​Because zombies are members of the “undead” they are usually in a pretty ugly state. This is usually attributed to the fact that they don’t have blood pumping through their bodies, so their skin and outward appearance begin to deteriorate, rot, and fall off.

​Zombies are usually thought to be mythical by Voodoo followers, but some do believe in zombies and even use shells, fish, herbs, bones, and animal parts to make zombie powerder. These usually contain neurotoxins which can cause zombie-like symptoms like walking difficulty and mental confusion.

​When I was in my Intro to Psychology class, I had a delightful professor who LOVED zombies. One of our projects was to identify different disorders that could make someone look like a zombie. I decided to make a “survival guide” about my roommate turning into a zombie. What a lovely model!
 
There have been a few real zombies reported in medical journals. The Lancet (1997) described three accounts of zombies, including one where a Hattian woman who was buried in a family tomb reappeared three years later.

​Everyone my age grew up seeing mermaids like Ariel: beautiful women who happen to have a tail. However, the supposed actual mermaids are a lot creepier looking than the ones from Disney.

“Real” mermaids still have a tail with scales much like a fish, but the upper parts of their bodies are more alien like. Their hands are most likely webbed to help them swim through the sea. Additionally, they probably aren’t as vibrantly colored as the cartoon mermaids we’ve come to know and love. Instead, they are usually darker colors like blue or brown. This would help them blend into the sea a little easier.

​​The history of mermaids was likely to originate from the Syrian goddess Atargatis. She looked like a mermaid and watched over the fertility and well-being of her people. Mermaids became a part of European mythologies, where sometimes they were portrayed as beautiful creatures and others, beasts that would drown men under the water.

Many associate mermaids with sirens. Sirens would lead sailors into dangerous waters using their music and songs.

As for the realisticness of mermaids today, there isn’t any scientific proof for them. I will say, though, as I did with the first installment of this series that there is much of the ocean we haven’t discovered yet.

I do believe that if mermaids exist, they probably look much more like an alien fish than the Little Mermaid. Nevertheless, looking at the strange pictures and supposed sighting videos of mermaids can be fun. Just remember that video can be heavily manipulated, and there could be an explanation for anything…but who knows, if it seems fishy, maybe it is the real deal!

​The first sightings were the result of attacks on goats, sheep, and other livestock. Landowners were finding their livestock dead and drained of blood, but the animal’s meat remained untouched.
 
Unlike some other creatures, there are two contested beliefs about what the Chupacabra looks like. Some say it looks like a canine, moving around on all fours.

Others say that it looks more like a giant reptilian kangaroo with red eyes. This secondary depiction is like that of the Jersey Devil. It has a kangaroo’s body, a horse’s face, the head of a dog, bat wings, horns, and a tail. Both representations have been depicted in monster movies. 

​In 2017, Cary Shuker of Riverside County said “This thing was standing out there, looking at me. It was the ugliest looking thing. I stole its breakfast. It was hunting my cat. This wasn’t no coyote, by any means.”

​There are also reports of blood-sucking bats which could be to blame for the livestock being drained of blood but left untouched otherwise. I don’t know if I think that’s true, since I think it would be difficult for one bat to drain all the blood out of a cow or something.