Behold the Squonk

The Saddest Cryptid

An illustration from the book they first appeared in. I think they’re rather cute!

Dear Darklings,

There are more than a few cryptids that I think came about purely due to a one-off mutation or people spotting an animal so decimated by disease or cancerous growths that they can’t help but think it’s supernatural. The squonk is among those cryptids, but I won’t blame you if you haven’t heard of it.

The first mention of the squonk was by William Cox in his book “Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, With a Few Desert and Mountain Beasts.” Published in 1910, it’s possible the squonk was invented purely to fill pages, as there are no other known reports of the creature.

The following is a description of the squonk taken from Cox’s book:

“Probably the homeliest animal in the world, and knows it. The distribution was once fairly wide, the usual habitat being high plains where desert vegetation was abundant.

History shows beyond dispute that, as these areas gradually changed to swampy, lake-dotted country the squonk was forced to take to the water. Of distinctly low mentality it traveled…