#pterosaur cryptid

There is a story about an apparent pterosaur that was encountered and killed by 2 cowboys in the Huanchuca Desert.

The story apparently came from The Tombstone Epitaph from April 26, 1890. This story can be found in an article titled Tombstone's Flying Monster by Jana Bommersbach from the True West Magazine Website.

The monster is described as being "ninety-two feet in length and the greatest diameter was about fifty inches," with a head that "was about eight feet long." It's jaw was described as "thickly set with strong, sharp teeth," and it's eyes were described to be "as a dinner plate and protruded about halfway from the head." It's wings were claimed to be "seventy-eight feet, making the total length from tip to tip about 160 feet," and "were composed of a thick and nearly transparent membrane and were devoid of feathers or hair." The entire body was also apparently featherless and hairless, and it's skin "was comparatively smooth and easily penetrated by a bullet."

Now there are several issues with this. First off is not a single pterosaur matches this description. The largest species of pterosaurs are include Arambourgiania, Hatzegopteryx, and Quetzalcoatlus. All of which achieved wingspans between 10 and 12 meters (33–39 ft), and were nowhere near 92 feet in length. This thing is basically Rodan. They would also have had pycnofibers covering their body as opposed to having smooth skin. They all also didn't have sharp teeth and had theirs replaced with beaks.

Extra undescribed details that should have been mentioned if this is sometime type of pterosaur include the following. The fact it rounded wing tips, and wings that aren't similar to bats. Alongside the fact they have air sacs in their wings.

You also have the issue of this cryptid being way too big and by extension to heavy to fly. On top of this the Square–cube law makes it where this creature would have to look more like a sauropod if it evolved to be so big.

Speaking of size, due to it being so big, it wouldn't have been able to find anything to eat in the Huanchuca Desert. A Quetzalcoatlus alone would have trouble finding something to eat, but a 92 foot long monster??!!!

The story itself also has multiple Buffalo Bill style embellishments with the cowboys, particularly the fact they had guns. This is because guns had a lot of restrictions back in the Old Wild West.

With all those details, the Tombstone Pterosaur is nothing more than a tall tale. Notes, From The Guide.

So the Frank S.'s Pterodactyl account is a story of an alleged pterosaur encounter by a man named Frank. This classifies it as a Thunderbird Cryptid encounter. He claims to have encountered it in when fishing with his cousins in 1984 in the Delware River at night.

The story comes from a video titled Attacked by a Pterodactyl while fishing cryptozoology by Brenton Sawin Mysteries to Search

At 4:50-8:51 he claims they were attack by a Pterodactyl. He claim it tried to pick them up with it's talon as they were trying to fight it with the fishing rods they had on hand. He describes it as open it's claws up and trying to swoop down and pick them up. At 10:06-10:14 he said it had no feathers, not a one feather in his words. 11:16-12:53 he claimed the body's skin appear to like thin leather, and was it's color was charcoal black. He describes it as having blackish gray chicken like feet with long talons and a talon hook on the back.

So the way he describes it is like an outdated depiction of a Pteranodon. A large monotone leathery skin reptile the void of all feathers. One that has talons and can snatch up a person like a bird of prey can, like we see in old films from the Lost World Genre.

This sound nothing like a Pteranodon or any type of pterosaur. This is because they all were cover in pycnofibers which would have looked like fur or downy feathers, and not like leathery skin. They did not have talons like a bird of prey does, and thus could not pick up prey like a hawk can. But even if they had the feet to do so, they were to lightweight to pick up a human.

He also describes it as having monotone colors likely to go along with the cryptozoologist want to have them be nocturnal and harder to see at night. As a means to explain why we haven't found them yet. That being said I find it interesting he doesn't mention anything about it having a bright colorful beak or crest. I say this because Pteranodon would very likely had such coloration based on the evidence we have. The image of the accurate Pteranodon is called Restoration of a male Pteranodon longiceps in flight, based on specimen YPM 2437 by Matt Martyniuk. The color image is from the study.

So if he saw anything it would have have had to have been either a Bald Eagle or Turkey Vulture he mistook for a Pteranodon. Either that or he made up the story because the way he described it looks nothing like any pterosaur. Notes From The Guide

So the Sonny's Pterodactyl account is a story of an alleged pterosaur encounter by a man named David falling under a Thunderbird Cryptid encounter. He claims to have encountered it in Texas between Elmendorf, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio.

The story comes from a video titled Pterodactyl sighting in Texas; Is this proof of bible creationism by Brenton Sawin Mysteries to Search

Now something noteworthy is how he describes this creature. At 4:46-4:55 he describes the cryptid as a huge blackish-gray pterodactyl. At 9:03-10:21 he describes the pterosaur as having sharp claws or talons for it's feet, sharp. He said it had pointy wings with several points. And had a pointy head. When asked if it had feathers he said it didn't look like it had feathers, and it's skin looked like old leather. And he said it looked like a giant bat, likely referring to the wings." At 12:27-12:32 when asked he claimed the alleged pterosaur would have been able to grab and a carry a dog with a single talon. Finally at 17:29-17:45 he claims it had 3-4 foot long pointed tail.

Now why this is noteworthy is it sound nothing like a Pteranodon or any Pterosaur, and sound like an amalgamation pterosaur that is based on outdated and inaccurate depicts of pterosaurs. For example, he claims it appeared to have no feathers and look leathery. Meanwhile all pterosaurs were covered in pycnofibers which would have looked like fur or downy feathers.

He describes the wings a pointed and even bat-like at times. But real pterosaurs had rounded tipped wings that didn't look like a bat's wings. These wings also had air sacs in them.

He also describes the pterosaur a blackish-gray, and there is 2 possible reasons why. Either outdated depictions of extinct reptiles always being depicted as drab and monotone. Or a cryptozoologist want to have them be nocturnal and harder to see. Regardless I find it interesting he doesn't mention anything about it having a bright colorful beak or crest, something it would have very likely had based on the evidence.

One final thing is he describes it as having talons quite a bit, which is something pterosaurs did not have. Pterosaurs were in fact not only physical unable to grab things like a bird of prey would, but they are too light to do so as well. At most they could use their beak to pick up small creatures. The image of the accurate Pteranodon is called Restoration of a male Pteranodon longiceps in flight, based on specimen YPM 2437 by Matt Martyniuk. The color image is from the study.

One final thing about the description is he claimed it had a long tail, which large pterosaurs don't really have. Let alone ones after a certain point. A long tail creates drag and it's why latter pterosaurs, bird, and bats evolved to have a reduced tail. So this makes this being an actually Pteranodon even less likely.

Now one final thing is around 21:39 he reveals he is a young earth creationist who has watched the likes of Kent Hovind before. So with that knowledge he could have very likely had in his mind that he wanted to see an extinct creature to validate what he believes in. From there mistaking a Black Vulture or Great Blue Heron for a Pteranodon.

Either that or he just made it up. Regardless whatever he saw wasn't a pterosaur. Notes From The Guide