Sand Squink

While the acclaimed explorers of the world are often accredited with discovering wondrous, albeit mundane creatures, it is often those of more humble cloth that discover the truly astounding beasts that may reside within any given area.

For instance, some of America’s very first cryptozoologists were in fact, lumberjacks. I know this may seem peculiar, but it’s true! While explorers passed through areas, mapping as they went, lumberjacks had to remain put, harvesting lumber from the land. This often spooked the local, sometimes unusual animals out of hiding long enough for the woodcutters to get a decent look at them. These humble workers were the first to discover and name many of the North American eldritch species, like the Hodag, Squonk, Snipe, and others. One of the creatures they discovered was the Sand Squink.

Possibly named for the sandy, muddy shores of the Columbia River (where the highest population of Squinks live), the legend of the Sand Squink states that it has the fore end of a coyote, paired with the hind end and markings of a bobcat. Its tail is long and bushy, like that of a fox or squirrel, while its ears are long and tapered, like a rabbit’s, but have small knobs at the tips. While these various traits are present in the Squink, they are not as harshly juxtaposed as the descriptions make them out to be.

Legend also says this Washington state native loves to eat electric eels, and lays eggs with shells made of rubber. These aspects of the legend are not entirely true. The first detail is completely untrue, since electric eels live in South America, and Sand Squinks are North American. However, Squinks will eat a variety of foods, ranging from fungi to carrion, but it is most fond of fish, frogs, and crustaceans. As for the Squink’s rubbery eggs, the Sand Squink is in fact, a monotreme and actually does lay eggs. However, the eggshell is simply soft, like the shell of an alligator’s egg. Though, this common misconception is not without merit. It makes sense for people to assume that the soft shells are made from an insulator like rubber… because the Squink is one of the few electric mammals in the world.

The majority of the creatures electricity is generated in the knoblike structures on its ears, and is produced much in the same way an electric eel generates electricity, though, on a much larger scale. The long, thin ears of the Squink behave like tesla coils, electric bolts jumping from one to another. When the creature touches its tail to either of its ears, or even draws it close to them, the electricity will jump along the tail’s surface, where long, thin, fleshy (but hairlike) protrusions with similar, less powerful electric knobs lie concealed within the fur. The resulting lightshow is impressive to say the least. These electric shocks are often employed in the water, stunning fish and other prey to ease capture for the Sand Squink. How the Squink manages not to hurt itself with its own electricity is not yet known, but a strange, slick secretion from the animal’s skin may be what prevents the creature’s fur from igniting.

However, what the Lumberjacks did NOT know is that the Sand Squink uses its electric abilities for one other activity: Singing.

The plasma flames generated by the Squink’s electrical activity heats the atmosphere around it at such an astounding rate that it causes the swift expansion of the air around it, and that produces a soundwave, similar to how lightning causes thunder. Through pulse repetition frequency modulation, the Squink can generate different pitches of sound, resulting in strange, buzzing music.

This ‘singing’ is oftentimes used to attract a mate. The males will develop a variety of songs to sing for the females, and if a female is interested, she replies by mimicking the song. The more complex a male’s song is, the more likely a female will choose him as a mate, because it demonstrates his electrical prowess.

Modern-day Cryptozoologists have taken to calling the Sand Squink “The North American Lyrebird” because like the Australian Lyrebird, this animal is, in its own way, a master mimic. Male Sand Squinks will often listen in on the songs of competing males, and if it likes the other male’s songs better, it will copy them in hopes of being the first to be heard by any females. However, due to more and more exposure to humanity, the Sand Squink has been hearing the music of humans for quite some time. As a result, some songs, particularly those with electric guitar or synthesized sound, have become part of the singing language of the Sand Squink.

However, as beautiful as these displays may seem, remember: Squinks are dangerous. The reason this last behavior of the Sand Squink was unknown in lumberjack lore is probably because curious lumberjacks drew too close and were electrocuted. So, should you see unusual lights in the forest, and hear strange music, be sure to watch and listen from a safe distance.

For a better veiw of the Squink's markings, please veiw this WIP: [link]

To learn more about the Sand Squink, please see The Field Guide to North American Monsters --W. Haden Blackman

I felt like drawing a really unloved cryptid today, so I drew a Sand Squink, but put my own little spins on it. (The first picture was a really crappy doodle of this thing and a pikachu... jeebus, I’m a dork.) Anywho, American Lumberjack tales and folklore have all sorts of oddball creatures, but I do think that this one is my favorite. I mean honestly… part bobcat, part coyote? Hell yes. And man, now I think I need to go YouTube some tesla coil music. Masters of Lightning or ArcAttack, perhaps.

Edit: Please also see Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods by William Cox