Join Earth Ranger Emma as she sets off on a myth-busting mission across continents to answer one fiery question: were dragons ever real? From the sheep-stealing dragons of medieval England to the mighty dragon myths of ancient China, Emma’s journey is full of wild stories, fossil finds, and mind-blowing science. Tune in and let’s hunt down the truth behind one of humanity’s oldest legends!

Today’s myth brings Earth Ranger Emma over to Nanyang, China, to investigate the river basin for clues about China’s dragon mythology. At XiXia Relic Park she is joined by Professor Li, who shares her paleontology knowledge and passion for dragons.

The Nanyang River basin has among the oldest discovered deposits of dinosaur eggs in the entire world. Covering 78,015 of land, thousands of fossilized eggs have been unearthed here, with more still hidden underground. Mention of these eggs can be traced back to 1920, if not earlier. Of course… with such strange fossils, myths might come from them.

Professor Li has more to share regarding the reach of dragon myths. In Chinese mythology, dragons have a lot more to do with water than fire, Aboriginal Australians have the myth of the “Rainbow Serpent” said to bring water and rain, while in Albanian the dragon “Kulshedra” causes a lack of rain through droughts, breathing fire and shooting lightning.

Dragons, wyverns, serpents, drakes, wyrms, hydras and many more. All share a very lizard-like trait, don’t they? Some have wings, small arms, and missing legs, if someone without science were to discover these, there are a lot of theories that could be made to try to explain them. Some suggest that the sightings of fossilized dinosaurs could be an explanation for the widespread myth of dragons worldwide that goes back more than thousands of years! As scientists discovered what real dinosaurs were like, the myth of the dragon stopped being used…

What’s your favorite type of dragons? Know any other dragon-like creature that wasn’t listed? What legends from around the world have you heard of? Share them with the rest of the Earth Rangers here! Don’t forget – Let us know some other cool cryptids you wish Ryan or Emma talked about! Ryan’s going nuts coming up with some, but why not talk about other cool legends here?

Earth Ranger Emma dives into a ribbiting mystery in Loveland, Ohio! Legend has it that a four-foot-tall frog once roamed the quiet streets at night, wand in its hand and magic in the air. Emma’s on a mission to debunk this tale, but things get wild when she stumbles upon a giant “frog” in the most unexpected place. Is it really a magic-wielding frog army, or just a case of mistaken identity? Join the fun as Emma busts myths, explores the quirky side of small-town folklore, and maybe even learns a dance move or two!

Ryan’s wild quest to prove myths real has Emma visiting another US State: Ohio to investigate the stories of the Loveland Frogman. According to the 1955 start of legend, a creature with a frog-like face was seen standing on two legs, some versions even detailing it holding a wand with magic sparkles.

Ryan takes this legend even further, theorizing that the frogmen are “Secret Scientists” who escaped from a top-secret laboratory. That’d make a fun book or movie…but that’s far from the truth!

Sure, some frogs, like the tiger-legged monkey frog, prefer walking rather than hopping, but no specials can stand and walk around on two legs the way humans do. There’s also the strange detail about “leathery skin,” which is unlike any real frog—frog skin is smooth and moist, not leathery like a lizard’s. Just looking at these two photos, it’s clear how different the skin “texture” of a frog and a lizard is.

Speaking of lizards – it’s believed that it’s an iguana that people might have mistaken for a frog! In 1972 police officer Ray Shockey reported a sighting of a creature looking a lot like the frogman of the legends. Two weeks later, a colleague of his Mark Matthews saw and shot an animal that fit the description. After picking it up, the police realized that this animal was a green iguana that had dropped its tail!

Like many other lizards, iguanas can drop their tails. They do this when they feel threatened and use it as a way to surprise and distract potential predators. Don’t worry! They have a special regenerative ability to grow back their bone and skin. They get to have their tail back after a few months!

There you have it, Earth Rangers! The legend of the Loveland Frogman was solved when it was revealed to be an iguana. It could still have been a cool lizardman story, but most people like to “embellish” details to make them more fantastical and surreal.

What do you think of the Loveland Frogman Legend? Do you think it’d have been cooler if it had been a lizardman?
Let us know some other cool cryptids you wish Ryan or Emma talked about! Ryan’s going nuts coming up with some, but why not talk about other cool legends here?