Quetzalcoatlus had one of the largest wingspans in the entire fossil record, present animals included. Today’s estimates put its wingspan at 36 ft (we don’t have a complete skeleton) and estimates for its weight are between 120 lbs and 550 lbs. I had these numbers in mind as I watched countless documentaries on the paranormal and cryptids this Halloween week, which was a nice contrast from not having power due to Sandy last year at this time.

Using Quetzalcoatlus as a ruler, if something the alleged size of Jersey Devil or Mothman were to exist, they would require a similar 36 ft wingspan. For whatever reason, maybe comic books are to blame, people seem to think that a 6ft tall humanoid could fly with 6ft wingspan. New Jersey, West Virginia, and nearly every other part of the US and Canada with fresh water is home to a creature with such a wingspan: The Great Blue Heron, which at that size weighs less than 8 lbs. Virtually any owl explains sightings of forward-facing glowing red eyes.