The Search for the Jersey Devil (2015) - Plot Summary - IMDb (Chris Chaos is a long time resident of South Jersey who once again resides in and writes from Gloucester City, New Jersey. Well, that's the thing. It is not considered a species of conservation concern due to its large range and presumably large population size. It much resembles the fruit bat which is a species of bat on Earth, although the head of this big bat reminds me of the head of a horse. Unlike many other bat species that segregate based on sex, males and females will roost together during the day. [22] Its ability to produce extremely loud vocalizations means that some consider it one of Africa's most significant nocturnal pests. The Nature Conservancy is using innovative natural solutionsto help salt marshes persist. And, what is even more exciting and tingling, is that while browsing for pictures on the internet of the hammerhead bat, I came across yet another even more exciting picture, that of a Jersey Devil, which looks even more like the Big Bat I had encountered, in that the Jersey Devil has the hooved feet that my alien cryptid also had. With the onset of a global pandemic causing the shutdown of fan conventions all over the world, it was only a matter of time before the cancellations hit the Theres something strange moving through Kentucky like a virus, twisting through the Mammoth Cave system and hovering in the skies above the Appalachian Mountains. Males have a wingspan of 686 to 970 mm, and females have an average wingspan of 840 mm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer-headed_bat. Smooth Dogfish are also called dusky smooth-hounds. Allen placed the species into a newly-created genus, Hypsignathus. [7] Some taxonomists do not recognize Epomophorinae as a valid subfamily and include its taxa, including the Epomophorini, within Rousettinae. "WHAT-IS-IT VISITS ALL SOUTH JERSEY" declared the front page of The Inquirer on Jan. 21, 1909 - above a photograph of "actual proof-prints of the strange creature." "Hooflike tracks" could be seen in the snow "in practically every block in Burlington city" - including rooftops - throwing . [8][9], The hammer-headed bat is the largest bat in mainland Africa. This hammer-headed bat looks unnaturally large because it is closer to the camera than its handler. Instead, they have a harem system. The hammer-headed bat is the largest bat species found in Africa. It is not considered a species of conservation concern due to its large range and presumably large population size. Here's Why. ? In 1718, Leeds retired and his son, the amazingly named Titan Leeds, took over both the family affairs and their penchant for feuding. From a quick search, they are about 8 to 12 inches long. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Of course, there's the minor issue that the hammerhead bat is native to Africa, not North America. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) also has a hammer-head face. Males and females greatly differ in appearance which makes it the most sexually dimorphic bat species in the world. That said, the hammer-headed bat is a threat in another, perhaps more surprising way. As far as the face of the Hammerhead Bat it appears to be a better explanation of what people of the Pine Barrens have been seeing as opposed to the Sandhill Crane. ", "Description of new pteropine bats from Africa", "Taxonomy and biogeography of African fruit bats (Mammalia, Megachiroptera). Males and females both have dark brown fur, with a paler mantle (sides and back of neck). The species is a suspected reservoir for the Ebola virus, but as of 2017, only antibodies against the virus (not the virus itself) have been found in the animals. Males range in weight from 8.0 to 15.9oz, while females weigh 7.7 to 13.3oz. [15][16], Hammer-headed bats are frugivores. The crane or stork ideas makes more sense imo. The hammer-headed bat is sometimes considered a pest due to its frugivorous diet and its extremely loud honking noises at night. Summaries. Some smooth dogfish will live their entire lives in the . They eat fruit mostly figs. It takes males a full year to develop their hammer-head faces and about 18 months before they reach maturity. Hammer-headed bat - Wikipedia Females tend to travel a consistent route to find predictable fruits, whereas males travel more to find the highest quality fruit. In this mating ritual, large groups or leks of bats, from 20 to well over 120, gather to attract females. TNC staff surveys results of a marsh restoration project in Avalon, NJ. The roost of a hammer-headed bat typically consists of fewer than five creatures. These differences include several adaptations that help males produce and amplify vocalizations: the males' larynges (vocal cords) are about three times as large as those of females, and they have large resonating chambers on their faces. Ugly. [10], Van Deusan (1968) reports H. monstrosus showing some carnivorous behavior by attacking chickens to drink their blood and scavenging for meat. However, some populations of Hammer-headed bats in West Africa do not use leks. The hammer-headed bat is a real animal, and its scientific name (Hypsignathus monstrosus) references its monstrous appearance. ". 1.22K subscribers The hammerhead bat (or "hammer-headed bat") is a real animal that 100% looks like the classic visual of the Jersey Devil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer-headed_bat Hammerhead bat from https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hammerhead-bat/ The Jersey Devil Some smooth dogfish will live their entire lives in the back bays. The drawing I have made here on this page, was made in 2013 when I had the sighting of the Big Bat. Allegedly, Leeds was also a big mysticism guy, and had published a text calledThe Temple of Wisdom,where he discussed things like sorcery and devils. In 2013 I had a sighting of this alien cryptid which I had named "Big Bat". If the grassy expanses continue to degrade unchecked, they will no longer provide the nurturing resources and conditions to sustain sharks and many other species. Throughout Equatorial Africa, the Hypsignathus monstrosus better known as the hammer-headed bat dominates the night sky with its monstrous wingspan and its pestilently loud noises. The tongue has backward-facing papillae which help to extract juice from fruits. Hammer-headed bats feast on the fruit that grows in the area, including figs, bananas, guavas, and mangos, making them frugivores. On average, they grow up to three feet long. Enter your email address to subscribe to Week in Weird and receive the latest weird news delivered directly to your inbox! However it is interesting that I would have seen the creature in mental images, presumably before I had known about the Jersey Devil, especially considering how surprised I was to come across this picture of the Jersey Devil, and that my Big Bat and the Jersey Devil would look identical to each other. Youve already signed up with this email address. The person holding this fruit bat is extending the animal out toward the camera, and since the bat is closer to the lens than the human, the forced perspective makes the animal appear larger than normal. Only the males have large, elongated heads. [22] It is eaten in Nigeria,[23] as well as seasonally in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is often described as having hooves, a snake's tail, bat-wings and a head that looks something like a horse. The time required for gestation and weaning is unclear, but females are known to mature more quickly than males. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/hammer-headed-bat-facts-4177418. Meet 14 creatures you might encounter along N.J. beaches (and 18 more Juveniles, called pups, receive no maternal care after their live birth, so will quickly take protective cover among the marsh grasses. Of course, historical sources make no mention of a screeching demon child flying around, except when recounting the legend. Males and females rely on different strategies for foraging. Bushmeat is a catch-all term used to describe wild game in general, but it is often used specifically to denote game meat from Africa. [2] Initially, Allen identified the hammer-headed bat as a member of the subfamily Pteropodinae of the megabats. The picture was published in 1909 in the Philadelphia Bulletin. In the 80s, New Jersey named their hockey team the Jersey Devils based off the legend. To review your email preferences, please visit nature.org/emailpreferences. [10] Humans hunt this large bat and consume it as bushmeat. Whether or not the bats can transmit Ebola infection to humans is unknown. Though most commonly observed far from shore, at times they will venture closer in search of food. An adult bat ranges from 7.7 to 11.2 in body length, with a wingspan of 27.0 to 38.2in. The hammer-headed bat ( Hypsignathus monstrosus ), also known as hammer-headed fruit bat and big-lipped bat, is a megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa. Because of their all-fruit diet, theyre considered a pest by many African farmers, who eliminate them when necessary to save their crops. The New Jersey Devil, also known as the Leeds Devil, was assigned as New Jersey's official state devil in 1938. Additionally, nucleic acid sequences associated with the virus have been isolated from its tissues. Fun Fact: Threshers slap prey with their tail, stunning them long enough to devour. Hammer-headed bats prefer to roost in trees, typically 20-30 m (66-98 ft) above the ground, and move to a new roost every 5 to 9 days. Although colonies up to 25 bats have been observed, the average hammer-headed fruit bat roost is fewer than five bats. Instead, at sunset, individuals groom themselves then set off independently to forage. Males gather in a particular region, known as a lek and there they establish "display territories". Description: Sleek, medium-sized sharks that range in color from gray-brown to bronze with white bellies. Its also the most sexually dimorphic bat species in the world. [10] These numerous adaptations caused scientists Herbert Lang and James Chapin to remark, "In no other mammal is everything so entirely subordinated to the organs of voice". Liz Taylor. As the mating season progresses, the importance of the before-dawn peak lessens. Probably juuuust a coincidence. April 29, 2020. [17], Little is known about reproduction in hammer-headed bats. The hammerhead bat is a mammal and its habitat is in equatorial Africa. [6], A 2011 study found that Hypsignathus was the most basal member of the tribe Epomophorini, which also includes Epomops, Micropteropus, Epomophorus, and Nanonycteris. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. In Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is consumed as bushmeat. Terms of Use They chew the fruit, swallowing the juice and soft pulp, before spitting out the rest. Their larynx and rostrum are enlarged, creating a resonating chamber that makes it easier for them to create the loud honking noises that attract the females. Instead, they have a harem system. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, A photograph showing an odd-looking, large bat with an elongated face known as a "hammerhead bat. Please enter a valid email address (formatted as name@company.com). Sign up for a new account in our community. Diamondback terrapins live in brackish. Females will fly through the lek, selecting a male by landing on a branch next to him. Meet the hammer-headed bat: the flying mammal with the head of a puppy These differences include several adaptations that help males produce and amplify vocalizations: the males' larynges (vocal cords) are about three times as large as those of females, and they have large resonating chambers on their faces. The Legend of The New Jersey Devil | Talon Post Open In fact, they dont usually gather in large family groups at all. There are some complications inherent in a fruit diet such as insufficient protein intake. The male then lets out a staccato buzz sound, mates with the female, and hangs on the branch again, honking for the next female. [12] Upon finding suitable fruit, the hammer-headed bat may eat at the tree or pick the fruit and carry it away to another site for consumption. 2. There are some theories the Devil might be a non-native animal that someone brought over, like a Hammerhead Bat. Thresher sharks are some of the fastest sharks in the ocean. Hammer-headed bats are polygynous meaning that males mate with more than one female. [10] The males at the center of the lek have the most success, and are responsible for the majority of matings:[12] the top 6% of males have 79% of the total matings. The common adjective is "nocturnal", A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Even bats native to areas that experience cold winters - like New . It has been investigated as a potential reservoir of the Ebola virus, with several testing positive for antibodies against the virus. These "pings" are picked up by sensors along the east coast so scientists can monitor the sharks' journeykind of like an EZ Passallowing scientists like Dr. Dunton to see how sharks are moving through New Jersey's marshes and along the coast. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1862. [10] It has pronounced sexual dimorphism, more so than any other bat species in the world,[10] with males up to twice as heavy as females. Ouch. There's actually a chance that at least some version of theJersey Devilmight actually have existed. The bat has a longer intestine than that of an insectivorous species, allowing it to absorb more protein from its food. Hammer-headed bats are found in West and Central Africa, including the following countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. I guess a person could think it was high in the sky when really it wasn't very far above them. ADW: Hypsignathus monstrosus: INFORMATION - Animal Diversity Web Smooth dogfish nurseries have been documented in New Jersey's estuaries and shallow tidal waters, particularly Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor. hammerhead bat | Strange Animals Podcast Could the Jersey Devil possibly be a misidentified "Hammer-Head Bat During the mating season male Hammer-headed bats have to try hard in order to attract females; they typically display for around 4 hours and produce 60-120 honks per minute. There is a sole report of a bat eating a chicken, but no carnivorous activity has been substantiated. Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. Hammerhead bats are native to Central Africa, and . Females tend to travel a consistent route to find predictable fruits, whereas males travel more to find the highest quality fruit. It has been reported to move quickly and is often described as emitting a high-pitched "blood-curdling scream".". It is the largest bat in continental Africa, with wingspans approaching 1m (3.3ft), and males almost twice as heavy as females. Photographs exhibiting the forced perspective optical illusion have caused confusion about the relative sizes of frogs, rats, snakes, and half-eaten sharks. I think it looks rather cute m. I'd have named it moosehead bat. Despite its fearsome attributes, however, this bat is a mild-mannered fruit-eater. This creature seems to be by all means associated with the Agenda group. We may have detected a typo. So many questions got any answers? Is the Hammerhead Bat a Real Animal? - WorldAtlas Adults are commonly affected by parasites such as flies and mites. Previous studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have revealed that leks or mating groups of hammer-headed bats are considered reservoirs of the Ebola virus. [13], Males overall have boxy heads with enormous lips, while the females, with their narrower snouts, have more foxlike faces. Offspring are born five or six months later, typically a singleton, though twins have been documented. After that, they will spend their lives at sea. [10] It has a wide range in West and Central Africa, including the following countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. It's a flying moose, or a bat", "Hunting for Ebola among the bats of the Congo", Audio recording of a few males honking in the early evening at their lek, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hammer-headed_bat&oldid=1136306370, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Males gather in a particular region, known as a lek; here, they establish "display territories", Display territories offer no beneficial resources to females beyond access to males, Males do not assist females in caring for offspring, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 18:42. The chosen male emits a "staccato buzz" call, followed immediately by copulation, which lasts 3060 seconds. [4] The genus name Hypsignathus comes from the Ancient Greek hpsos, meaning "high", and gnthos, meaning "jaw". As far as the face of the Hammerhead Bat it appears to be a better explanation of what people of the Pine Barrens have been seeing as opposed to the Sandhill Crane. Bernadette Giacomazzo is a NYC-based editor, writer, photographer, and publicist with a career spanning more than two decades in the entertainment industry. According to Cape Bay Magazine, skeptic, author andSkeptoidproducer Brian Dunning certainly believes this: "In most cases like this, some of the sightings turn out to be mistaken identifications of everyday animals or something else," he has said. In the forest canopy, they also rely on camouflage to hide them from predators. The picture on the right is from the Wikipedia article. The gestation period lasts around 5 or 6 months. Giant horse-headed bats, five-legged frogs and geese with - The Sun Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Three shark species reproduce in New Jersey's back bays and coastal marshes. It forages at night, sleeping during the day in tree roosts. They may roost alone or in small groups and unlike many other bat species that segregate based on sex, male and female Hammer-headed bats will roost together in small groups of around four individuals. It is believed to be the only bat species with a classical lek mating system, wherein males gather on a "lek", which in this case is a long and thin stretch of land, such as along a river. Im on my second guardian angel.. my first one quit and is now in therapy. In New Jerseys back bays and marshes, juvenile sandbar sharks often feed on blue crabs. Apex predators like great white and mako sharks lurk in the deep and will not hesitate to make a meal out of their smaller cousins. Get text updates from The Nature Conservancy: TNC staff survey plants and wildlife as part of a study to see how the ecosystem is re-colonizing low areas of the marsh post-restoration. I happened upon a post by a Facebook friend which depicted a real animal that is called the hammerhead bat, and to my surprise this looked so much like the mysterious cryptid creature I recalled having witnessed one time, which I have listed here on this page. ThoughtCo. [1] It is not a common bat species in captivity, though it is kept at the Wrocaw Zoo in Poland as of 2020,[30] and was kept at the Bronx Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the 1970s and 1980s. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. April 29, 2020. They are Africa's largest bat, with wingspans up to 38 inches (97 cm). They can fly. By using this site you consent to our use of cookies as per our. Many previously unexplored topics will be covered concerning the Jersey Devil: Interviews with the locals, Hammerhead bat theory, Dinosaur theory, Jersey Devil spotted in Oklahoma?, The Legend Mother Leeds, The Speculative Diet of the Jersey Devil, Footprints of the Jersey Devil, Leeds VS Shrouds Family, The . One reason large bats such as the hammer-headed bat are nocturnal is because their bodies generate considerable heat when they are flying. We may have detected a typo. [21] It has a diverse array of parasites, including such ectoparasites as the bat fly (Nycteribiidae) Dipseliopoda arcuata, the spinturnicid mite Ancystropus aethiopicus, the gastronyssid mite Mycteronyssus polli, and the teinocoptid mite Teinocopties auricularis. | During the day, the bats roost in trees, relying on their coloration to camouflage them from predators. I believe the Jersey Devil could possibly be a exotic pet that either Did you mean to type Bats have such incredibly bizarre faces, they are fascinating to me. This bat however is only 9-10 inches tall and while that is large for a bat it's kind of hard to think if you saw it flying in the sky that you'd believe it was human sized. People Are Losing Their Sh*t Over How Cute Hammerhead Bats Are [10], Instead of the typical mammalian karyotype where females have two X chromosomes and males have one each of X and Y, males have a single X chromosome and no Y chromosome, known as X0 sex-determination system. Thankfully, these extraordinary bats are not considered to be a threatened species, though increasing deforestation and climate change are beginning to impact their natural habitats. True and I agree with what you said going on the size factor. [26][27][28] Megabats like the hammer-headed bat tend to be over-sampled relative to other potential Ebola virus hosts, meaning that they may have an unwarranted amount of research attention, and as of 2015[update], no bat hunter or researcher is known to be the index case ("patient zero") in an Ebola outbreak. [12] Leks consist of 20135 males in an area about 40m (130ft) wide and 4001,600m (1,3005,200ft) long. I have to say, the hammerhead bat would probably seem a lot less cute if it came flying towards you with a one-metre wingspan, but when it's just an image on a screen, I can understand the obsession. Her work has been featured in People, Teen Vogue, BET, HipHopDX, XXL Magazine, The Source, Vibe, The Los Angeles Times, and more. [12], The hammer-headed bat is a lowland species, always occurring below 1,800m (5,900ft) above sea level. According to IUCN, the Hammer-headed bat is locally common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. "In Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia folklore, the Jersey Devil (also known as the Leeds Devil) is a legendary creature said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. Digital editing has been responsible for the creation of images of some fantastically fictional looking creatures, such as seven-headed snakes, pink-horned rhinos, and impossibly small kittens. Erika Nortemann / The Nature Conservancy, Cape May Wetlands: He doubled down on their street cred by redesigning the Leeds family crest to include monsters that looked suspiciously like the future Jersey Devil. This illustration of a hammer-headed bat appeared in. In July 2018, many social media users wondered if they were witnessing a similar creation in an image of an odd-looking, large animal said to be a "hammerhead bat": We have not been able to pinpoint the exact origins of this photograph, but we can say that the hammerhead bat (also known as the "hammer-headed bat") is a genuine animal that looks like the one pictured here.
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