What is a Chupacabra?

Although considered a pseudoscience, cryptozoology has been rising in popularity over the past few decades. Cryptozoologists aim to prove the existence of mythical entities that have been passed down through folklore and legend. It is from this group that the name for these creatures was derived: cryptids. Examples of cryptids include Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Mothman and, of course, El Chupacabra.

The Chupacabra is named such due to its tendency to attack and kill domestic and farm animals such as goats, chickens, and cats. For a more thorough explanation, 'chupacabra' literally means 'goat sucker' in Spanish. Thought to be a closer relation to a vampire than any living mammal, chupacabras haunt rural areas, preying on innocent livestock. According to those who have lost animals to the Chupacabra, it’s easy to tell when it’s to blame as it drains every drop of their blood.

The Chupacabra is mostly known for its appearance in Spanish-speaking, Latin American countries. Hence the name. Most chupacabra attacks have been noted in places such as Puerto Rico, Florida, Chile and other South American countries like Nicaragua and Argentina. However, there have also been reports of the blood-sucking cryptid emanating from Texas and Arizona, as well.

Decades ago, the chupacabra of Latin-American folklore looked much different from the way they are described today. Many older descriptions of chupacabras have them as bipedal creatures that can leap across huge distances. This type of chupacabra also reportedly had long claws, teeth, and red eyes, kind of resembling a demonic Patagonian mara. The second description, on the other hand, has the chupacabra resembling more of a hairless canine creature.

Yes and no. If you search YouTube or the internet, you might be pulled into a video or article with evidence of chupacabras existence. Often, the videos of chupacabras are actually coyotes or dogs with mange. Biologists and scientists have even proven that a lot of chupacabra ‘corpses’ are coyotes, too. That being said, you never know.

For a chance to see the mythical El Chupacabra, you'll have to go to the Southern U.S. or the Americas. There are, however, a lot of 'chupacabra tours' and 'chupacabra hunters' who run tours that can take you out in order to perhaps see a chupacabra for yourself. Simply run a quick Google search for chupacabra tours.

Allegedly, chupacabras might be somewhere in the canine family or the lizard family. These two families could not be more opposite, and so it all depends on what you think the chupacabra looks like. In addition to this, however, cryptozoologists have also theorized that there are different species of chupacabra: the lizard-type and the wild dog. Neither species has hair and both reportedly have pronounced spinal ridges.

As with many cryptids, there are plenty of theories about the origins of the chupacabra. One of the most popular theories of how chupacabras came to be, begins and ends with the government and genetic experimentation. Although this sounds slightly like a plot from 'The X Files' gone wrong, there are undoubtedly a lot of top-secret government areas in the Southern U.S. and so it's not improbable. Another less popular chupacabra theory is that it's an extraterrestrial being.

As boring as it sounds, sometimes the simplest explanation is the truth. Ordinary animals such as dogs, wild cats, and particularly coyotes would all kill other animals. All of these animals are also rampant in the same areas that chupacabras are, which makes it make even more sense. Furthermore, dogs and coyotes go for the neck of their prey, also providing an explanation for the ‘vampire bites.’

Although both cryptids, the chupacabra and the Pine Barrens' resident Jersey Devil aren't thought to be related. However, that's not to say that the two can't be related the way that Sasquatch and Bigfoot are thought to be. After all, a cryptid with links to other cryptids is more likely than one that has no links whatsoever.