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The bunyip is a freshwater cryptid reported from mainly from the lakes, rivers, and wetlands of the Australian Riverina↗, as well as Tasmania. In Australian English, the name "bunyip" has been applied to various "monsters," both mythical creatures and cryptids. Within cryptozoology, it usually refers to a freshwater Australian cryptid divided into two types, the long-necked bunyip or "true" bunyip, and the dog-faced bunyip.[1][2][3]
The "dog-faced" type is usually described as a seal-like animal with a face like a bulldog, and sightings are thought to be explained by stray seals, an identity occasionally confirmed,[4] although a minority of cryptozoologists have theorised that it may be a "marsupial seal," a native freshwater animal which resembles a seal through convergent evolution.[5] The long-necked type is described as a shy, amphibious herbivore with a long neck, a mane, and prominent "tusks". Cryptozoologist Gary Opit considers the long-necked type to be the "true bunyip," as unlike the dog-faced type, he believes that most sightings cannot be explained as mistaken identity, although it is alternatively identified as a stray seal of an unknown species: namely, the long-necked seal (Megalotaria longicollis).[4] Sightings have not been reported for some years, leading to suggestions that, if it did exist, it may be extinct.[3][2] These two types were also recognised by the Wegaia people of Victoria, and by some early colonial settlers.[3]
In modern Australian English, the term bunyip has a variety of applications. It has also been applied to different cryptids, including the Queensland tiger. Many popular sources suggest that bunyip legends, when taken generically, represent a folk memory of prehistoric animals such as Diprotodon.[2] Bunyips are the subject of a complete book by Malcolm Smith, The Truth About Bunyips (2020).
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Shuker, Karl P. N. (2016) Still In Search Of Prehistoric Survivors: The Creatures That Time Forgot?, Coachwhip Publications, ISBN 978-1616463908
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eberhart, George M. (2002) Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology, ABC-CLIO, Inc., ISBN 1576072835
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Opit, Gary "The Bunyip," Myths & Monsters 2001 Conference Papers (2001)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Smith, Malcolm (2021) Bunyips and Bigfoots: Up-Dated Second Edition, ASIN B08VYDC728
- ↑ Heuvelmans, Bernard (1955) On the Track of Unknown Animals, Routledge, ISBN 978-1138977525