Buzz
For centuries, both researchers and the general public have envisioned a host of peculiar and astonishing beings, many of which were accepted as genuine by others. Although some turned out to be fabrications, others may have been based on real organisms.
10. The Legendary Vegetable Lamb of Tartary
The “vegetable lamb,” a medieval legend, was thought to be a hybrid of animal and plant. There were two versions of this mythical creature.
One version described it as the fruit of a tree that would split open upon ripening, revealing a tiny lamb inside. The other depicted a live lamb attached to a stem by its navel, allowing it to graze on nearby grass. Once the grass was gone, the stem would wither, leading to the lamb’s demise.
The vegetable lamb was said to originate from Tartary, a region spanning Central Europe and Asia. It was also referred to as barometz, meaning “lamb” in the Tartar language.
Several theories explain the origin of the vegetable lamb myth. One proposes that it began with the Greeks, who first encountered cotton trees during their travels to India.
The legend gained popularity in Europe after Sir John Mandeville, a renowned medieval traveler, mentioned it in his travel accounts. He claimed that the lambs growing on this unusual plant were, in his opinion, quite tasty.
In 1557, the renowned Italian scholar Girolamo Cardano attempted to disprove this bizarre myth, claiming the soil lacked sufficient warmth for the lamb to survive. Despite his efforts, many still clung to the belief in the vegetable lamb. Eventually, scientific advancements fully dismantled the myth.
9. Tasmanian Mock Walrus
On April 1, 1984, the Orlando Sentinel revealed the “Tasmanian mock walrus,” a small creature said to feed on cockroaches and suitable as a household pet.
Reportedly measuring around 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length, this creature was described as having the demeanor of a hamster and the ability to purr like a cat. The article, titled “Small Wonder,” included images of a naked mole rat masquerading as the mock walrus. It also showcased photos of protesters demonstrating against the government, which allegedly banned the breeding of this creature.
The tale was an obvious fabrication, with numerous hints scattered throughout the article for sharp-eyed readers. The name “mock walrus” itself hinted at the prank, but the final line of the story sealed it: “If you ask me, that’s a pretty cruel hoax.”
Despite the clear signs, many readers missed the joke and truly believed in the Tasmanian mock walrus. In the days following the article’s release, the newspaper was flooded with calls and letters inquiring how to obtain this peculiar new pet.
Pet shops also fielded questions about the mock walrus. Orlando’s phone operators were inundated with requests for the contact details of Michael Riverside, the man whose family was allegedly attempting to commercially breed this odd animal.
The tale of the Tasmanian mock walrus spread globally, both through word of mouth and by individuals mailing clippings of the original article to friends and family overseas.
8. The Gunni
In 1967, timber workers near Marysville, Australia, approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) away, first reported the gunni (pronounced “goon-eye”). However, it is thought that gold miners initially spotted this creature in the 1860s.
The alleged sightings of this strange animal are attributed to either vivid imagination, alcohol, or a combination of both. Described as having deerlike antlers and a wombat-like body with striped patterns on its back and hind legs, the gunni was actually a masterpiece of taxidermy that deceived many into thinking it was a real animal.
In 2003, Miles Stewart-Howie, a local ranger, placed a taxidermied gunni—along with its historical background—in Marysville’s visitor center. Soon after, Miles started receiving emails from tourists who swore they had seen the gunni in the wild.
One visitor even asserted they had preserved the creature’s droppings in cold storage. Sadly, in 2009, the visitor center was destroyed by fire, and the gunni was lost in the blaze.
7. Hotheaded Naked Ice Borer
In the April 1995 edition of Discover magazine, senior editor Tim Folger fabricated a tale to explain the vanishing of penguins. These mysterious disappearances were linked to an unusual creature that could melt ice tunnels using its head.
The bizarre yet convincing story described a scientist named April Pazzo, who was studying penguins when she noticed them squeaking and fleeing faster than usual. Curious, Pazzo investigated and found one penguin sinking into the ice.
As Pazzo rescued the penguin, she discovered small, hairless, pink, molelike creatures clinging to its underside. Intrigued, she spent months observing these creatures both in captivity and in their natural habitat.
Pazzo named these creatures “hotheaded naked ice borers.” Measuring 15 centimeters (6 inches) long and weighing a few ounces, they had bony plates on their foreheads that supposedly radiated heat, allowing them to melt ice tunnels and hunt penguins.
The ice borers would gather beneath a penguin, melt the ice, and ambush the bird as it sank. Once they finished, only the penguin’s beak, webbed feet, and a few feathers were left behind.
The article concluded by speculating that Philippe Poisson, a polar explorer who vanished in Antarctica in 1837, might have been mistaken for a large penguin and eaten by the hotheaded naked ice borers.
Soon after the article’s release, the magazine was flooded with letters from readers who were convinced the ice borer was real.
6. The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
The “Pacific Northwest tree octopus” gained internet fame as early as 1998. This creature, said to inhabit the temperate rainforests of North America, spends only its early life and mating phases in water.
Thanks to its unique skin adaptations and the rainforest’s humidity, the tree octopus can remain hydrated for extended periods. It is described as an intelligent, curious creature with advanced behavioral traits.
The tree octopus uses its eight arms, equipped with sensitive suckers, to grip branches, move around, catch insects, or explore objects. It can also express emotions through color changes: red for anger and white for fear.
Many internet users were alarmed to learn that this octopus was allegedly endangered due to urban expansion, domestic cats, and predators like bald eagles. A website dedicated to the species urged action to save it from extinction.
The catch? The Pacific Northwest tree octopus doesn’t exist. Yet, the website promoting this hoax was so expertly crafted that it still deceives many, including students taking online literacy tests.
5. Goose Barnacle Fruit
During the Middle Ages, people were puzzled by the seasonal disappearance of the Branta leucopsis goose during nesting. After seeing barnacles wash ashore on driftwood, they concluded the geese didn’t build nests.
Instead, locals thought barnacles were fruit that, upon ripening, gave birth to the geese. This led to the bird being called the “barnacle goose” and the barnacles being named “goose barnacles.”
As the legend goes, when the geese matured, they would drop from the barnacle trees. Those that landed in water survived, while those that hit the ground perished.
Giraldus Cambrensis, a 12th-century bishop, was among the first to document this tale in his manuscript Topographia Hiberniae. He saw the barnacle tree as undeniable proof of Christ’s Immaculate Conception, a belief shared by many religious figures of the time.
Despite Catholic Saint Albertus Magnus dismissing the legend as false, the rarity of witnessing the birds nesting kept the myth alive. The tale of the goose barnacles remained popular well into the 18th century.
4. Lake George Monster
In 1904 New York, the Lake George monster, nicknamed “Georgie,” emerged from a friendly rivalry between Colonel William Mann and Harry Watrous. Mann played a prank involving fishing on Watrous, who eagerly sought revenge.
Watrous decided to craft a sea monster from a 3-meter (10-foot) cedar log. He painted it to resemble a monster and added green glass telegraph pole insulators for eyes.
He also set up a rope and pulley system to animate the creature. While Mann and his friends were on the lake, Watrous gave them a terrifying surprise.
Watrous enjoyed the prank so much that he didn’t stop. For weeks after tricking Mann, he continued to deploy the monster into the lake, startling anyone nearby.
Soon, the Lake George monster became famous across New York and neighboring states. However, Watrous eventually lost interest in Georgie. It wasn’t until 1920 that Louis Spelman brought the monster back to the lake.
The monster’s return nearly capsized a boat as passengers rushed to one side for a closer look. Afterward, Spelman stored the monster in his garage.
In 1962, Georgie was loaned to Walter Grishkot for a photo shoot. The image gained widespread attention. Later, Georgie was sold to a woman in the Virgin Islands for use in carnivals and parades. However, Grishkot soon reclaimed Georgie and returned it to Lake George.
3. Woofen-Poof
In 1928, Professor L.W. Sharpe and his assistant, C.B. Fraser, concocted the “woofen-poof” hoax, a peculiar bird that deceived scientists across America. The prank was originally aimed at their friend, Dr. L.F. Randolph, a botany professor.
The woofen-poof was sculpted in clay and then cast in iron and aluminum. A detailed monograph was created to support its supposed existence.
The monograph claimed that data about the woofen-poof was collected during a four-year expedition to the Gobi Desert, the bird’s only known habitat. It described the woofen-poof as 17 centimeters (7 inches) long, with a long beak and a drooping pouch.
Details about the woofen-poof were first shared in a lecture to the Department of Botany. The speaker, introduced as Professor Augustus C. Fotheringham from the University of New Zealand, was actually Fraser in disguise, complete with a white beard.
The audience was captivated by the woofen-poof. The lecture, featuring fabricated slides, was so well-received that 500 copies of the speech were printed, and the hoax was cited multiple times in respected scientific journals.
2. Eye-Plucking Prehistoric Owl
In March 2015, Daily Buzz Live, a satirical website mimicking a real news platform, reported that Brazilian scientists discovered the remains of a massive prehistoric owl named Ornimegalonyx in 2007.
The scientists reportedly extracted the owl’s DNA and cloned it in 2014. The article claimed the owl attacked scientist Brian Christopher, plucking out his eyes with its talons and beak.
Christopher allegedly lost both eyes with no hope of regaining vision. The other scientists supposedly vowed to take extra precautions, such as wearing face masks and protective suits, when handling the bird.
Daily Buzz Live includes a disclaimer stating its purpose is entertainment, not information, so it’s no surprise the article was fabricated. While a giant owl named Ornimegalonyx did exist, and the photos in the article were real, the rest of the story was entirely fictional.
Despite this, the article went viral, convincing hundreds of science and nature enthusiasts of the story’s authenticity.
1. Hoop Snakes
“Hoop snakes” have allegedly been spotted in North America since colonial times. Legend says this snake bites its own tail, forming a hoop, and rolls rapidly toward its prey. It’s also rumored to possess a venomous stinger in its tail to kill its victims.
The hoop snake myth likely stems from the behavior of the mud snake, found along America’s coastal plain. Though harmless and non-aggressive, the mud snake presses its tail tip against captors, leading to the mistaken belief that it delivers a sting.
The hoop snake has been described as inflated, glowing at night, and capable of spraying venom from its tail. Despite numerous claims of sightings, no concrete evidence of its existence has ever been found.
