Olitiau
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Olitiau | |
|---|---|
| Creature | |
| Name: | Olitiau |
| Classification | |
| Grouping: | Cryptid |
| Sub grouping: | bat, bird, or Flying reptile |
| Data | |
| First reported: | 1932 |
| Country: | Cameroon,Republic of Congo |
| Habitat: | Mountain streams |
An Olitiau is a gigantic cryptid bat (or flying reptile) found in Central Africa. The word, Olitiau likely comes from a fusion of the Ipulo words “Ole” and “Ntya”, a name for ceremonial dance masks used to represent demons.
Contents |
[edit] Description
Olitiau are said to have 6-12 foot wingspans. Their body is black, though their wings have been described as either dark brown or red. Their lower jaws are reputed to contain 2 inch, serrated teeth with equal spacing between each tooth.
[edit] Sightings
While hunting Hammer-headed fruit bats in southern Cameroon, Ivan Sanderson claimed that an Olitiau swooped down on him and his hunting companion, Gerald Russel along a mountain stream in 1932. He called it "the granddaddy of all bats".
[edit] Possibilities
- Hammer-headed fruit bats have the largest wingspan of any bat in Africa: up to 3 feet. It is possible that a large Hammer-headed fruit bat, when viewed close up for an instant, can appear larger.
- Yellow-winged bats has the largest wingspan of any insectivorous bat in Africa. Although it is only up to 16 inches, the scenario mentioned earlier could play a part in explaining size and the serrated teeth of an Olitiau. Yellow-winged bats are known for their yellow, sometimes orange, wings. Sighting a bat with orange wings is not far from the red wings Olitiau are reported to have.
- An unknown large bat species - Karl Shuker suggested the animal may belong to the suborder Microchiroptera.
- A surviving Pterosaur. Although Ivan Sanderson insisted that what he saw was a bat there is some evidence to suggest that pterosaurs had hair or hairlike structures, though there is no evidence that any were still alive in the Paleogene, let alone today.
[edit] References
- George M. Eberhart. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. Volume Two N-Z Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002. Pp. 405-406.
- Ivan T. Sanderson. Animal Treasure. New York: Viking, 1937. Pp. 300-301.
- Ivan T. Sanderson. Investigating the Unexplained. Englewood cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1972. pp. 39-44.
- Bernard Heuvelmans. Les Derniers Dragons d’Afrique. Paris: Plon, 1978. Pp.436-445.
- Karl Shuker. The Beasts That Hide From Man. New York: Paraview, 2003. Pp.84-107. ISBN 1-931044-64-3
