Mokele-mbembe
From Conservapedia
Mokele-mbembe is a possible living dinosaur. It is classified as a sauropod[1][2][3] and reportedly lives in the pools and swamps near the rivers of the Likouala Region in the Republic of the Congo (ROC).[2] There have been numerous reports of sightings for more than 100 years.[1] Noted Congolese biologist Marcellin Agnagna, who was in an expedition to Lake Tele in 1983, said:
| “ | At approximately 2:30pm, … [we] were then able to observe a strange animal, with a wide back, a long neck, and a small head. … The animal was located at about 300 metres from the edge of the lake, and we were able to adv[a]nce about 60 metres in the shallow water, placing us at a distance of about 240 metres from the animal, which had become aware of our presence and was looking around as if to determine the source of the noise. Dinkoumbou [a local villager] continued to shout with fear. The f[r]ontal part of the animal was brown, while the back part of the neck appeared black and shone in the sunlight. The animal partly submerged, and remained visible for 20 minutes with only the neck and head above the water. It then submerged completely, … no further sighting of the animal took place. It can be said with certainty that the animal we saw was Mokele-mbembe, that it was quite alive, and, furthermore, that it is known to many inhabitants of the Likouala region [an area of swampland about the same size as Florida]. Its total length from head to back visible above the waterline was estimated at 5 metres.[1] | ” |
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Anatomy
According to the available data, Mokele-mbembe has a long neck and tail.[2] Reported length of the animal is approximately 5 to 10 meters, the length of the neck is approximately 1.6 to 3.3 meters[4] and the estimated length of the tail is between 1.6 and 3.3 meters. It has reddish-brown skin with no body hair. It is generally believed that the animal is unable to produce any sound.[2]
Behavior
The animal lives most of the time beneath the surface of the water except when it eats or travels to another part of the wetland. Mokele-mbembe reportedly uses the lakes in the region as a crossing path to go from one river to another river. Some have theorized that the animal does not tolerate the plant-eating mammal hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) and kill them on sight, but it does not use them as food. It have been observed that hippopotamuses cannot be found in the region where Mokele-mbembe lives. There are further reports that the animals sometimes capsize boats and kill passengers by biting and hitting them with tail; however it does not eat humans.[2]
Diet
Mokele-mbembe is herbivore and Malombo plant (Landolphia mannii and Landolphia owariensis) is the reported diet of the animal.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 David Catchpoole. Mokele-mbembe: a living dinosaur? (HTML). Creationontheweb.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Mokele-mbembe: The Living Dinosaur! (HTML). Mokelembembe.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
- ↑ In Search Of the Congo Dinosaur (HTML). Institute for Creation Research. Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
