Friends back in my home state of New York have been telling me about a ‘monster‘ that supposedly washed up on the beach in Montauk, Long Island. Intrigued, I checked out the now famous photograph after the story appeared on CNN. Take a look:
Unfortunately, while I love a good creature mystery as much as anyone, I’m disappointed. The first thing to note is we have no perspective for scale and I’d be surprised if it was more than a couple feet long. Further, what’s being called a ‘beak’ are more likely canine teeth, which suggest a decomposing carnivore. Now I haven’t checked in with the guys at Zooillogix yet, but my guess is–despite that our ‘monster‘ looks like a critter from Harry Potter–it’s probably a dog or raccoon.
What do readers think?
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Another image at http://www.flickr.com/photos/netsky_/2723342764/
Looks like a dog.
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I think it doesn’t look very nice so I’m off to another website thank you.
Douglas Coker
Enfield Green Party
UK
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
MightyMu,
Newsday featured the second photo as well. It’s a different angle, but what strikes me odd is that forelimbs in the first image appear bound, while in the second (presumably earlier) shot, they are not.
If this is indeed the same animal, the change implies someone–who may have insight into the species identity–had a close encounter with the body in the interim.
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I have no idea what kind of animal it is but it is clear in the pictures that the bones of the skull are visible in the nose area not a beak. The head definitely resembles a dog to me, even considering that the nose is gone the head doesn’t seem angular enough for a raccoon or other wild predator that you would find in the area.
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I saw a Jeff Corwin interview and he said it was either a raccoon or a dog, but probably a raccoon. I googled “raccoon skull” and here are pictures that are pretty much identical to the “beak” that has everyone all het up.
http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Racoon/racoon.htm
http://www.skullsunlimited.com/Raccoon_Skull.html
There’s no size context for the picture and few city folk have even seen a live raccoon, let alone a partially decomposed body.
August 2nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Seem like a dog to me as a first impression… but after watching the raccoon skull pictures I’m not so sure now.
August 2nd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
We here at Zooillogix believe the Montauk Monster to be some sort of viral marketing campaign that has been tremendously successful promoting dead bloated dogcoons.
If it is not in fact a marketing hoax, then it is obviously a dead baby griffen of the wingless variety.
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Split the difference. Maybe it’s a raccoon dog, all the way from Asia…
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Turtle without a shell
August 4th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Isn’t it possible that it’s fake? And part of a marketing ploy for something? I heard it might be for some comedy show … or cartoon? Whatever it is, YIKES.
December 21st, 2008 at 12:37 pm
This creature is clearly a dead sea turtle without it’s shell. I can’t believe people would think otherwise. It has a fin in the front, and its face looks exactly that of a turtle, or reptile. It’s skin is purple, like something was once covering it, a shell, duh.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:30 am
[...] the ‘Montauk Monster‘? Last August, a strange carcass was photographed on Montauk, Long Island which made waves [...]
September 4th, 2009 at 1:18 am
[...] Yet again, another mystery critter has created a big stir in the media–this time it hails from Texas. The public can’t seem to get enough and as usual this story is making top headlines around the world from CNN to the L.A. Times. [...]
March 12th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
It’s a coon………I’ve skinned hundred of them! Does look pathetic without it’s coat and muzzle flesh!