Chupacabra | |
---|---|
A picture of the Chupacabra | |
Background | |
Type | Cryptid |
Continent | North America |
Country | Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States |
One-Time? | Yes |
Theories | · Cryptid · Vampire |
The Chupacabra, or “goat-sucker,” is a cryptid that has captured the imagination of people across the Americas, particularly in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Southwestern United States. This creature is infamous for its alleged attacks on livestock, especially goats, where it supposedly drains their blood. The Chupacabra has become a significant part of folklore and popular culture since its first reported sightings in the mid-1990s.
Appearance[]
Chupacabra described that common features include a reptilian or alien-like appearance, with large eyes, fangs, and spikes along its back. It is often depicted as a bipedal creature with leathery skin and sharp claws. These physical characteristics have contributed to the fear and fascination surrounding the legend of the Chupacabra.
Possible Explanations[]
There are several explanations as to what the creature could be. Theories include:
- An undiscovered species (a Cryptid)
- A vampire
Sightings[]
November 19, 1995 that a detailed description of the chupacabras came from an eyewitness. On that autumn night in Puerto Rico, the creature struck again. Farmers awoke to a horrifying scene: dozens of turkeys, rabbits, goats, cats, dogs, horses and cows... dead, with no explainable cause. Just the mysterious markings left by the blood-drinking chupacabras.
But in the north-central city of Caguas, a startled homeowner caught the world's first fleeting glimpse of the goat sucker. Described as having huge red eyes and hairy arms, the creature allegedly broke into the bedroom of the house through a window, tore apart a child's stuffed Teddy bear, and left a puddle of slime and a single piece of rancid meat on the windowsill before disappearing.
Through the end of 1995, the chupacabras had been blamed for more than 1,000 mysterious animal deaths - all resulting from blood loss through one or more puncture wounds. In that time, several more eyewitnesses came forward, consistently describing the the creature as being monkey-like, but having no tail. They characterized it has having large oval red eyes that sometimes glowed, gray skin, a long snake-like tongue, fangs, and long spinal quills that may double as wings. Those who saw it say chupacabras stands between four and five feet tall, hops like a kangaroo, and leaves a foul, sulfur-like stench. At the site of some deaths, unidentified three-toed tracks were found. Zoologists could think of no known animal that adequately fits this strange portrait.
Trivia[]
- In Hood County, Texas, in July 2010, local animal control officers shot and killed an alleged Chupacabra. Texas A&M University scientists conducted tests on it and found it to be a coyote-dog hybrid with mange and internal parasites.
- Mange is a class of contagious skin diseases caused by parasitic mites seen primarily in domesticated animals. This has led many to believe that the canine Chupacabra sightings are animals infected with mange.