Legends 28: Lizard People (ad-free) (Patreon)

Snakes and lizards have frightened people around the world for thousands of years. But the truly terrifying stories of scaley beings exist in the legends we whisper around campfires.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Harry Marks and research by Cassandra de Alba.

Sources:

• Barkun, Michael. A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America (University of California Press, 2003).

• Benedict, Adam. “Cryptid Profile: The Crosswick Monster.” Pine Barrens Institute. August 19, 2018. https://pinebarrensinstitute.com/cryptids/2018/8/19/quick-cryptid-snippet-the-crosswick-monster 

• Bosquet, Jean. “Lizard Peolpe’s [sic] Catacomb City Hunted.” Los Angeles Times. January 29, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380495346/ 

• Bowers, Paul. “4 things you should know about the Lizard Man.” Charleston City Paper. August 4, 2015. https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2015/08/04/4-things-you-should-know-about-the-lizard-man/ 

• “Case-Record of a Vision of a Vanished Civilization in the Californian Area.” In Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 28(11), November 1934: p. 292.

• “Charlie Wetzel Meets Earless, Long-Armed, Gurgling Monster.” The Greenville News. November 10, 1958. https://www.newspapers.com/image/188659858/ 

• Coleman, Loren. “Flashback: Famed Lizard Man Witness Killed.” Cryptozoonews. June 29, 2020. http://www.cryptozoonews.com/davis-obit/ 

• Coleman, Loren. Mysterious America (Paraview Pocket Books, 2007).

• Creason, Glen. “The Underground Catacombs of L.A.'s Lizard People.” Los Angeles Magazine. January 22, 2014. https://lamag.com/news/citydig-the-underground-catacombs-of-las-lizard-people 

• Dalea, Natalie. “The Strange Case of the Loveland Frog, Ohio's Amphibian Cryptid.” The Portalist. July 29, 2020. https://theportalist.com/the-loveland-frog 

• Davis, Isabel, and Ted Bloecher. Close Encounter at Kelly and Others of 1955 (Center for UFO Studies, 1978).

• Dunning, Brian. “Support Your Local Reptoid.” Skeptoid. May 21, 2007. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4046 

• Durian, Hal. True Stories of Riverside and the Inland Empire (Arcadia Publishing, 2013).

• Egan, Kerry. “Beware the Lizard Man!” Discover South Carolina. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://discoversouthcarolina.com/articles/beware-the-lizard-man 

• Giddens, Tharon A. “Is Scape Ore Swamp home to ‘Lizard Man’?” Anderson Independent-Mail. July 31, 1988. https://www.newspapers.com/image/811951536/ 

• Helmer, Jodi. “The Mysteries of Lizard Man of Lee County.” MPD Electric Cooperative. October 11, 2023. https://www.mpd.coop/news-releases/37445/ 

• “Hopatcong State Park Overview.” New Jersey State Park Service. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/hopatcongstatepark.html 

• Izzo, Michael. “Lake Hopatcong's original sea creature.” Daily Record. July 19, 2014. https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/2014/07/19/lake-hopatcongs-original-sea-creature/12846533/ 

• “The legend of the Loveland Frogman.” WLWT5. October 5, 2021. https://www.wlwt.com/article/the-loveland-frogman/37871711# 

• Leggate, James. “Officer who shot ‘Loveland Frogman’ in 1972 says story is a hoax.” WCPO. August 6, 2016. https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/loveland-community/officer-who-shot-loveland-frogman-in-1972-says-story-is-a-hoax 

• “Lizard in lake?” The Province [Vancouver]. August 26, 1972. https://www.newspapers.com/image/500960849/ 

• “Lizard Man | Ghosts & Legends I.” SouthCarolinaETV. October 17, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bssvl0sKqFQ 

• “Lizard Tales.” The State [Columbia, SC]. September 11, 1988. https://www.newspapers.com/image/751694334/ 

• “Loveland Frogmen.” Cryptid Wiki. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Loveland_Frogmen 

• “Loveland’s Frogman.” Weird U.S. Accessed January 27, 2024. http://www.weirdus.com/states/ohio/bizarre_beasts/loveland_frogman/index.php 

• “Man admits Lizard Man story a hoax.” UPI. August 12, 1988. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/08/12/Man-admits-Lizard-Man-story-a-hoax/6286587361600/ 

• Meares, Hadley. “The Many Lives of Fort Moore Hill: The Shifting and Shrinking of a Los Angeles Icon.” PBS SoCal. May 31, 2013. https://www.pbssocal.org/history-society/the-many-lives-of-fort-moore-hill-the-shifting-and-shrinking-of-a-los-angeles-icon 

• “‘Monster’ Sightings Probed By Mounties.” The Vancouver Sun. August 25, 1972. https://www.newspapers.com/image/493904712/ 

• Morphy, Ron. “Thetis Lake Monster.” Cryptopia. October 8, 2010. https://www.cryptopia.us/site/2010/10/thetis-lake-monster-canada/ 

• Nadel, Darcie. “The Thetis Lake Monster: Canada's Gill-Man.” Exemplore. July 31, 2022. https://exemplore.com/cryptids/The-Thetis-Lake-Monster-Canadas-Gill-man 

• Newman, Rich. Haunted Bridges: Over 300 of America’s Creepiest Crossings (Llewellyn, 2016).

• “One Of Those Hallowe’en Things Comes To Life.” The Sacramento Bee. November 10, 1958. https://www.newspapers.com/image/617879567/ 

• Packard, Christopher. Mythical Creatures of Maine: Fantastic Beasts from Legend and Folklore (Down East Books, 2021).

• Presinzano, Jessica. “Stranger Jersey: The Monster of Lake Hopatcong.” Northjersey.com. October 29, 2018. https://www.northjersey.com/story/entertainment/2018/10/29/stranger-jersey-sea-serpent-lake-hopatcong-nj/1805341002/#

• Rasmussen, Cecilia. “Gold-Filled Tunnel Legend Didn’t Pan Out.” Los Angeles Times. July 22, 1996. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-07-22-me-26700-story.html 

• Riddle, Lyn. “What is the scariest SC urban legend? This group has an answer and it’s not the Gray Man.” The State. October 27, 2022. https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article267897587.html 

• “Riverside Monster.” Cryptid Wiki. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Riverside_Monster 

• “Snaix.” Cincinnati Enquirer. May 29, 1882. https://www.newspapers.com/image/31327148/ 

• Spence, Sam. “Colbert tackles the origin of the Lizard Man on Late Show.” Charleston City Paper. September 14, 2015. https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2015/09/14/colbert-tackles-the-origin-of-the-lizard-man-on-late-show/ 

• “Thetis Lake Monster.” Cryptid Wiki. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Thetis_Lake_Monster 

• “Thetis Monster Seen By Boys.” Victoria Times. August 22, 1972. https://www.newspapers.com/image/507003725/ 

• Tryon, Henry H. Fearsome Critters (Idlewild Press, 1939).

• Walton, Bruce. “The Fate of the Lizard People.” In Mount Shasta: Home of the Ancients, ed. Bruce Walton (Health Research, 1985).

• “Wetzel’s Riverside Monster.” Weird California. Accessed January 27, 2024. http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=119 

• Whetsel, Gee. “The Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp.” City of Bishopville. Accessed January 27, 2024. https://cityofbishopvillesc.com/the-lizard-man/ 

• Zimmer, David M. “Remembering North Jersey's ‘Little Coney.’” Northjersey.com. August 27, 2018. https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/morris/2018/08/22/bertrand-island-amusement-park-nj-once-transformed-lake-hopatcong-nj-mount-arlington-nj/894705002/