31 Days of Monsters: Rods

So, I've noticed the blog is posting things by the date I write them, not necessarily by the date it goes up. Sorry if that's caused any confusion, if you want, you can click on the Cryptid label on the bottom right to see only the posts involved in this challenge.

Name: Rods, Skyfish

Size: Variable, from inches to at least one account of almost a mile in length.

Appearance: Long, cylindrical bodies with fins that run their entire length.

Threat: None.

One of the few creatures that seem to be found worldwide. Rods have been caught unexpectedly in pictures from South America, North America, Iraq and Australia. The curious thing about them is that they are never seen with the naked eye, although they have even been caught on video in some cases. They don't seem to have a preference between night or day, and they seem to roam in groups, although larger specimens have been seen traveling along.

The fact that Rods are never seen with the naked eye, has led some to speculate that the creatures are spirits, tiny UFO's, or even inter-dimensional animals. While any of those could certainly be possible, it would seem to me to be just as likely that they simply reflect a spectrum of light just outside of our visual range, rather than any particular color. You have to admit, it would be almost impossible to beat that kind of camouflage outside of heat sensors or infrared goggles. To a degree, the fact that we can't see them could also be attributed to their speed, which under some estimates is faster than the speed of sound.

Pictures of the sky in which they have appeared, taken in rapid succession, show them crossing the expanse of sky  in the frame in a matter of seconds. Given speeds like that and their relatively small dimensions, excluding length, it would be a simple matter for one to zip right before your eyes and you would never have a clue.

There really is a lot here to work with, between speeds, lengths, and a degree of invisibility, so it's a little surprising they haven't appeared in movies or literature. They are a recent find, though, only first being spotted in 1994, with sightings fairly scarce since then, despite them all being caught on film.

There is one other reason there hasn't been any movies or stories told about these creatures. That would be the fact that they just plain don't exist. The real reason nobody has ever seen one without a camera is that we can see them for what they really are, which, unfortunately, is just moths, butterflies, and other flying insects. The Rod is simply an effect created when an insect flies past the camera with a little 'oomph' behind it and the camera captures several wingbeats and distance traveled in a single frame. A company in China actually had several "Rods" appear on their surveillance cameras, so as an experiment, they set up nets to try and capture them and set to watching the video. When Rods appeared, they closed the nets and went to check their catch, finding only moths and other common bugs.

Still, it creates some food for thought. After all, the spectrum of light that we see is miniscule compared to the  full range possible in nature. It really wouldn't be that inconceivable that creatures could be out there that simply don't reflect light in the visible range, rendering themselves invisible to us. Who knows, there could be such creatures in the room with you right now, and you'd never even know it. Maybe that slight brush against your hair wasn't just a small breeze, after all.

~ Shaun