Dr KARL SHUKER

Zoologist, media consultant, and science writer, Dr Karl Shuker is also one of the best known cryptozoologists in the world. He is the author of such seminal works as Mystery Cats of the World (1989), The Lost Ark: New and Rediscovered Animals of the 20th Century (1993; greatly expanded in 2012 as The Encyclopaedia of New and Rediscovered Animals), Dragons: A Natural History (1995), In Search of Prehistoric Survivors (1995), The Unexplained (1996), From Flying Toads To Snakes With Wings (1997), Mysteries of Planet Earth (1999), The Hidden Powers of Animals (2001), The Beasts That Hide From Man (2003), Extraordinary Animals Revisited (2007), Dr Shuker's Casebook (2008), Karl Shuker's Alien Zoo: From the Pages of Fortean Times (2010), Cats of Magic, Mythology, and Mystery (2012), Mirabilis: A Carnival of Cryptozoology and Unnatural History (2013), Dragons in Zoology, Cryptozoology, and Culture (2013), The Menagerie of Marvels (2014), A Manifestation of Monsters (2015), Here's Nessie! (2016), and what is widely considered to be his cryptozoological magnum opus, Still In Search Of Prehistoric Survivors (2016) - plus, very excitingly, his first two long-awaited, much-requested ShukerNature blog books (2019, 2020).

Dr Karl Shuker's Official Website - http://www.karlshuker.com/index.htm

IMPORTANT: To view a complete, regularly-updated listing of my ShukerNature blog's articles (each one instantly clickable), please click HERE!

IMPORTANT: To view a complete, regularly-updated listing of my published books (each one instantly clickable), please click HERE!

IMPORTANT: To view a complete, regularly-updated listing of my Eclectarium blog's articles (each one instantly clickable), please click HERE!

IMPORTANT: To view a complete, regularly-updated listing of my Starsteeds blog's poetry and other lyrical writings (each one instantly clickable), please click HERE!

IMPORTANT: To view a complete, regularly-updated listing of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's articles (each one instantly clickable), please click HERE!

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Wednesday 18 May 2011

FROM THE HOUND OF THE HEDGES TO CHIA DOGS!

This delightful example of a Chia dog was photographed in Williamsburg, Virginia
(photo: http://www.livinginwilliamsburgvirginia.blogspot.com/)


Just over a month ago, on 12 April, I documented the wonderful Hound of the Hedges (click here for this ShukerNature post of mine), a unique (albeit fictitious) zoobotanical crossbred canid that featured in Charles Finney's surreal science fantasy novel The Circus of Dr Lao (1935).

Confirming that, as ever, fact is stranger than fiction, American correspondent Marc Gaglione has now brought to my attention the extraordinary real-life world of Chia Pets, which are common in the USA but which I haven't encountered here in the UK and hadn't even heard of before.




This is what Wikipedia says about them:

"Chia Pets are American styled animal-shaped terracotta figurines used to sprout chia, where the chia sprouts resemble the animal's fur.

"Produced by San Francisco, California-based company Joseph Enterprises Inc., Chia Pets achieved popularity in the 1980s following the 1982 release of a ram, the first Chia Pet. The catch phrase sung in the TV commercial as the plant grows in time lapse is "Ch-ch-ch-chia!". Moistened seeds of chia (Salvia hispanica) are applied to the grooved terra cotta figurine body.

"A range of generic animals has been produced, including a turtle, pig, puppy, kitten, frog, and hippopotamus, but cartoon characters including: Garfield, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, Shrek, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob have also been licensed. Additionally, there are Chia Pets depicting presidents, including Barack Obama."


The Hippo of the Hedges? Now that's a cryptid I'd pay good money to see!


Chia ram or photoshopped Ram of the Hedges? You decide!

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