#PrescottAZHistory: Part 2: 6 Crypt-id Monsters That Live In Northern Arizona (Plus 3 More from South. AZ)

Artist's conception of the Aswang

(Part 1, "Land Dwellers" can be found by clicking here)

The Crazy Cave Creatures of Route 66:

The last three monsters on the list are cave-dwellers. Due to the 600+ known volcanos in the area, there must be hundreds of square miles of undiscovered caverns, lava tubes, and caves in northern Arizona and the creatures that purportedly live in them are easily the strangest and most bizarre. Why sightings seem to occur mostly around historic Route 66 may simply be because that's where the humans are present to see them. All of these cave-dwellers are nocturnal and sightings are rare. (*13)

4. The Aswang

Supposed photo of the Aswang in Flight

Near the town of Two Guns, AZ, inside the Apache Death Cave, lives the Aswang--a shapeshifting vampiric creature that was first sighted hundreds of years ago in the Philippines.

It makes a sound like a rattlesnake, has razor sharp claws and sucks unborn fetuses from its prey. It's sometimes been mistaken for the chupacabra, (particularly since it most often shape-shifts into a dog.) However, the Aswang is able to flatten its body like a mouse to get through tight squeezes--perfect for cave dwelling.

Disturbingly, pregnant cows near Two Guns have recently been found dead with their fetus calves missing. (*13)

Aswangs are shape-shifters. Stories recount aswangs living as regular townspeople. As regular people, they are quiet, shy and elusive. At night, they transform into creatures such as a cat, bat, bird, boar or most often, a dog.

Reportedly, they enjoy eating unborn fetuses and small children, favoring livers and hearts. Some have long proboscises, which they use to suck the children out of their mothers' wombs when they are sleeping in their homes. Some are so thin that they can hide themselves behind a bamboo post.

Purported wound from the Aswang.

In late May, 2015, TV5 of the Philippines reported on a rash of Aswang attacks around Cotabato City including this picture of the aftermath of a reported Aswang attack. (*14)

When they aren't shapeshifting, Aswangs are "scrawny, emaciated things with gray and mottled skin, and milk-white eyes that are as cold-looking as they are emotion-free. Sores and boils cover their bodies. They give off a stench of rotting meat." (*15)

"Despite their rotted appearance and odor, the Aswangs are highly athletic, having the ability to run at phenomenal speeds and to leap to heights of around fifteen feet or more, as they pursue their terrified victims." (*14)

5. The Olitiau

Olitiau: Artist's conception.

Although few have heard of the Olitiau, it has been spotted all over the world, including the Amazon rain forest. (*13)

The only known sighting of the Olitiau by a scientist occurred in 1932 by famed explorer and cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson in the Cameroon, Africa rain forests. (*16)

"While exploring a river system in the Assumbo Mountains...Sanderson and his hunting partner Gerald Russell were reportedly attacked by an Olitiau as they were shooting smaller bats along a stream." (*16)

Described as a giant avian creature with a wingspan between 10 to 12 feet in length, this "king of the bats" is reportedly most active in the twilight hours and lives in caves and volcanic lava-tubes. (*13)

In northern Arizona, this fearsome killer purportedly lives in the lava-tubes surrounding Humphrey's Peak near Flagstaff. (*13)

One recent witness named Angela saw the Olitiau while driving through Oak Creek Canyon on State Route 89A. When the beast noticed her, it took off into the air and disappeared. (*13)

Another recent witness is a veterinary assistant named Addison who described a local pet that was brought in. It looked like it had been dropped from several hundred feet far away from any heights. (*13) Could it have been dropped by an Olitiau? What could have caused such a situation?

6. The Rake:

Making its home in the Grand Canyon Caverns near Peach Springs, AZ, The Rake is a nocturnal, 9 foot tall flesh-eater. Its claws are supposed to be as long as a human's fingers! It is a deadly, pale, human-like monster that gives off a high pitched scream. (*13)

"Sightings and encounters with the Rake have allegedly been reported since the 1800's. Several diary and journal entries have been found which documented the horrifying attacks of the creature. At least one person who committed suicide in the 1960s left a suicide note that mentioned the monster." (*17)

One of the stranger characteristics of this creature is its ability to shut-off electricity. Peach Springs has suffered such strange power outages recently even when the weather was calm. A bar owner named Brian related that he closed his bar early at 2 am due to a strange power outage. Hearing a commotion near the garbage, Brian looked over and was surprised to see a grayish humanoid figure that he described as definitely "not human". (*13)

A former gravedigger named Jeremie related seeing a gray-white humanoid figure dart by as he was working at his old job at he Peach Springs Cemetery. (*13)

One can rent the Grand Canyon Caverns for the night. There are hotel accommodations located in the cave if one dares. (See tourist tips.)

3 BONUS Monsters of Southern AZ:

The Thunderbird:

This large winged creature was killed near Tombstone in April of 1890.

The Reptoid:

In early February, 2014, a group of 3 bikers saw a reptilian humanoid in the Sonoran Desert. "It's about 6-foot tall, very very skinny, and it had an awkward gait, like a monkey," one witness said. (*17)

"He stopped and it made eye contact with me and I could see him clearly. The eyes were kind of like a snake's, but black and with a yellow stripe in the middle of the eye. It had green and red scales on the face and head. The red color was kind of like the same as the desert sand there, and it looked like it had a sandy texture too. It didn't have a nose, only two holes on it. I couldn't see any ears or hair. A red mouth that looked like it had blood around it, but it didn't look like it was bleeding, it looked like a pattern. It reminded me of a chameleon, but it looked like a person too." (*17)

The creature raised its "long arms with strange looking claws that looked like a branch full of thorns" and waved at them, emitting a loud chattering sound with its teeth. Then it rapidly ran away," leaving the trio in shock. (*17)

The Chupacabra:

Supposed Chupacabra attacking a deer cam

One of the first reported sightings of a Chupacabra happened in Tucson. "Two men were roused out of bed by the loud shrieking of their goats. When they went to check and see what all the commotion was about, they saw a weird looking beast on top of one of the goats. This dog-like creature looked at them an unleashed an eerie screech and then scampered off." In 2003, there was a second Tucson sighting similar to the first. (*19)

There are many legends in Indian lore of strange creatures living in Arizona, one wonders how many could be true.

NOW CLICK HERE for Part 1: Bigfoot, Troll, & Giant Jack Rabbit!

Tourist Tips:

If the specter of The Rake living deep inside the Grand Canyon Caverns isn't scary enough, the location is also thought to be haunted by ghosts! CLICK HERE for the Grand Canyon Caverns website