Subject: Snallygaster

Cryptid Class: Flying Dragon-like Cryptid, Fearsome Critter

Threat Level: Mild

Description: A snallygaster is a dragon-like, serpentine flying creature that has been the stuff of nightmares for ages. They have plagued farmers and livestock for centuries, beginning with the 18th century when American settlers began colonizing what would later become Maryland. Its name is derived from the German term Schneller Geist, which translates to "quick ghost". Apropos, as snallygasters are incredibly swift flyers, able to reach speeds of 200mph. Over the years, there have been a few misconceptions about the snallygaster, such as having more than one head, a mouth full of tentacles, metal beak, being repelled by religious iconography; honestly, its all a bunch of fuff. Unfortunately, there are only a small handful left in the wild, having been hunted to near extinction due to the trouble they've been to shepherds. President Theodore Roosevelt had even admitted to hunting a few snallygasters in his youth as well.

Diet: A snallygaster's diet mostly consists of small to medium sized animals, such as squirrels, racoons, and wild boar. However, they've gained a lot of their notoriety by hunting easy prey such as sheep, goats, and chickens, which ended up putting a target on its head (much like many animals before and afterwards). After eating a large enough meal, they can go for a number of weeks to even months without eating again.

Distribution: The snallygaster tend to be found exclusively in the state of Maryland, especially in South Mountain and Middletown Valley. Over the years, snallygasters would be sighted in the Central Maryland area and even as far out as the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Snallygasters tend to fight over territory with other snallygasters, as well as having a fierce rivalry with the dwayyo, a large, wolf-like cryptid.

Physiology: The wingspan of a snallygaster reaches about 6 meters across. Their wings are similar to that of bats, consisting of a thin membrane that can catch updrafts from the wind. Their chest region is made up of very large and prominent supracoracoideus and pectoralis muscles, aiding in its flight capabilities. Their skeletal system is also highly pneumatized (hollow and porous). The wings can fold in on themselves when the snallygaster makes landfall, crawling along the ground using the prominent claws on its wings to propel itself. The beak of a snallygaster is made up of a three-pronged bony structure (intermaxillary bone), which consists of a single maxilla bone and a two-part lower mandible that can split apart. The throat of a snallygaster is able to eject itself at a distance of 1.5 meters, launching itself like a net towards prey. The snallygaster has three eyes: two "baseline" eyes, and a singlular eye used for detecting differences in light.

Note: Keeping a snallygaster in containment is not easy, especially when taking into account that it can remain airborne for several days at a time. I tried to use a net to catch it, before, but it just took it using its own "net". Fortunately, I was able to procure another snalligaster to replace the one that got away. Thankfully, she is much younger and able to take to me much more effectively. I call her "Sally Snally".