Tasmanian Wolf Woven Blanket Design By MarcoNavarro On Threadless. I Wish This Had Actually Been Made!

Inktober day 17 is the Black Dog. The black dog is a spectral or demonic entity found primarily in the folklore of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, in some cases a shapeshifter, and is often said to be associated with the Devil or described as a ghost or hellhound. It’s appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally larger than a normal dog and often has large glowing eyes. It is sometimes associated with electrical storms, crossroads, places of execution and ancient pathways.

Inktober Day 12: The Ahuizotl

The ahuizotl is an amphibious creature, and when on land its fur dries into spikes as hard as steel. Its main prey is humans, although it only consumes the hair, fingernails, and teeth of its victims, leaving the rest of the body unscathed.

The Jersey Devil has gained many nicknames over the years since its first sighting. Some are less creative like “The Leeds Devil” while others are downright strange like “The Hoodle-Doodle Bird" or “Wozzle Bug”. It is not really known how the Devil got these odd nicknames. 

“Treading Softly” by CherishLoveArt.

P. Mahler 

Gef the Talking Mongoose said a number of notable things in his time living at the home of the Irvings on the Isle of Man. He could speak a number of different languages according to those he spoke to, including but not limited to Welsh, Spanish, and Russian. However, even though he could speak more than English, he once claimed that the Irvings were the ones that had taught him to speak: “For years, I understood all that people said, but I could not speak until you taught me”. 

Sunbathing thylacines. Source/date unknown.

The Last Thylacine: September 7, 1936

Hey everyone! This may be a little late depending on your time zone (as I’m in Los Angeles / PST, I’m behind practically everyone). Sorry about that!

Today, September 7th, 2019, marks the 83rd Anniversary of the death of the last known thylacine in the Hobart Zoo. This animal is pictured above.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding the thylacine - and this individual in particular - so I thought I’d make a post to correct a few of these. Keep in mind that new facts and evidence do occasionally come to light, so this is of course subject to change!

MYTH #1: The last thylacine was named Benjamin.

FACT: The name “Benjamin” was allegedly given to the animal by a keeper named Frank Darby. Darby later claimed to have worked with this animal in an interview that took place in 1968. However, no record exists of Darby ever working at the Hobart Zoo, and the zoo curator’s daughter Alison Reid denied that Darby ever worked there.** [Source]

** Note: Although the nickname “Benjamin” was likely made up by Darby after the fact, it has stuck, so many thylacine enthusiasts (including me) still use it to refer to the last individual.

MYTH #2: The last thylacine was actually female.

FACT: Zoologist David Fleay, who took much of the film footage of this individual, stated in a newspaper article and diary entry that the animal was male, referring to it as a “fine male marsupial wolf.” Furthermore, in 2011, careful video analysis by Dr. Stephen Sleightholme (director of the ITSD) confirmed the presence of a scrotal sac, indicating that the last thylacine was indeed a male. [Source, Source]

MYTH #3: “Benjamin” was part of the Mullins family group.

FACT: The Mullins female was snared while her young were still in the pouch. This assertion would assume that “Benjamin” was one of the pups, grew up in captivity, and was the last surviving member of the family. However, in photos (including the one on this post), the snare mark is clearly visible on the animal’s hind leg, indicating that it was wild caught. It is more likely that “Benjamin” was snared by a man named Elias Churchill, though this is also debated. [Source]

MYTH #4: The carcass of “Benjamin” was immediately discarded after death because it was in poor condition.

FACT: The carcass was in fact sent to the Tasmanian Museum. What happened to it after that is unknown. [Source]

Midnight Monster Bestiary • 4/? - Church Grim 

 A black dog spirit that guards church graveyards and is an embodiment of demonic and spectral energy.