The Owlbear: Doesn’t Give a ‘Hoot’

The Owlbear is a weird hybrid creature that's a cross between an owl and a bear. They're only found in remote northwestern forests alongside the Rockies of the United States into Canada. Being carnivorous, the Owlbear will eat anything that happens to cross its path. Reaching up between eight to ten feet in height, the Owlbear can easily overpower any creature it runs into. Their beak and large claw-like talons create heavy damage to whoever disturbs this ferocious creature. The Owlbear only live in large caves, which causes constant struggles with other North American cave-dwelling creatures such as bears and the Giant North American Drop Bear, with their lifelong mates. Mating starts out in the earlier years of an Owlbear's life and after choosing one, they'll stay with each other until one/both dies. Owlbear behavior mainly focuses around aggression and ferocity toward different species but, to other members of the same genus, the Owlbear is friendlier and more social. Hybridization is possible with other Owlbear species alongside with domestication (which is only supported for the most experienced). Owlbear hunting is prohibited in both Canada and North America due to low populations.

There are six main species of Owlbears: the Common (shown above - featured article), the Arctic, the Winged, the Winterclaw, the Pygmy and the Greater alongside with thirty-six different hybrids that are possible if in captivity.

The Peruvian Vipertooth: Bacterial Bite or Truly Venomous?

The Peruvian Vipertooth is a species of dragon that can grow up to fifteen feet in length and only lives in the eastern and northeastern part of Peru. In appearance, the Vipertooth has copper colored skin with a black ridge-markings and short horns upon its head. This species of dragon with hunt for livestock such as goats and cows but, has the taste for human flesh whenever opportunity arrives upon the creature. This species of dragon cannot breathe fire but, makes up with range attacks for stealthy ambushes as this dragon can conceal itself from sight. The Peruvian Vipertooth are known to repopulate very quickly during mating seasons in the summer and must be controlled by exterminating  before human deaths begin to increase. Vipertooth blood, similar to most dragons, is highly poisonous and must be taken care of before it effects the environment and public health.

Monstrologists have argued over the past couple centuries that the Vipertooth has more of a bacterial bite rather than having venom glands linked to fangs. In most Vipertooth attacks, infections are known to happen if a lucky victim escapes the clutches of this species but, afterwards the person dies from an unknown reason. In some attacks, people begin to bloat or flesh begins to be eaten away from an unknown toxin that dissolves most of the body's organs. Dead Vipertooth carcasses don't allow us to simply gain this answer due to its poisonous blood and the fumes that exit the body as it decay that have been proven to be deadly. Thankfully, back in the year of 1999, the answer turned out that the Vipertooth has a mixture of the two due to its age. Young dragons of this species process the venom glands to help the creature protect itself or to hunt while the adults tend to use deadly bacterial saliva to mainly finish off the prey item. Another study also shows that young Peruvian Vipertooth Dragons are more likely to hunt humans due to their agile speed and strength in which the adults mainly focus hunting livestock for easier meals.

The Peruvian Vipertooth (shown above) is a deadly species of dragon and must be respected at all costs. Hunting these dragons are illegal during the other seasons other than summer in which many Monster Hunters, Slayers, and Monstrologists gather to reduce the population for public safety.
  

The Hoot Pecker: Fighting for Survival

The Hoot Pecker is an avian species that's a mixture between an owl and a woodpecker. Once found throughout the entire United States, the Hoot Pecker is only found in the state of Michigan due to urbanization and hunting. The Hoot Pecker, like the woodpecker, are known to eat insects and uses their pointed beak to drill into tree bark for their prey. Only being twelve inches tall, the Hoot Pecker is small enough to evade capture from larger predators such as eagles, hawks, and even owls. The Hoot Pecker emits a owl-like hooting to attracting mates, scaring off most terrestrial/avian predators, and for communication amongst others of its own kind. Though they do have talons, which they do use to hunt large insects such as grasshoppers or mice, are only for fighting off predators or rivals. The Hoot Pecker only sleeps thirty minutes each day due to its busy lifestyle in which they patrol local Michigan forests for insects and other pests. This is why humans like having Hoot Peckers around for getting rid of annoying pests. Different programs were created to help the Hoot Pecker gain a comeback throughout the United States.

Hoot Peckers are in a constant struggle with competition with woodpeckers for the same food source (shown above) and man-made construction. Though thankfully preserves and programs were created in different states including Michigan for the creature's comeback but, it is still unsure if the Hoot Pecker would return to its original roots of becoming common throughout the United States.

The Werecrow: Silhouettes in the Moonlight

The Werecrow (a.k.a. 'Wereravens' in northern regions) is the second of only two Were-Beasts that can naturally fly. The venom of the Werecrow is low and is stored in the tip of beak. Their venom will only effect the deathly ill, elderly, and young children. The Werecrow, similar to the Werebat, is also a rarity in nature. Turning into humanoid crows during the full moon, the transformation results in the person becoming a large humanoid bird with dark black feathers. With their natural color, the Werecrow is a stealthy predator with only the full moon giving the creature away with its silhouette. Silver, like all Were-Beasts, is the only way to kill a Werecrow. They only consume dying or dead flesh from bodies ranging from the smallest animal to the largest herbivore. Personality traits result in which region the Werecrow (or 'Wereraven') is found. Normally, 'Wereravens' are more friendly and less aggressive to humans than the ones in the southern regions.

Silhouettes in the moonlight are usually Werecrows searching for prey. They're known to attack humans and other creatures if they threaten the Were-Beast in anyway or whenever decaying flesh isn't around.

The Werebat: The Were-Beast of the Nighttime Skies

The Werebat is a rarity in nature. Related to the many species in the Were-Beast family, the Werebat is one of only two species that can naturally fly. The Werebat's venom is high and will effect anyone. It only consumes blood, like vampire bats, from humans, mammals, and subhumans. They're mortal enemies of vampires like werewolves due to competition for the same food source. The Werebat will only transform during a full moon which is a trait of Were-Beasts. Like bats, they use echolocation for hunting and will attack whenever a chance for food arrives. Silver is the only way to kill a Werebat which is apparently unknown to most hunters who use stakes thinking they're mutated vampires which always results in death. Holding still and controlling one's heart rate will cause a person to turn invisible to the creature. Interesting fact about Werebats are that they can actually see well in pitch dark environments such as deep caves with low lights. Bright lights can blind the bat while disorientating with extremely loud noises for easy escapes. Werebats naturally return to temperate forests or regions including dark caves each transformation.

Being an extremely rare Were-Beast, Werebat accounts are an handful including the famous Spring Heeled Jack cases that involved a juvenile Werebat.
   

The Kukuweaq: The Iceberg Sized Polar Bear (…with Ten Legs)

Imagine a gigantic polar bear the size of the same iceberg that sunk the Titanic but, with a total of ten legs. The Kukuweaq is a horrifying beast that lives in the barren ice lands of Alaska and some regions of Canada. Five legs on the right and five on the left, the Kukuweaq uses its many legs to successfully travel great distances through frozen terrain. The Kukuweaq's teeth are designed for biting and holding onto large prey such as whales who venture to close to the surface or Boar Whales, which are grey whale sized, aquatic boars that live in or around large chunks of icebergs. The Kukuweaq is a deadly predator and rarely any other creature will fight the Kukuweaq for food or as food. Being aquatic, the Kukuweaq can also swim great distances in search for large prey and stay submerged for about three to four hours. Being incredibly strong, they can break through the hardest of ice to contain prey on the surface such as seals, polar bears, and caribou.

Only living in dens, the Kukuweaq only uses the den for nursing areas for raising their young. The mother will either dig a den into the ice or steal a burrow from a Remorhaz (which is a twenty foot long insect that lives in barren snowy plains). Once there, the mother with stay with her young unless the need to feed or when they become old enough to defend for themselves. Mating happens year long whenever a female is in heat as well as the male in musk. Kukuweaq young are "easy" to kill but, the adults are almost impossible. Kukuweaq meat tastes like polar bear with more toughness and can sustain an entire Eskimo village for a couple of weeks. A special permit and permission from the government is needed for hunting a Kukuweaq.

Kukuweaq (shown above) are creatures that must be respected and avoided by anyone who enters frozen terrains. Like the Polar Bear, the Kukuweaq is endangered due to climate changes that effects the creature's lifestyle and enviroment.

The Mandrill Fish: Freaky Creature from the Deep

In the year of 2006, a strange sea creature had washed ashore on Tampa Beach, Florida. This creature was believed to be unknown to science until a few weeks later when another creature of the same species was caught in fishing nets in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Monstrologists have named this weird species of fish the Mandrill Fish. With a fanged face similar in appearance of a mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), it was theorized that this species was carnivorous. The living specimen, sadly died moments later after capture but, its body gave Monstrologists clues on how this creature lived. Being a deep-sea fish, the Mandrill Fish's body was specially structured to survive the depths of the ocean and have evolved luminous eyes to help the creature hunt for prey. The horn on top of its head was theorized for attracting mates or for stabbing enemies including predators such as sharks. Males and females of the species were soon discovered to have differences in markings. Females being brownish in color while the males, similar to the primate it shares its name, has colorful painted faces. Believe or not, it turns out the one that washed ashore was a male due to its size and the one captured was a small female. Lots about the Mandrill Fish is still unknown such as behavior, movement, intelligence, and true prey source to science. It is known that the Mandrill Fish lives in the depths of the Atlantic and possibility the Pacific.

The photograph above is the original Mandrill Fish that was found washed ashore in 2006. It was believed to be a "gaff" or sideshow "souvenirs" such as the Feejee Mermaid but, was later proved otherwised.

The Giant American Drop Bear: The Killer Koala that Dropped on America

The Drop Bear is the carnivorous cousin of the friendly koala of Australia that are known to invade and adapt in other countries. There are two known species in the eastern hemisphere: the Australian and the New Zealand. The Australian, less aggressive then the New Zealand, is the smallest of the species and are more adapted for tree life. The New Zealand, more aggressive, is a medium sized Drop Bear that have adapted for both canopy and ground life. There is only one species of Drop Bear that lives in the western hemisphere: the Giant American Drop Bear. This species is the largest of the species and have adapted for living in mountainous areas (such as the Rockies and the Appalachians).
Being abnormally aggressive than the other two known species, this species will attack anything from humans to larger predators. They're known to attack the largest of grizzlies, wild boars, cougars, elk, deer (mainly bucks), and rarely supernatural predators such as the Sasquatch or the Onza (larger species of feline related to cougar).

Giant American Drop Bears, weighting heavier, are known to either live in large enough trees that can withstand their weight or in caves. Large cave-dwelling animals (mainly bears) must compete for shelter in caves with this large animal. Giant American Drop Bears hibernate during the winter and this is the main reason why bears go into a brutal death-match with this larger predator. Usually the Drop Bear wins which allows the creature to use the body of the bear as food during the freezing months. The only way to kill a Giant American Drop Bear is by using armor-piercing weapons because of their thick fur that keeps the creature warm during cold months.

This photograph above is a human victim of the Giant American Drop Bear who became extremely lucky for escaping its clutches. Normally, this Drop Bear can easily succeed into killing a person.