Nowadays, stories about encounters with mysterious “lizard people” most often come from North and South America. In North America, the most famous is the so-called Bishopville Lizard Man or Swamp Lizard Man (Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp), who has been regularly seen in the vicinity of the city of Bishopville (South Carolina) since the 1980s.
The first to encounter them was 16-year-old Christopher (Chris) Davis, when in 1988 he was driving along an abandoned highway through marshland near Bishopville. The guy stopped to change a tire. While taking the jack out of the trunk, he heard someone squelching through the water as they walked along the road. Davis turned around and saw a strange creature, somewhat reminiscent of Bigfoot, that is, Bigfoot, but covered not with fur, but with green scales.
In fear, Chris hid in the car, and, as it turned out, for good reason. The monster approached and tried to bite the car, leaving incomparable marks on the body. And then he climbed onto the roof of the Toyota and stomped around there for several minutes, after which he went into the swamp thickets.
“I saw his neck and below - three thumbs, long black nails and rough, rough green skin. The monster seemed to have impressive physical strength. I looked in the mirror and saw a running green spot. I saw his toes. And then he jumped on the roof of my car. I heard a grumbling sound. Then I saw through the windshield fingers grabbing the edge of the roof.”
A few days later, the same marks of claws and teeth were found on another car, left overnight near Scape Ora in the same swampy area. And a week later, on the local sheriff’s desk there were already dozens of messages about the “hooligan antics” of the mysterious creature.
From the words of eyewitnesses it was possible to draw up a description of it. It is more than two meters tall, covered with green scales, has a small crest on its head, legs and arms with four fingers are similar to those of a monkey.
A group of scientists, together with police officers, examined the surrounding swamps. They were not able to see the lizard, but they found traces of its presence - 80-centimeter prints of four-toed feet (or paws) and young tree trunks broken off at a height of two and a half meters.
Scientists have refrained from making any hypothesis regarding the appearance of the mysterious giant. However, it was clear that since no one had met him before, he could not be a relict creature like Bigfoot that has survived to this day.
In 2015, a Bishopville hunter allegedly in the video there is a strange creature in the swamps. But in the video it is difficult to make out what flashed there in the thickets.
Writer Jon Keel has collected about 20 sightings of humanoids with reptile-like skin throughout the United States.
The case that happened to Charles Wetzel in California is a bit similar to the case with Chris Davis, only it happened 30 years earlier. On November 8, 1958, Charles Wetzel (Wetzel) was driving in a car past the Santa Ana River near Riverside, California. Suddenly, a two-meter tall humanoid creature with glowing eyes and a beak-like mouth appeared in front of the car.
The creature was covered with leaf-like scales. Wetzel braked, and immediately it attacked the car with a scream. Wetzel moved and knocked the creature onto its back. His claws left marks on the windshield.
On August 19, 1972, Robin Fluellin and Gordon Pike from British Columbia (Canada) were pursued by a strange 1.5-meter tall humanoid that emerged from Lake Tethys. The creature was covered with scaly skin and had 6 spikes on its head.
South American lizards
A similar creature has been spotted in South America, where no hominids have ever been seen before. And then a real monster suddenly appeared in the very center of Brazil, on the Mato Grosso plateau. In its northern part there is a dry forested area where the Maksubi Indians live.
They are peaceful people, they do not hunt, but cultivate cassava and papaya and raise livestock, mainly cows. Since there are no wild animals there, the cattle are kept on pastures without any protection.
Recently, someone has started killing cows here. Moreover, their carcasses were torn into pieces, which required enormous strength. The head remained intact, but the tongue was definitely torn out. Apparently, for those who hunted livestock, it was a delicacy.
After more than a dozen animals were torn to pieces, the Indians turned to the police for help. Two law enforcement officers were sent to the Maksubi, who patrolled a fairly large area in a jeep for a week. But no one was noticed who could attack the cattle. Then the Indians decided to defend it themselves. They formed a kind of special forces from the young people and received permission from the authorities to arm them.
The new pathfinders were luckier. Several times they saw some huge humanoid creatures, in their words, “terrifying in appearance,” very similar to giant bigfoots. But, unlike the hairy snowmen, the body of Brazilian hominids was covered with large scales. Therefore, the Maksubi called them Tatus - armadillos.
There was no disagreement in the description of their appearance: their arms and legs were thick, like the trunks of young trees; the forehead is small and sloping, and there is a prominent crest on the head. Thanks to his incredible strength, the tattoo was able to move very quickly through the forest, instantly hiding in the thicket. Therefore, it was impossible to catch him or simply shoot him.
furry animal
Alternative descriptionsSpanish six-shot revolver 32 and 22 caliber
An animal considered one of the most valuable sacrificial animals in the Inca tradition and associated with celestial forces and rain
In Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, the guardian goddess
Camel with very valuable wool
A vertical celluloid strip with empty cells, the size of which matches the columns of the code book
Animal depicted on the state symbols of Bolivia and Peru
An ungulate with warm fur, lives in the mountains of South America, domesticated
Ungulate, alpaca
Lamaist monk
A monk in one of the branches of Buddhism, the center of which is located in mountainous China
Lake in the Krasnoyarsk region with a Buddhist name
River in Russia
Tibetan monk, teacher-mentor
Sumerian goddess of goodness
South American pack animal of the camelid family with valuable wool
Guanaco
Pet of the camelid family
Translate the words “there is no higher” into Tibetan
Animal on the state symbols of Bolivia and Peru
Kid gloves are made from the skin of this animal.
The only animal ever domesticated in America
Monk or camel
The river flows into the Ivankovskoye Reservoir
Lake in Krasnoyarsk region
Buddhist monk
Alpaca
Dalai-...
. "monastic" beast
Supreme religious rank
Fur animal
Volga tributary
Animal of the camelid family
Camel relative
Monk from datsan
Monk among camels
Nepalese monk
Tibetan monk
Monk from Jokhang
Guanaca
Kin to the camel
Religious title
Beast of burden
Camel relative
Who is a Guanaca?
Monk with an animal name
Who is an alpaca?
Not only a camel, but also a monk
. "camel" who cut his hair as a monk
Kinsman of the camel
High mountain monk
Peruvian camel. nationality
Monk of Tibetan monasteries
Highland Dalai Sage
Close relative of the camel
Andean camel
Who is Vicuna?
. "cargo" animal
Camel living in Peru
Camel grazing in the vastness of Peru
Not only a beast, but also a monk
Monk in orange tones
Camel with Peruvian registration
Goddess, monk, river or beast
Andean camel as a monk
Monk in the highlands
camel sister
Tibetan monk
. "wool" animal
Monk from the pagoda
Camel from Peru
Vicuna
Buddhist clergyman
Humpless camel of the Andean mountains
camel's kin
Buddhist follower
Alpaca relative
Pack animals
Inca beast of burden
Bigger than an alpaca
South American pack animal of the camelid family with valuable wool
Buddhist monk
Animal depicted on the state symbols of Bolivia and Peru
Animal
In Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, the guardian goddess
River in Russia
. "Camel" who cut his hair as a monk
. "Cargo" animal
. "Monastic" beast
. "Wool" animal
Who is an alpaca
Who is Vicuna
Who is a guanaca
M. priest, among the Chinese and Mongolian tribes who adhere to the Lamaite, Buddhist faith, among the Lamaites or Shakamunites; the deputy of their deity, the high priest Dalai Lama, resides in Tibet, in Las; he is considered immortal. Lama, lama South American animal, between sheep, goat and camel
Not only a monk, but also a camel
South America. camel sister
South American sister of the camel
Translate the words "there is no higher" into Tibetan
Ungulate almost alpaca
Tibetan monk or Andean camel
The maned wolf is the largest member of the canid family in South America. He looks like a large fox with reddish fur that was crossed with a deer. This mammal lives in open and semi-open areas, especially meadows with growing bushes and trees. The maned wolf is the tallest among wild canids. Its long legs are most likely an adaptation to the high grasslands of its native habitat.
The Fossa is the largest carnivorous mammal on the island of Madagascar. The appearance of the fossa is very peculiar. Outwardly, it somewhat resembles a jaguarundi or a small puma and for a long time was classified as a member of the cat family. It has semi-retractable claws and flexible ankles, which allow it to climb trees and descend headfirst, and also aids in jumping from tree to tree.
Babirussa, or “pig-deer,” is found only on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and some nearby islands. The appearance of the babirussa is atypical for the pig family - it has a small head relative to the body, very short ears, a characteristic arch of the back, fairly long legs and very sparse, almost absent hair. The animal has unusual, gray eyes, a sharply pushed forward upper part of the muzzle and four huge curved fangs. Oddly enough, the fangs of the upper jaw do not grow down, but up. They pierce the skin of the muzzle and bend back. In old males they sometimes form a ring.
The zebra duiker is a small bovid mammal found in Ivory Coast and other parts of western Africa. It has golden or red-brown fur, with characteristic zebra-like stripes (hence the name). Duikers live in lowland tropical forests and primarily feed on leaves and fruits.
Frilled armadillo or pink fairy armadillo. These secretive creatures, whose body size does not exceed twelve centimeters, are the smallest armadillos in the world. They are distinguished by their pale pink color. Frilled armadillos are found in central Argentina, where they inhabit dry grasslands and flat sandy areas overgrown with cacti and thorny bushes. This is a nocturnal animal. It spends most of its life underground, where, thanks to the huge claws on its front paws, it mixes the sand with such ease that it seems as if it is swimming through it. Armadillos rarely come to the surface, and when frightened, they can hide in the sand in a matter of seconds. They create their burrows in dry soil, near ant colonies, and feed mainly on ants and ant larvae.
The Amazonian king flycatcher lives in forests and woodlands throughout much of the Amazon basin. Its size is about 16 centimeters. She loves to hunt flying insects, tracking them from the dense crown of trees or bushes. Flycatchers build very large nests (sometimes up to 180 centimeters in length) on branches near water. The nest hangs above the water, making it difficult for predators to reach.
Gerenuk, or giraffe gazelle. This is an African antelope, distributed from Ethiopia and Somalia to the north of Tanzania, which lives in arid or relatively wet steppes with thickets of bushes, on plains and hills, and also climbs mountains up to 1800 m. Thanks to its particularly long and thin neck and long legs, the gerenuk cannot be confused with anyone. Gerenuks have a small head relative to their body, but their eyes and ears are proportionately large. Gerenuks graze in thorny bushes and trees, such as acacia. They can reach higher branches and twigs than other gazelles and antelopes by standing erect on their hind legs and extending their necks.
The Patagonian mara, also known as the Patagonian hare or Patagonian pig, is a relatively large rodent native to parts of Argentina. This herbivore, somewhat similar to a rabbit, has distinctive short ears and long forelimbs. Its hind limbs are more muscular and out of proportion to its forelimbs.
The raccoon dog, also called tanuki, or the Ussuri raccoon fox, or the Ussuri raccoon, lives in the forest and mountain forest areas of North-Eastern Indochina, China, Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The raccoon dog is active mainly at dusk and at night. According to the method of collecting food, it is a typical gatherer, exploring all kinds of secluded places in search of food.
The raccoon dog is named after its resemblance to a raccoon, because in terms of the color of its muzzle this predator really looks like a striped raccoon.
The Rhinopithecus, or snub-nosed monkey, lives in various parts of Asia and gets its name from the short nose on its round face. Snub-nosed monkeys inhabit mountain forests and spend most of their lives in trees, in very large groups of up to 600 members. They have a large vocal repertoire, performed both solo and in choir.
The Indian muntjac is a species of mammal of the deer family that lives in the tropical mountains of India and Sri Lanka, as well as in Southeast Asia to the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. Omnivorous, feeds on grass, fruits, shoots, seeds, bird eggs, as well as small animals, sometimes even carrion. Makes sounds similar to barking, usually when a predator is detected. Males are extremely territorial and, despite their diminutive size, can be quite aggressive. They will fight each other for territory using horns and fangs. With the help of their upper canines they are able to protect themselves from some predators such as dogs.
Muntjac skull.
The horned goat, or markhor, is a large species of mountain goat that is found in northeastern Afghanistan and Pakistan. The species is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to its population of less than 2,500 adults. Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan. While chewing gum, a foam-like substance is released from his mouth, which falls to the ground and dries up. This foam-like substance is sought after by locals who believe it is useful in extracting snake venom from a wound following a snake bite.
The red wolf, or mountain wolf, is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is a highly social animal, living in large packs that sometimes split into small groups to hunt. It hunts primarily on medium-sized ungulates, which it drives in a long chase. The red wolf is afraid of people, but its pack is bold enough to attack large and dangerous animals such as wild boars, buffalos and even tigers.
The Irrawaddy dolphin is a species of oceanic dolphin that lives near sea coasts and estuaries in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia. Genetically, the killer whale is closely related to the Irrawaddy dolphin.
The southern right whale dolphin inhabits the waters of the Southern Hemisphere from temperate latitudes to Antarctica. They are fast, active swimmers and have no visible teeth or dorsal fin. They are very graceful and often move by jumping out of the water.
The humpback fly (Cyphonia clavata) is a type of wood fly, but masquerades as an ant. Interestingly, the part that looks like an ant is an appendage that the fly can part with if attacked by a predator.
The Malayan woolly winged lemur, also known as the flying lemur, is not actually a lemur and does not fly. Instead, he soars, makes a gliding flight, among the trees. It lives strictly in trees, is active at night, and feeds on soft parts of plants, such as young leaves, shoots, flowers and fruits. The Malayan woolwing can be found throughout Southeast Asia in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
The tufted deer is one of the small species of deer, characterized by dark hair on the forehead and pronounced tusks on the males. It is a close relative of the muntjac and lives somewhat further north, across a large area of central China. This timid animal, mostly solitary, rarely seen in pairs, prefers places with good cover of trees and bushes where it can hide. When communicating with other deer, the tufted deer uses barking sounds; in case of danger, it runs away with its white tail raised - as a kind of warning sign to others. It feeds on vegetation, from leaves and grass to fruits.
The yeti crab (lat. Kiwa Hirsuta) was first discovered in 2005 in the area of hydrothermal vents in the South Pacific Ocean at a depth of over 2000 meters. The chest and five pairs of its limbs are covered below with numerous feathery bristles, giving the impression that the crab is covered with fluffy fur, like the mythical yeti.
The star-nosed insect is a species of mammal of the mole family native to North America. It is easily identified by its 11 pairs of pink, fleshy, star-shaped appendages around its snout, which are used as a sensory organ with over 25,000 tiny sensory receptors.
Lampreys are a type of jawless fish that live mainly in coastal and fresh waters. Adults are characterized by a toothy, funnel-shaped mouth. They attach themselves to the fish and suck its blood. Lampreys have existed for almost 300 million years, and their structure and appearance have remained virtually unchanged.
The naked mole rat is a small burrowing rodent of the mole rat family that lives in the dry savannas and semi-deserts of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. The species is distinguished by unique features for mammals: a complex social organization of the colony, cold-bloodedness, immunity to cancer, insensitivity to some forms of pain (thermal burns and chemical burns with acids), and tolerance to high concentrations of CO2. It is the longest-living of rodents (up to 28 years).
Home to hundreds of thousands of species of fauna and the largest rainforest in the world, South America is a continent with a variety of natural and climatic zones - from glaciers to deserts. Animal and consists of a huge variety of unique animals, some of which have evolved in relative isolation. Only a few million years ago, the Isthmus of Panama was formed, providing a small migration corridor for South and North American animals. Below is a list and brief description of the prominent representatives of the fauna of South America, sorted into the following groups: mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects and fish.
Mammals
Agouti
Agouti is a rodent from the tropical forests of Central and South America, similar to a large guinea pig. Its coarse fur is coated with an oily substance that acts as a protective cloak. On the back of the body, the coat is longer. Agoutis have five toes on their front feet and three on their back feet. Like many rodents, they walk gracefully on their toes rather than on their entire foot.
Although it is difficult to see, the agouti does have a tail: it is very small, similar to a dark bean, glued to the back of the animal's body.
Andean or spectacled bear
The Andean bear, also known as the Andean bear from South America, has characteristic light spots around the eyes that can look like glasses and stand out against the black or dark brown fur. These markings often extend across the animal's chest, giving each individual a unique appearance and helping researchers easily identify the species.
This is the only bear species in South America, with a body length of 1.5-1.8 meters and a weight of 70-140 kg. Males are 30-50% larger than females.
Armadillos
Armadillos have a really strange appearance. Although most armadillo species appear bald, they do have hair on their sides and bellies (for example).
These animals have a shell that consists of stripes. The number of stripes depends on the type of animal. Although the stripes are as tough as fingernails, the shell is flexible, with softer skin that expands and contracts between the stripes. Armadillos also have long claws for digging and searching for food. Their favorite foods are termites and ants.
Otters
Otters are the only serious swimmers in the mustelidae family. They spend most of their lives in water, so well adapted for this. Their sleek, streamlined bodies are ideal for diving and swimming. Otters also have long, slightly flattened tails that move from side to side and help them swim. The hind legs are used as rudder to steer the body in the water.
Giant anteater
The name is associated with the favorite food of this animal - ants. It has an elongated snout that resembles a tube. This unique animal of South America is the largest of the order of edentates. The Giant Anteater is similar in size to the Golden Retriever, but its thick, bushy hair makes it appear more massive.
The gray hairs of the anteater feel like straw and are especially long on the tail (up to 40 centimeters). It has a stripe of white, tan or gray that starts on the chest and extends to the middle of the back. Below this stripe is a dark collar. The hairy and bushy tail is often used as a blanket or umbrella. The giant anteater's elongated head and nose are excellent for catching ants and termites.
mountain lion
This wild cat is a feline (Felidae), has several names: mountain lion, puma, cougar. But no matter what you call it, it is still the same animal, the largest in the subfamily of small cats (Felinae). So why does the cougar have so many names? The fact is that they have a wide range of habitats, and people from different countries gave them different names.
Early Spanish explorers of the Americas called it leon(lion) and gato monte(mountain cat), hence the name "mountain lion". "Puma" - this name comes from the Incas. The word "Cougar" comes from an old South American word Cuguacuarana, which was shortened to the name cougar. All of these names are considered correct, but scientists tend to prefer the cougar. In Southern California, they are commonly called mountain lions.
Guanaco
Pelicans
Pelicans are quite easy to identify, because they are the only birds that have a pouch under their beak, used for catching fish. Pelicans are large birds with short legs and are quite clumsy on land. Their webbed feet make them excellent swimmers. Birds use their beaks to coat their feathers with waterproof oil from a gland at the base of their tail.
Pelicans are excellent fliers, but in the absence of wind, flying can be challenging for these birds. To gain sufficient speed to take off, a pelican must run through the water, flapping its large wings and kicking its legs.
The species occurs in South America Pelecanus thagus, which until 2007 was considered a subspecies of the American brown pelican. It prefers rocky coastlines, as opposed to trees. The population numbers about 500 thousand individuals.
Parrots
Currently, there are up to 350 species of parrots. Although the species are very different from each other in many respects, all parrots have a curved beak, a special structure of fingers, and feed on nuts, seeds, fruits and insects. Parrots have thick, strong beaks that are ideal for crushing tough nuts and seeds.
In South America there are parrots from the subfamily True parrots (Psittacinae).
South American harpy
The South American harpy is a legendary bird, although few have seen it in the wild. This dark gray bird of prey has a very distinctive appearance. When the bird feels threatened, the feathers on the top of its head rise up, forming a collar of “horns.” Small gray feathers form a disc around the head, which improves the bird's hearing, like owls.
Like most species of hawks, the female "harpy" is almost twice the size of the male. The legs of the South American harpy can be as thick as a small child's wrist, and the curved rear claws are larger than those of a grizzly bear, measuring about 13 centimeters in length. The harpy is not the largest bird of prey on the continent (that title belongs to the Andean condor), but it is still quite a heavy and powerful creature.
Insects
Butterflies
There are approximately 165,000 known species of butterflies, found on every continent except Antarctica, and these insects come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. The largest species can reach 30 centimeters in diameter, while the smallest are no larger than the head of a match.
The most famous butterflies of South America are day butterflies from the genus Morpho ( Morpho), butterflies of the genus Greta (Greta).
Hercules beetle
This species is one of the largest beetles on the planet. The body length of an adult varies from 80 to 170 mm. The body is covered with short hairs. The beetle's elytra are yellow-olive in color. There are horns on the head and pronotum.
Ants
Ants are one of the most common insects on earth, and their contribution to the ecosystem is important.
One of the brightest inhabitants of the mainland is a large tropical ant Paraponera clavata, which has a very strong poison, surpassing in strength the poison of any wasps and bees. Body length 18-25 mm, color brown-black.
Arachnids
Spiders
Spiders have a bad rap and are feared by many people. But only a few species are dangerous to humans, and they bite if they sense danger. Spiders are not classified as insects due to certain anatomical differences. For example, spiders have two main body parts: the anterior part is called the cephalothorax, and the posterior part is the undivided abdomen; insects have three body parts: head, chest and belly. Spiders have eight legs, while insects have six.
Tarantula spiders from the family Theraphosidae are one of the largest spiders in the world. They are found not only in South America, but also on other continents with the exception of Antarctica. Their diet is quite varied and, contrary to their name, they do not always feed on bird meat. All species have poison, but in varying amounts. The poison is not fatal for an adult and healthy person, which cannot be said about small children and people sensitive to it.
Scorpios
Scorpions belong to the order of arthropods. They prefer hot climates and lead a terrestrial lifestyle. There are about 1,750 species of scorpions, but only 50 are dangerous to humans due to their venom. Six pairs of limbs are attached to the cephalothorax, four of which are intended for movement.
These are viviparous animals; they undergo a life cycle without metamorphosis. Scorpions are nocturnal and can run fast. The diet consists of insects and arachnids. The venom of most species is harmless, but some are dangerous and can cause death, especially in children.
Scorpions from the following families are found in South America: Buthidae, Chactidae, Scorpionidae, Euscorpidae, Hemiscorpiidae, Bothriuridae.
Fish
Arapaima
Arapaima is considered one of the largest freshwater fish on the planet, with a body length of about 2 meters. The body of the fish is long and slightly flattened, covered with scales. It is common in the Amazon River. The diet consists of fish, small animals and birds.
Common piranha
The common piranha is a species of fish that has gained a reputation as a dangerous predator for people and animals. The body length varies from 10 to 15 cm, and the weight ranges from 1 kg. This fish is characterized by flat and sharp teeth, which they use to bite into their prey. They have a very subtle sense of smell, thanks to which piranhas can recognize blood from a great distance. Their diet consists of fish and birds.
Flathead catfish
The flathead catfish is another species of ray-finned fish that lives only in freshwater rivers in South America. It can reach a body length of about 1.8 m and a weight of 80 kg. These colorful catfish have a brownish back and orange-red dorsal and caudal fins. There are antennae on the upper and lower jaws. These fish are capable of making sounds that can travel up to 100 meters.