The Beasts that Hide from Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals

by Karl Shuker

Cryptozoology -- the study of hidden animals -- is gaining attention thanks to a startling number of zoological discoveries. Karl P.N. Shuker has collected evidence of these mysterious, somewhat mythical creatures in THE BEASTS THAT HIDE FROM MAN. Shuker provides entertaining, solidly researched tales about extraordinary animals. Shuker also provides a supplement to Bernard Heuvelmans's checklist of cryptozoological animals, which contains updated information on unknown creatures.

Genres: Cryptozoology, Nonfiction, Science, Natural History, Folklore, Animals, Biology

324 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

Dr. Karl P.N. Shuker BSc PhD FRES FZS is a zoologist who is internationally recognised as a world expert in cryptozoology (the scientific investigation of mystery animals whose existence or identity has yet to be formally ascertained), as well as in animal mythology and allied subjects relating to wildlife anomalies and inexplicabilia. He obtained a BSc (Honours) degree in pure zoology at the University of Leeds (U.K.), and a PhD in zoology and comparative physiology at the University of Birmingham (U.K.). He is now a freelance zoological consultant and writer, living in the West Midlands, England.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now considering that author Karl Shuker is a trained zoologist (and that his The Lost Ark: New And Rediscovered Animals Of The Twentieth Century is for the most part both enlightening and very much scientifically sound, read exceedingly well and appropriately enough researched), I do remain rather massively disappointed with his The Beasts That Hide From Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals. For while some of Shuker's presented sections are by nature and necessity speculative but nevertheless still also appreciatively scientific and research oriented in scope, far far too many of the chapters do tend to deal with mythical beasts, folklore, at best strangely uncanny innuendo and hear-say. And thus, while I have found the folkloric aspects of The Beasts That Hide From Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals interesting enough on that same level, on a culture and lore level, there is in my opinion nothing even remotely scientific regarding for example the Irish Dobhar-Chú (the so-called Master Otter) or the concept that the Native American and Native Canadian Pacific North-West "Raven" figure is perhaps not meant to resemble a bona fide corvid but actually meant to represent the presumed extinct terror cranes of prehistoric North and South America. Therefore (in my opinion) Karl Shuker really should have made The Beasts That Hide From Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals either scientific or mythologically, culturally hypothetical (because while I can definitely imagine and strongly consider that there are likely many still undiscovered species of animals, I for one seriously doubt the continued existence of dinosaurs, plesiosaurs, pterodactyls and the like). And really, if I had known in advance just how often rather sillily conjectural this book would be and how much of a confusing mish-mash of science and at best pseudo-science it is, I would not have even bothered downloading and reading The Beasts That Hide From Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals (For indeed, if I want to read folklore, I will read folklore, and if I want to read science, I will read science, as I certainly do not appreciate a strange stewing pot of both).

[Glasdow Teacosy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Karl P. N. Shuker is a zoologist and an expert in cryptozoology, animal mythology, and wildlife anomalies. That's what the cover bio states and after reading this book I may not be convinced that bioelectric sandworms inhabit Mongolia's deserts, but I am inclined to believe that Dr. Shuker is one of the most impressive cryptozoological authorities that I have read.

Many cryptozoological books focus on anecdotal stories of fanciful and bizarre scope. The story is usually presented in sensationalistic tones which emphasize drama, mystery, and fantastic theory instead of actual facts. For example, although many cryptozoologists believe in a hairy, flesh & blood hominid called "Bigfoot" that lives a secret life mostly in the American Northwest forests, some go a step further and suggest Bigfoot evades detection because he is actually an invisible, paradimensional alien with psychic powers. Whooboy. Theories like that make me a little embarrassed to associate myself with the hairy beastie. "The Beasts That Hide From Man" doesn't delve into that type of narrative. Anecdotal stories are presented here as ofttimes uncorroborated but intriguing tales that serve as case studies which he then analyzes. Once the evidence for the animal has been presented, Dr. Shuker opines whether he feels the animal is a fanciful tale, an extinct animal, or a creature that bears further investigation.

The book often reads like a biology textbook and not an entertaining yarn of mysterious tales, so don't expect light reading. Theories abound, but none involve hidden civilizations under the Atlantic. It is the most academic cryptozoological book I have read since Grover Krantz' Big Footprints: A Scientific Inquiry Into The Reality of Sasquatch.

I recommend this book. If your exposure to cryptozoology has only been from the X-files, you may be surprised to learn that most cryptozoological animals don't glow in the dark and phase through walls. Many are most likely old and forgotten animals once thought to be extinct but perhaps still hanging on in the few nooks and crannies Man hasn't developed for commerce yet. "The Beasts That Hide From Man" is full of these types of hidden, or cryptozoological, animals. Of note are the sections on crypto-bats, man eating plants, the probable origins of "dragons", and canine enigmas. Enjoy

[Dee Eisel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that The Beasts That Hide From Man is a lot more fun in some ways than the Mothman book previously reviewed. It's more of a survey of different cryptids and carnivorous plants, with some possibilities as to what they might actually be.

Like other books of its kind, there's a lot of "could be" and "possibly" and "specimen vanished" and "unknown provenance" in Shuker's work. He does, however, actually include scientific names for his nominees for the sources of legends. He's not afraid to say where he thinks something is clearly a known animal and what its source might be, which is refreshing. He also doesn't believe that every cryptid is a real organism. He even points out where some might have been but are extinct.

This is the first book I've read that covered unknown carnivorous plants, manatee-like critters around St. Helena, and the Mongolian Death Worm. Sure, it touches on famous cryptids, but I enjoyed the less well-known references, especially when he immediately discredits their existence.

The problem with it being a survey is that there isn't a lot of depth to any portrayal of any of the cryptids. The great thing about this being an attempt at a more scientific work is that Shuker makes a huge effort to cite primary and secondary sources. The bibliography is huge! I intend to keep this one in my library and every so often attempt to find some of the other works cited.

If you want to learn a bit about the sources for the stories of cryptids you may never have heard of before, this is a book for you! If you're looking for scary stories, look elsewhere. I give this four out of five stars.

[Apostate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an okay read, but I wanted more from Shuker. His articles & columns in the magazine 'Fortean Times' are a must-read for me, one of the highlights of a very good magazine. This book just didn't seem to do his work there justice. And the illustrations were horrid & amateurish.

[Ellen Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting more science in this book, but it is mostly folklore that is trying to disguisee itself as science journalism. Serious folklore studdy would have been fine, bbut this ends up sounding like a collection of tabloid stories about Bigfoot.

[Igor · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read but the last 25% of the book was basically a summation of beasts and sources etc

[Amanda Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son is HFA, and can struggle with reading traditional fare such as Black Beauty or Wayside School. He *loves* cryptids, however, so I purchased several Kindle books to use for class. This one is my favorite, though my son picked a different one. I studied folklore and mythical creatures when I was younger, and I was delighted this book covered my favorites, but also introduced me to some new ones, as well. Excellent reading, specially for a rainy day by the fireside.

[✨ Bookferatu ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Shuker's earlier papers and columns previously published in Fate Magazine compose a great deal of the source material for the "cryptid" creatures found within the pages of this book. So if you have already read his previously-published essays and articles on now popular cryptids such as the Mongolian Death Worm and Crypto-Bats, for example, you won't get any new information from this book, however if you are not familiar with his reports on these curious subjects, Beasts is strongly recommended!

It's also easy to be critical of this compendium because of the amount of obscure accounts lacking all-inclusive evidence, but considering the elusive nature of cryptid species, that should not curb any open-minded reader and if you particularly enjoy reading cases of rumoured creatures, there are plenty in here in which to discover, many previously undocumented since before Shuker's publishing, and since then - making Beasts an inherently captivating read.

In this collection, Dr. Shuker has not really provided a thorough narrative on every single creature presented, but instead he has compiled brief "reader friendly" accounts of a more anecdotal nature on mythological-like reported phenomenon, though that is not to say there is not carefully researched information on diverse species of animals and plants that were previously unknown; there are many cases presented in which the subjects of folklore or rumour are suspected to be actual wildlife anomalies.

From reports of hairy reptiles to man-eating trees, Dr. Shuker provides a fascinating reading experience and to critics of this compilation, I would like to say that a great deal of modern researchers and cryptozoological enthusiasts owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Shuker for bringing many exotic, legendary and uncategorised creatures to light, for sharing his expertise in zoology, cryptozoology and animal mythology and allowing his information and reports to be so accessible and so in the spirit of appreciation, I truly encourage more ongoing interest and support of his work drawing upon his many years of experience in these fields.

The Beasts That Hide from Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals is perfect for those that appreciate the pioneering spirit of early explorers' expeditions for documentation of biodiversity in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in both natural sciences and mysterious, mythological creatures.

Chapters include

• The Dobhar-chú
• Tracking Mongolia's Death Worm
• Raven and the Terror Bird!
• The Strange Case of Conan Doyle's Brazilian Panther
• A Belfry of Crypto-Bats
• Man-Eating Trees and Vampire Plants
• Hairy Reptiles and Furry Fish
• The Sirens of St. Helena
• Giant Mystery Birds
• Slithery Surprises
• Exposing the Chinese Ink Monkey
• Living Unicorns and the Latter-Day Dragons
• Shamanus, Sun Dogs and the Other Canine Enigmas
• Lemurs of the Lost - and Found
• Bring Me the Head of the Sea Serpent!

Beasts also includes a supplement and updated Cryptozoological Checklist of Animals from the father of cryptozoology, Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans.

Overall - highly recommended for aspiring cryptozoologists, biologists, students of zoology, and for anyone that enjoys folklore, The Beasts That Hide From Man is a unique and fun reading experience about the mythos of extraordinary and mysterious animals!

[Mills College Library]

590 S5623 2003

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's nice to read a cryptozoology book that's skeptical and grounded while still retaining a sense of wonder at the possibility of the unknown.