Flying Snakes in Arizona

Nick Sucik has been investigating several cryptozoological animal with ties to Native American tradition in Arizona for several years. One of the most interesting mystery animals is the "flying snake" (though there may, ethnozoologically, be more than one type within regional traditions). Nick was approached by a television news program last fall about his research, and they have recently aired their segment. You can view it online at AZCentral.com. Further information on Nick's research can be found in a brief article at the same site.

Nick and several other CZ researchers have been investigating reports of some of these odder mystery animals throughout the country. The "flying snake" category has a wider range than is usually appreciated within cryptozoology; I noted several cases in a chapter in Cryptozoology and the Investigation of Lesser-Known Mystery Animals. (Nick has a chapter in the same book on the small bipedal lizard-like animals we've been looking into, as well.) Whether or not there is a viable biological unknown at the root of these sightings, it is worth investigating.

Overall, this media report was very even-handed, without the sensationalism that often takes place. It does, though, point to a difference in perspectives: Nick is attempting to determine whether an unknown animal actually exists, while another individual states (paraphrasing), "Knowledge is enough for us; we don't have to go search for them." Unfortunately, in today's world, ethnoknowledge alone is not enough to protect a species from habitat loss or extinction. There are levels of knowledge, each with its own purpose; cryptozoology seeks to expand the value of what is ethnoknown, using a scientific methodology, so that recognition of a folkloric animal within a specific people group progresses to the study and protection of a living species. The cultural knowledge remains, and should certainly be preserved as such; but, it is as important to preserve the species, which requires the cooperation and education of people outside a local community. Within cryptozoology, ethnoknowledge leads to scientific knowledge, which engages the outside world. Knowledge can't be contained, and neither can the curiosity that leads to zoological discovery.