A mystery creature has washed up on a New York shore. Does anyone know what it might be?

star_gazer

We don't want to panic anyone, but a minion of Satan recently washed up on a beach in Montauk, N.Y. -- (Not to be taken seriously). The deceased beast looks a bit like a dog with the sharp beak of an eagle, or possibly a shell-less turtle with the dark eyes of a griffin. Either way, it's definitely a portent of the coming apocalypse. Here is a photo and the story: http://www.asylum.com/2008/08/01/paranoia-alert-monster-washes-up-on-new-york-shore/?icid=200100397x1206500460x1200347598 [Text added -- Zb] Aug 01 08, 8:15 AM

jk18	The Montauk Monster was found in New York. http://www.zimbio.com/Montauk+Monster/articles/16/Montauk+Monster+found+new+york Aug 01 08, 9:00 AM

supersal1

Snopes states the STATUS is UNDETERMINED: http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/montauk.asp Aug 01 08, 10:04 AM

Baloo55th

In cases like this, where the only evidence is a photo and the body has disappeared, one can only doubt. Many strange creatures have been reported from many beaches - and usually turned out on proper examination to be perfectly explainable. In this case, proper examination is currently not possible. Photographic evidence is suspect now - if it ever wasn't - with the spread of 'shopping' (manipulation of images on Photoshop or similar software). There are supposed to be several photos, but I have only found one so far. In that, I find little to suggest a beak, and more to suggest a loss of flesh from the muzzle of the animal coupled with bloating of the body. Both are reasonably common in sea carried bodies. We could do with a bit more evidence of scale, too. The sites that seem to be carrying this 'news' are not all of the BBC or CNN news standard. Fairly certain: Satan is not involved. Quite possible: it was a dog if it's not a shopped hoax. (Baloo has had experience in trying to work out what things washed up on his local beach were. None appeared to be on Hell's Missing Demons List.) Aug 01 08, 2:30 PM

Arpeggionist

My guess is it's the remains of a whale or dolphin. About five years ago a similar blob washed up on the beaches of Chile and after about a month was determined to be whale remains. Aug 01 08, 3:11 PM

Baloo55th

Now if that was rotting in a backyard near you, wouldn't you notice it? Definite no: turtle - it's got teeth in the bottom jaw but I can't see them in the top. Taking it up to 354%, you can see the front legs appear to be tied together with a strip of cloth; the upper teeth do seem to be missing, as does the flesh at the nose end; the lower front fangs are quite sizeable indicating meat eater; the neck appears to have brownish fur on it, with what might be a tumour; the rear end of the back is very dog-like; the upper part of the animal looks possibly cooked - or it was on its back for some time immediately after death and the blood pooled there (an indication to forensic pathologists that a body might have been moved). For once, I'm going against whale or dolphin - which are usually favourites. It's not quite decayed enough to be one of those, even though they are often mistaken for four-legged beasts when well rotted. Whatever it is, it went on all fours from the angle of the head to the body. To me, that rules out devil as they are normally portrayed as humanoid. A further look (at 500%) shows what appears to be a circular wound on the flank. Possibly a burn. [Edited content - McG] Aug 01 08, 5:03 PM

zbeckabee

The body is supposedly 2.5 to 3 feet long. http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-lijoy0801,0,5138315.column?page=1 [Edited content - McG] Aug 01 08, 7:05 PM

star_gazer

It's time to conduct an autopsy on the strange carcass to solve the mystery. Whoever is in possession of it could make a little money selling it to one of the tabloids. Aug 01 08, 8:56 PM

Baloo55th

For my money, that's a rather damaged and possibly ill-treated dog. http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/clientED/anatomy/images/dog_teeth.jpg [Edited content - McG] Aug 02 08, 7:13 AM

McGruff

I don't know what the mystery is. I guess the majority of people have never actually seen a canine skull. The nose and ears have been eaten or rotted away, the fur will rot and disintegrate in the water, the body will bloat, and the front legs being bound together tells the sad story - someone drowned an unwanted dog. [Concerning edits above, I removed a link to an image that was found offensive, then edited out subsequent references to it. - McG] Aug 02 08, 9:49 AM

zbeckabee

Here's the latest photo of the Montauk Monster -- http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/new-photo-of-the-montauk-monster Aug 04 08, 8:34 PM

McGruff

And it's still a dog. http://www.buzzfeed.com/scott/montauk-monster-is-a-cute-puppy Aug 04 08, 10:39 PM