Range maps for crypozoological creatures

October 10, 2018 5:18 PM

I'm in the woods in Ohio right now. It's dark, and I realized I would very much enjoy knowing if I am in the range of a Chupacabra or Jersey Devil or Michigan Dogman or similar. Does anywhere know where I can obtain range information for such creatures? It strikes me that this could be a really fun GIS mapping project.
posted by simonw to Society & Culture (6 answers total)

Range = 0, these things don't exist. Or do they...?

I can't find a range map for you, but I can find a Monsters in America (not just in D.C. amirite?) location map poster and a compendium. Maybe that can get you started. Ohio, you say? Be on the lookout for the Loveland Frogman. Other phenomena that might be near you courtesy of Weird Ohio.
posted by Rob Rockets at 5:39 PM on October 10, 2018

Here is the North American Cryptid Map.

Greetings from the land of the Dover Demon!
posted by bondcliff at 6:40 PM on October 10, 2018 [3 favorites]

Also, if you ever find yourself in Portland, Maine, visit the Museum of Cryptozoology, featuring a few sculptures by a former MeFite.

no, I do not believe, but it sure is fun.
posted by bondcliff at 6:43 PM on October 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: These were great, thanks!

I've started my project: I'm gathering range maps in this GitHub repository now: https://github.com/simonw/cryptozoology

I'm really pleased with my Bigfoot map: I took the KML file of 3,000 plus sightings from bfro.net and assumed a range of 15 miles (based on a conversation I had a few months ago with the chap at the Santa Cruz Bigfoot Discovery Museum). Then I created a combined polygon from 15 mile circles around each sighting, and here it is: Bigfoot range map (desktop mode only - you can click the link in the footer on mobile).

See also my thread on Twitter
posted by simonw at 4:56 AM on October 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Now available as an API: https://cryptids.datasettes.com/cryptids/by_point?longitude=-81.5589595&latitude=41.6235820
posted by simonw at 5:39 AM on October 11, 2018

Here is the North American Cryptid Map.

I thought "the Buzzfeed" was a big noise on the web, but that map is seriously deficient. Not because it is covered with imaginary stuff--I am as in favor of mythical crap as the next guy--but because it is of such low resolution I can't even read the labels on my laptop when I blow it up.

I cannot imagine I am the only person who couldn't look at simonw's map, too, so I will take the prestige hit and ask how I am supposed to view a "geojson" file? I assume something in my browser is supposed to perk up its ears and fetch my slippers but perhaps I have set it up it in a bad way.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 5:48 AM on October 16, 2018