Monster Shrimp Creature Caught in Florida

A large shrimp-like creature was pulled out of the water by fisherman, who, because of its size, thought it was a lobster.

Enormous Crustacean Caught

This monster sized catch might forever change what we know about this species

I’d like to thank Siming for sharing this with us on the Epic Wildlife Facebook Page, thanks Siming.. I hope I pronounced your name correctly.

In Fort Pierce Florida, Fisherman Steve Bargeron was fishing on a dock late at night when his friend pulled from the water a monster sized mystery catch from the ocean floor.

It looks a lot like a shrimp to me, but wow, I’ve never seen one this big!

This colossal crustacean was reported to be about this size and it looks a little bigger than that to me in the picture.

Because of its size, the two men actually thought it was a lobster.

Even the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is confused as to what this is.

One theory about this discovery is that it’s an overgrown species of mantis shrimp.

A mantis shrimp is neither a mantis or a shrimp at all..

In fact they are a crustacean that are members of the Stomatopoda order and can reach lengths up to a foot long!

These creatures are still a mystery to science but here are some things we do know about them.

They can be found living among coral reefs, deep within burrows and holes in the sea floor

Apparently they make great Sashimi. I love sushi, but there are somethings I’m not daring enough to try… like those giant shrimp heads, has anyone here ever seen or eaten those?

They have incredibly strong claws that can inflict massive amounts of pain if you mess with it, which has earned them the nickname Thumb Splitters.

Larger species in captivity have even broke through aquarium glass simply by striking it.

Meet the Mantis Shrimp

Weird N Wild Creature Cards

Card 77 Monsters of the Deep – Mantis Shrimp

Monster Shrimp Creature Caught in Florida

New Dinosaur Revealed - Dreadnoughtus

A new prehistoric monster was just revealed and it’s super-massive. This giant new dinosaur discovery is from the family of titanosaurian sauropods which are the largest dinosaurs known to have ever existed.

Meet Dreadnoughtus

Drexel University professor Ken Lacovara named this giant species Drednaughtus which means “Fears Nothing”

While it’s not confirmed yet, this could be the largest land animal to have ever lived.

Do you know what is the biggest animal today?

That’s right… it’s the African Elephant.

Drednaughtus was so big it weighed as much as 12 elephants!

It was as long as 5 full sized vans (85ft, 26m) as tall as a 3 story building (30 ft, 9m)

Could you imagine encountering one of these in the wild?

And what’s even more incredible is it wasn’t fully grown before it died!

It’s tail was quite muscular and was believed to be used as a weapon to whiplash any potential predators that might be stupid enough to attack this massive creature.

This monster belongs to the family of dinosaurs known as titanosaurian sauropods and it’s discovery has opened the door to the idea that there may have been even bigger dinosaurs that roamed our planet.

When it was living during the cretaceous era almost 80 million years ago, it was clearly one of the biggest dinosaurs around, weighing 7x’s that of a T-Rex

Luckily for other dinosaurs, it was just a vegetarian.

 

Could you imagine how many plants it would have to eat on a daily basis?

 

The fossil was discovered in Southern Patagonia region of Argentina a hot spot for unearthing dinosaur bones.

 

This happens to be the most complete fossil of a Titanosaurian Sauropod dinosaur ever found with over 70% of the remains being intact.

A professor of anatomy at Ohio University Patrick O’Conner was quoted saying.

“It’s a pretty good one,” “Most often they’re not anywhere this complete.”

While this discovery was just revealed the bones were actually brought into the US a few years ago for studying and will be returned to Argentina sometime next year.

 

Check out More form Epic Wildlife…

New Dinosaur Revealed - Dreadnoughtus

Mysterious Figure in Road

A mythological figure appearing on the side of the road has been labeled as the Skinwalker. The truth behind this photo as well as the legend behind the Skinwalker is revealed.

Skinwalker – The Legend Revealed

This photo claims to be of what the Navajo Indians call a Skinwalker. While this photo is creepy, the Navajo legend behind it has haunted the tribe, as well anyone else unfortunate enough to cross its path for centuries.

A Skinwalker is one of among several different varieties of the Navajo’s version of a witch.

However,Unlike other witches, The Navajo say the skinwalker is said to have obtained the full power of what they call the quote “Witchery Way,” a form of evil mysitism in their culture. A skinwalker is the most powerful level of witchery achievable….

In order for a witch to transform into a skinwalker, they must commit a final and ultimate act of evil in its most extreme form such as incest, the murder of a family member, or necrophilia.

Once transformed into a skinwalker, the witch gets a multitude of new abilities. Skinwalkers can shapeshift into any animal….including a human, although according to the lore a coyote, wolf, fox, eagle, owl, or crow are the most common ones.

 

But shapeshifting is only one of many abilities they possess. Others include:

 

• Supernatural speed and agility


• Imitation of any animal or human sound they wish – including the sound of anyone’s voice


• Mind reading


• Controlling the actions of animals

 

Apparently, these witch like beings are actually taken so seriously by the Navajo that many will actually refuse to speak on the topic– they believe skinwalkers walk freely among their tribe in human form, and they fear retribution from a skinwalker whom may overhear their conversation

Reports of encounters with one of these beasts seem to reveal behavior as well as motives that are quite confusing …

Some report explain strange beasts leaping out in front of cars and staring at passengers inside…

Others report being chased as they attempt to speed away…..

One account ends with the victims waking up the next day face down with their butts in the air.

In one report, nearby Navajo Indians told victims they were wanted by the evil beings because their quote “family has a lot of power.”

In another, the victims were told the skinwalkers attacked them out of jealousy.

…..interestingly in nearly all reports where the victims explained their encounter to Navajo Indians…the Indians reacted completely normal as if this was just an everyday happening.

There is actually a place named Skin-walker Ranch.

A mysteriously high number of those whom have been to the area report witnessing unexplainable phenomenon…in fact the area even baffles scientists whom have reported seeing odd balls of light, unknown animals that seem to emerge from tunnels of light, and other unexplainable phenomenon.

Local Navajo advise everyone to avoid the area as they say it is quote “the path of the skinwalker.”

There’s even been several books written about the location.

But has a skinwalker ever actually been photographed?

The photo at the beginning of the video…which nearly everyone on the internet claims is a “skinwalker” is actually just a clip taken from a movie.

Despite the photo being fake, Skinwalkers are very real to the Navajo…but why is such a belief taken so seriously by their culture? Is there truth in the legend?

Just what makes the Navajo fear the skinwalker so much they’ll even refuse to speak about them?

And what originally caused the Navajo to believe in skinwalkers in the first place…furthermore why do they possess so much detailed knowledge about them?

Strangest of all, why do they seem to act as if their existence is obvious?

Perhaps the Navajo developed these beliefs based upon something…something real… something important….something that they experienced and allegedly continue to experience …something so significant that the legend became ingrained in their culture and has furthermore been passed down since at least the 14th century, when their tribe was thought to have formed.

Every legend, every story, every belief has a reason for existing – and that reason comes from whichever parts of the legend, story, or belief are true.

It’s anyone’s guess what spurred the Navajo legend of skinwalkers, but whatever it was…….it caused an entire culture of people to form a belief with extreme conviction.

 

Related Stories on Epic Wildlife…

Mysterious Figure in Road

Snakes in the Guinness Book of World Records

The Longest Snake in the World

Medusa, a reticulated python, was recorded as the longest snake ever measured at an unbelievable twenty-five feet and two inches in length. In order to get her full measurement, it took fifteen men to hold her. Weighing in at three-hundred and fifty pounds, they each had at least twenty pounds of snake in their hands during the measurement. Medusa lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and has been known to eat an entire deer as a meal.

The Longest Snake Fangs in the World

The Gaboon viper, or Bitis gabonica, is the species of snake that currently holds the record for the longest fangs. Measured on a specimen six feet in length, the fangs were two­-inches long! Not only does this snake inject its venom most deeply into its victims, it also contains abnormally large quantities of it. It is estimated that a single full­-grown male Gaboon viper contains enough venom to inject lethal amounts of it into thirty people!

The Longest Stuffed Snake

In Australia, a very abnormal snake made the books in early 2013. What made the snake so different was the fact that it was not in actuality a living, organic snake, but a stuffed toy snake. Many local senior citizens from the area worked for a period of twenty months in unison to create the world’s largest stuffed snake. Measuring in at an astounding 5,803 feet in length, this record will be a hard one to beat!

The Rarest Snake in the World

The rarest snake in the world is currently down to presumably less than one-hundred and fifty in total population. The Antiguan racer, or Alsophis antiguae, is so rare that it was actually thought to have been extinct for years, until a small population was rediscovered on Great Bird Island.  With current conservation programs, the species has begun to make a slow recovery, but still remains on the critically endangered list.

Jackie Bibby

Though Jackie Bibby is the one who holds the records, it took many snakes to help him accomplish them- hundreds of rattlesnakes in fact.  Jackie currently holds the records for:  holding the most rattlesnakes in mouth, laying in a bathtub with the most snakes, laying in a sleeping bag with the most rattlesnakes, going head first into a sleeping bag with the most rattlesnakes, and sacking ten rattlesnakes the fastest.

Snakes in the Guinness Book of World Records

History of Giant Snake Attacks

Did you know there is a tribe in the Philippines where over 25% of the men have been attacked by a large constrictor snake?

Agta Tribe and Giant Snake Encounters

The tribe is the Agta who live in isolated mountain areas of the Philippines and considered the earliest inhabitants of the country.

In 1976 Anthropologist Thomas Hedland interviewed the Agta extensively on the subject of giant snake attacks.

Living in such close proximity to these giant pythons makes the Agta more susceptible to attack than most humans forcing them to learn how to defend themselves against the belly crawling beasts.

But even though these monster reptiles feed primarily on small mammals like wild pigs the Agta are a small race of people.

The average Agta tribesman is under 5 feet tall and weighs less than 100 pounds, which means there isn’t much difference in size when comparing them to a wild pig.

Thomas and his wife Janet spend over 24 years [1962-1986] among the tribesmen, documenting some amazing reports.

Of the 600 tribal people he interviewed 120 of them.

2 men had been attacked twice, 15 bitten and 11 had permanent scars to forever remind them of these deadly snakes

Between 1934 and 1973 6 Agta members had been killed by a giant snake attack.

One man was found still digesting inside the body of a massive python.

And perhaps the most tragic incident was the evening a man named Teteng walked into his children’s hut.

Something you only see in horror films, Teteng found his son and one of his daughters dead on the floor.

A huge killer snake had one of his children wrapped in it’s coils and had began swallowing her head first.

The father pulled out his bolo knife and frantically slashed the snake into pieces, but it was too late…his baby daughter Nini’s siblings, were dead.

What kind of giant snake could eat a man whole?

That would be the world’s longest snake, a reticulated python.

Now while large constrictor snakes are known for being docile and ambush only predators, Thomas Headland’s research shows that in this area of the world, these pythons seem to be much more aggressive than usual.

Thomas Hedland was quoted saying

I’ve lived in the rainforest longer than any American scientist.

I’ve seen things out there that I saw in Tarzan movies when I was a kid.

Three or four times, the pythons came into camp and killed chickens. One time, a man saw a snake coiled around his dog, and he killed it was a machete. My wife’s killed one python and I’ve killed one.

 

 

The largest python he ever saw was a 23 foot [7 meter] retic that was shot and killed by his neighbor.

 

 

This was the 3rd largest on record at the time.

 

 

This thing is massive, could you imagine living in constant fear of a snake this size coming out of the brush and biting your leg.

 

Do you think this snake would have any problem swallowing both of those men?

Weird n Wild Creature Cards – Reticulated Python

Card 6 Real Nightmares of Nature

More from Epic Wildlife…

History of Giant Snake Attacks

Skeptical Shark

This strange looking guy has been going around the internet for almost a year now.

One of its early appearances was as a “Skeptical Shark” meme around November of 2013

Strange Looking Shark

The image has been on reddit twice in photoshop battles where people post interesting pictures and request other users to come up with creative photoshops like the one of Colin Kaeperfish

The picture itself could possibly be photoshoped as the eye looks almost cartoon like.

Some people are saying that it’s a goblin shark, I’m going to say NO… it doesn’t look anything like a Goblin Shark.

Others say it’s a dogfish which is type of shark species.

Not to be confused with “Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales”

Did you know the spiny dogfish can live as long as 70 years?

The spiny dogfish may be the most abundant species of shark. Fishermen used to catch over 270 million of these sharks each year around Boston back in the early 1900s.

Another species of dogfish is the cookie-cutter shark which some of you may remember from last month’s video. These small sharks actually caused a problem for the US navy nuclear subs causing damage by biting chunks out of the sonar domes.

It also looks like it could be a type of catshark…. It turns out dogfish and cat sharks are actually two kinds of sharks. To add to the confusion, some kinds of cat sharks are also referred to as dogfish

Catsharks are known for their cat-like eyes

The ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research says dogfish are often dull gray while many cat-sharks more specifically blackmouth cat-sharks are known for having blotches and spots in different shades of brown which seems to fit perfectly with the picture we have here.

It’s no wonder it’s difficult to identify this shark. Of the almost 500 known species of sharks and 150 of them are of the Catshark family making Catsharks the largest family of sharks.

So there you have it, this picture is real and it’s a blackmouth catshark, but wait, what’s the deal with curing cancer?

Scientist studied catsharks and dogfish species because of its unique resistance to infections and were able to isolate a compound called Squalamine, found in their livers which may be useful in the treatment of cancer in humans.

Just a few weeks ago the pharmaceutical company, Ohr Pharmaceutical, Inc, announced they had found evidence that Squalamine may help in the treat of macular edema which can cause blindness.

Skeptical Shark

10 Things You Didn't Know About Texas Rattlesnakes

10. There are ten different species and subspecies of rattlesnakes that reside in Texas, which is more than any state other than Arizona.  The most common to interact with people in the region are the western diamondback, the prairie, and the eastern timber.

9. Fatalities from rattlesnake bites are actually more rare than most think. Less than ten percent of victims that are bitten will die. People who are very young, small or in poor health will be much more likely to face death from a bite.

8. Though it will often leave humans alone, if provoked, the largest species of rattlesnake, the western diamondback, will provide an aggressive defense.  By delivering large amounts of venom into its victims with each bite, it has been labeled as one of the most dangerous snake species in North America.

7. A common myth was recently debunked, proving that the length of a snake’s rattle is no indication of its age.  Though a new piece will be added onto the rattle each time the snake sheds, since the material it is made of is keratin, which is the same substance our fingernails are made of, the pieces often break or tear off, leaving the rattle unable to serve as a true determinant of the snake’s age.

6. Most of what rattlesnakes eat ranges from small birds to insects, but it can sometimes vary, depending on the species of the snake and the availability of prey.

5. The breeding of rattlesnakes takes place in both Spring and Fall. During these seasons, the snakes will be found in closest proximity to humans.

4. Rattlesnakes hibernate during the Winter, so during the Fall, many snakes will be out hunting, even more frequently, so that they will be well stocked up for hibernation.

3. Excluding the rattle, the largest species of rattlesnake, known as the western diamondback, will likely not be found with a length greater than seven-­and-­a-­half feet.

2. The hues and tints of rattlesnakes range from greenish to pinkish, which is an indicator of the specific species that they are.

1. Baby rattlesnakes are abandoned by their mothers right after birth. They are born equipped with fangs and even stronger venom, enabling them to immediately find food on their own.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Texas Rattlesnakes