How can living Rhamphorhynchoid (“basal”) pterosaurs fly in California, in modern times? In the United States, we have been taught since early childhood that all such creatures became extinct many millions of years ago. Rather than delve into speculations about fossils, let’s now consider eyewitness testimonies.
Perhaps most pterosaur-like flying creatures in California are of the same species:
- a flying creature the “size of a horse” in the Castaic area, in the 1880’s
- dragons south of Fresno, in the 1890’s
- flying creature: wingspan estimated at 25 feet, in Southern California, in 2004
- a huge “pterodactyl-like” animal in Santa Fe Springs, in 2005
- a giant ropen near the state university at Irvine, in 2007
- large glowing creature flying over San Fernando Valley, in 2009
- two giant flying creatures over San Diego, late in 2011
- a “dragon” in Lakewood, in 2012.
Most eyewitnesses of apparent pterosaur report a long tail (when they report anything about a tail or lack thereof), and California sightings are no exception. Cryptozoologists who specialize in investigating eyewitness reports of “pterodactys,” generally refer to all modern long-tailed pterosaurs with the name “ropen.”
Ropen Close to Long Beach, California
. . . a 38-year-old woman saw what she at first called a “dragon pteradactal.” The featherless winged creature was sitting on a telephone cable above her backyard, on June 19, 2012 . . .
. . . when he saw me he jumped off the telephone wires and when he opened his huge wings they sounded like heavy fabric . . . I watched him fly across to a large tree . . .
Pterodactyl in San Diego, California
Two eyewitnesses were shocked, one night last November [2011], by two giant long-tailed creatures that flew over the city of San Diego . . .
Glowing Creature Flying Over San Fernando Valley
It was a very large, winged creature that was gliding maybe 100 yards above us. We stared at the creature in disbelief because it was so strange . . . it didn’t look like a bird . . . my girlfriend has 20-20 vision and she told a few minutes later that it had lights on it. That didn’t strike me as right so I asked her if she was sure and she said they weren’t lights exactly, but that the wings had a glow or reflection. [from the book “Live Pterosaurs in America,” third edition]