Meet Maryland’s Cryptids and the Wildlife That May Have Inspired Them

Chessie is a storied Bay monster, with many reports of sightings of a large, unknown shape in the water over the decades. While we don’t know what these witnesses saw, they might have seen one of several species of fish or marine mammal. Chessie illustration by James Point Du Jour/DNR; Photo credit Robert Michelson/NOAA

The word “cryptid” evokes visions of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or Chupacabra. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a cryptid is “a creature that is found in stories and that some people believe exists or say they have seen, but that has never been proven to exist.” Yet. 

Do we have cryptids in Maryland? Some people think so. But who, or what, are these creatures really? There’s a good chance they are inspired by our native wildlife.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife and Heritage Service presented a cryptids display at the Maryland State Fair this year and engaged with many visitors. Many of these guests had their own stories and folklore to share about Maryland’s mythical creatures.

Chessie: A Maryland sea monster and environmental icon

Illustration by James Point Du Jour/DNR

First reported as a massive, snake-like creature from a 1936 flyover, Chessie is often reported as arching its back or reaching out with a flipper from the Chesapeake Bay waters.

Chessie has since become an environmental icon, used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other groups as a symbol to promote Bay cleanup.

Witnesses reporting Chessie sightings may have been seeing a large fish like a sturgeon. The federally endangered Atlantic sturgeon is a striking and ancient fish that can be found in the Bay area, and the shortnose sturgeon is present in the Bay as well. People may have also mistaken a marine mammal for Chessie, such as a dolphin, whale, or a wandering manatee, which occasionally come to the Chesapeake.

A shortnose sturgeon. Credit Robert Michelson/NOAA

Goatman: A homegrown hybrid

Illustration by James Point Du Jour/DNR

Half-man, half-animal, the Goatman is known for walking on two feet and blamed for killing dogs. Legend of the Goatman may have originated in the early 20th century, but resurfaced in the 1970s in Prince George’s County. Some variations on the legend say he was once a scientist at Beltsville Agricultural Research Center who was the victim of his own experiment that backfired. Does Marvel know about this?

Reports of Goatman could be an injured deer with piebaldism or a skin disease, such as mange, lice, or a bacterial infection. He could also just be a shaggy human who behaves badly.

A piebald deer. Photo by Larry Kreh

Wendigo: A local and a long-held tradition

Illustration by James Point Du Jour/DNR

Originating in Native American folklore, Wendigos walk on two legs and have large antlers and long claws.

There are numerous real life models for this beast, including an elk or deer on its hind legs, or perhaps a devious human wearing shed antlers. Stories of the Wendigo date back to a time when elk were still present in Maryland, before the late 1800s. Elk and deer will often stand on their hind legs and use their front legs to push higher on a tree, reaching more tasty leaves.

A deer standing on its hind legs. Creative Commons

The Snallygaster: An infamous and fearsome beast

Illustration by James Point Du Jour/DNR

Dragon-like, half-reptile, half-bird, the snallygaster is a creature of fantastical description, bearing sharp teeth and claws, large wings, and sometimes one eye or tentacles. The flying monster was known to frequent the area around stills and distilleries, at least according to news reports at the time. 

The legend originated in the German immigrant community in 18th century Frederick County, and “Schnelle geist” means “quick ghost” in German. However, the stories eventually took on an unfortunate racial element. News stories from the early 1900s through the 1970s are reported to have portrayed the monster as specifically preying on people of color, or targeting Black people who dared to switch political parties during an election cycle. This weaponization of the legend was presumably used as a racist scare tactic or an attempted method of social control.

It’s possible that the original stories came from a much less sinister source, like a great blue heron, stork, crane, or other large bird, possibly with prey in its beak. Herons are known to produce a variety of very loud, alarming sounds when disturbed.

A great blue heron. Photo by Edwin Guevara/DNR

Dewayo: Another Frederick County beast

Illustration by James Point Du Jour/DNR

The Dewayo is reportedly a 6-foot-tall wolf-like mammal with a bushy tail that walks on two legs. The legend originated in the 1940s in Frederick County, which can apparently be a pretty scary place. At this time, wolves had been extirpated from Maryland but before coyotes arrived in the 1970s.

The Dewayo could have been inspired by the sight of a canine species exhibiting defensive behavior. This can include “raised hackles,” where hair stands up on the back and along the tail, or rearing up on their hind legs to appear larger. Foxes and coyotes also rear up to get a better view of surroundings when hunting, and both can leap high in the air.

A coyote in Howard County. Photo by Roger Seward

Chupacabra: A widespread monster sometimes seen in these parts

Illustration by James Point Du Jour/DNR

The chupacabra is said to be a fearsome fiend known for a lack of fur, large canine teeth, and a habit of killing small livestock. This legend originated in Puerto Rico in the 1990s and has spread nationwide.

Most of the time, chupacabra sightings turn out to be a canine species infected with mange, a mammalian skin disease caused by a mite. That was the case for a reported sighting in Maryland in 2011, which was later revealed to be a fox with mange. Rabies, another common disease in canines, could be responsible for explaining reports of odd behavior.

A fox with mange. DNR photo

By Edwin Guevara, Outreach and Education Specialist at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources