The mouse in question is the “Southern Grasshopper Mouse” – the scientific name is Onychomys torridus. More commonly, they are referred to as “Scorpion Mice”, and often compared with wolves!

At first glance the mouse looks like any other mouse – small cute body, gray fur, beady little eyes, cute rounded ears, pink nose… you would easily mistake it for any other mouse. The difference comes when you learn about (or actually witness) its habits and lifestyle. This mouse is an AGGRESSIVE CARNIVOROUS PREDATOR!! The mouse loves – above all other things – scorpions – and can eat (without harm) the most poisonous scorpions in the world! This little desert mouse also supplements his diet with lizards, spiders (including tarantulas), rodents, snakes, insects and grasshoppers (hence the name grasshopper mouse). The grasshopper mouse also will, if necessary, turn to cannibalism! They are known to eat other mice (even of their own species) when needed!!

Even more interesting that the fact that this tiny little mouse is actually a vicious hunter, is the fact that the grasshopper mouse actually stands on his hind legs and and HOWLS into the night sky!! It is believed the howl is a sign it is defending its territory…they have been known to howl prior to a fight.

Check out the grasshopper mouse as he howls!!

The mouse is native to the Sonoroan Desert – specifically Mexico, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and California.

The animal is small and covered in grey fur. It has fangs, and a wolfish face, short ears, a long tail, long neck, claws, and short front legs. Vets are stumped with what the creature could be and are comparing its features such as teeth, skull shape, and body structure with other animals to try to determine what it is. So far they have ruled out kangaroo, dog, raccoon, wolf, and marten. The only thing they have been able to determine for certain is that the creature was a predator.

Speculation abounds as to what the creature actually is, and while many firmly believe it is a chupacabra, others think that it could be some kind of radiated mutant animal which escaped from a biological weapons development project.

If the creature is indeed the legendary “goat-sucker”, it would not be the first time it has been spotted in the Ukraine – sightings of the creature have been becoming more popular in recent years….locals have reported the creatures eating their rabbits and chickens.

The Vampire Flying Frog (Rhacophorus vampyrus) was discovered in Vietnam, and it is said that the upper part of the trees in the Vietnam cloud forest are the only place that you can find this creature. It has been called a “flying frog” because of its webbed fingers and toes which allow it to glide between the trees similar to flying.  (For anyone familiar with the flying squirrel, the concept is very similar).

The “vampire” part of the flying frog name came about because of the black fangs which you can find on the underside of the tadpole’s mouths.  (Yes, I said BLACK FANGS!!    )  Actually, the scientists say the “fangs” are more like black “hooks”. So far, researchers are not certain what purpose the black fangs serve although there are some theories that have been thrown around including that possibly the vampire flying frog tadpole uses the fangs to stab unfertilized eggs, or perhaps anchor itself in place.

Luckily, so far there has been no connection found between the vampire flying frog and a desire to drink blood. So for everyone out there thinking about visiting the Vietnamese cloud forest, no need to worry about bloodsucking frogs…even if they do have fangs!