “New Revelation,” amounting to thousands of pages touching on faith and religion and extensive universalist knowledge, including information on the flora and fauna of the worlds outside of Earth. Among these, in 1842 he identified an eighth planet from the sun which he called Miron, four years before the official discovery of Neptune, and described the terrain and the lifeforms that lived there. One such creature, which Lorber called the Ground Flattener, or later known as the Leveller, was an elephantine creature with long, straight tusks which it used to till the soil and cone-shaped legs ending in large, flat feet which is used to stamp the prepared ground flat. The people of Miron tamed these Levellers and used them to help with the construction of their dwellings.

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The Tote-Road Shagamaw

The Tote-Road Shagamaw

Region of origin: New Brunswick, Canada

A satyr-like trickster who lived near the lumber camps around the border of Maine and Canada, the Shagamaw was a figure with forepaws of a bear and hind legs of a moose. He would alternate walking on the two different sets of legs to leave changing tracks to confuse hunters or loggers in nearby camps. The tracks usually continued “for twenty chains,” equal to 440 paces or a quarter mile, before the Shagamaw switched off to the other feet. It was believed he maintained this regular distance because the creature tended to mimic things; similar to how he took on aspects of bears and moose he was copying surveyors he had observed working in quarter-mile increments on the logging camps’ tote-roads that now ran through his territory. Conversely, some said it was because four hundred and forty was as high as he could count.

Cactus Cat

Cactus Cat

Region of origin: Southwestern United States

A nocturnal creature occupying the plains and brushlands of Nevada and Arizona down into northern Mexico, the cactus cat has a thick, thorny pelt and branching tail, but primarily earns its name from its diet, the sap of the cholla cactus. The cactus cat will wander in search of cholla, and then slice open its trunk using bony protrusions over its forepaws. The cats will make a circuit of their territory, marking the cholla this way until they comes back to the starting point, where the sap will have fermented into a mezcal. The cats will then consume this, becoming very inebriated and may be seen yowling and scrapping with one another in the desert night.

Originally posted on Tumblr on November 3, 2016

Jaculus

Jaculus

Region of origin: Medieval Europe

A creature from medieval bestiaries, the jaculus or javelin snake was a small, flying serpent which did not possess venom so would instead perch in trees and wait for its intended victim to pass underneath, at which point it would launch itself rigidly and strike the prey, knocking it out or fatally wounding it through impact.

Originally posted on Tumblr on July 30, 2016

Treesqueak

Treesqueak

Region of origin: Northern United States

A small animal that can wrap itself around a tree trunk and make itself effectively invisible by blending in with the bark, the treesqueak will hide in plain sight and imitate a variety of noises, from other animals such as panthers or hogs to machinery and gunshots, to disorientate potential predators or simply mess with people in its woods. They generally exhibit nice and playful dispositions but can turn aggressive.

Originally posted on Tumblr on July 26, 2016

Parandrus

Parandrus

Region of origin: Ethiopia

An elk-like animal described in medieval bestiaries, the parandrus’ most notable feature was its ability to change the color of its fur to match its surroundings.

Originally posted on Tumblr on July 17, 2016

Roperite

Roperite

Region of origin: Western Sierra foothills, California, United States

A nimble predator of the plains and foothills of southern California, the roperite would quickly run down and incapacitate its prey, often jack rabbits, using its long rope-like beak formed into a lasso. Once it has secured its quarry, it will drag it at high speeds through the low brush and chaparral to finish it off. Local legend says they may be the reincarnated spirits of Spanish vaqueros who had settled in the region.

Originally posted on Tumblr on June 6, 2016

Laelaps

Laelaps

Region of origin: Greece

A hound blessed to catch whatever she hunted, Laelaps was a gift from Zeus to Europa and passed down through several owners until finally coming into the care of Procris and her husband Cephalus. Amphitryon, a general of Thebes, came to Cephalus to ask him to use the dog who could catch anything to help deal with the Teumessian fox who could never be caught. The two entered into the paradoxical conflict and, unable to otherwise reach a resolution, Zeus intervened and turned the two to stone. They were then cast into the stars and became the constellations Canis Minor (the fox) and Canis Major (the hound).

(See the first half of this post here)

Originally posted on Tumblr on May 16, 2016

Zamba Zaraa

Zamba Zaraa

Region of origin: Mongolia

An “inflatable hedgehog” said to live in the Gobi desert; as a defensive measure the zamba zaraa will puff itself up similar to a blowfish. There is some discrepancies in the supposed size of the rodent once inflated, with some stories saying it can continue to grow to the size of a small yurt.

Originally posted on Tumblr on May 9, 2016

Upland Trout

Upland Trout

Region of origin: Alaska, United States

A purported species of trout said to be a literal flying fish, able to leave the water and nest in trees in the pine forests of Alaska. “Upland (blank)” has become shorthand for fish that are discovered far from where one would expect to find fish (i.e. sharks discovered in the Mojave desert). Unrelated but in a case of nature imitating folklore, the mangrove killifish, while not capable of flight, is known for nesting in trees; swimming up rivulets carved by insects in the tree and adapting to be able to spend over two months out of the water.

Originally posted on Tumblr on April 14, 2016