Legends of flying reptiles

For thousands of years, the Chinese have had legends about flying reptiles called dragons, as well as flying snakes—which seem to be something else entirely. Depictions of flying dragons are so common in China that they can be considered one of the most common motifs. Are these stylized representations of real aerial creatures? The ancient Chinese certainly believed they existed.

Similarly, many European and Middle-earth countries have myths and legends about heroes battling flying reptiles or dragons. Often depicted as winged serpents or alligators, these dragons also frequently appeared in paintings and still appear on the coats of arms of royal families today. Did dragons—flying reptiles—pterodactyls—still exist in small numbers, even in the Middle Ages?

Nearly every Native American tribe, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, has legends of gigantic flying creatures so large they "blocked out the sun." The beating of these giants' wings caused storms, so they were called "Thunderbirds." The Navajo still perform their Thunderbird Dance and also tell legends of a "cliff monster" that lived high among the cliffs and came to kidnap humans and feed them to its young. The Haida Native Americans of the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia believe that some Thunderbirds were so large they could literally pull baby whales from the sea. Many of their artwork and sculptures depict such Thunderbird hunts.

Many South American Indians believed that this bird was constantly at war with the forces that inhabited the ocean waters, especially the horned serpent, and that it tore apart great trees in search of the large grubs that were its favorite food.

It has been suggested that the Thunderbird is actually a living fossil—a Pteranodon. Although rare, especially in modern times, pterosaurs could have survived in small numbers, hidden in inaccessible desert and mountainous regions. While this seems improbable, as I mentioned, reports of "giant birds" and Pteranodons continue to appear worldwide to this day.

Such a creature was supposedly seen by miners in the Chilean town of Copiapó in 1868. Reconstruction by William Rebsamen