What is the chupacabra?

 If you're expecting a writing post today, I'm afraid you'll be a little disappointed. This post is about a cryptid, and a thought that popped into my head which actually explains it pretty well. I was trying to figure out where to write this little dissertation and I figured this would be as good a spot as any. 

Now, it's worth pointing out there are currently two versions of the Chupacabra running around. The original, reptilian version from Puerto Rico, and the canid version in Mexico and the Southern United States. 

For this blog post, I'm going to be talking about the original Puerto Rican version. And what is this post about? I think I know what it is. 

I think it's an iguana. 

If you're paying attention, you might already see some of the similarities. The red spines certainly stand out, don't they? 

Your first thought might be, "Wouldn't the people of Puerto Rico recognize an iguana though?" 

Actually, no. Iguanas aren't native to Puerto Rico. It's thought they were brought in through the pet trade in the 1970's with some animals escaping or being released into the wild. This actually lines up almost perfectly with the first reports of Chupacabra attacks which began in 1975. 

Iguanas aren't big enough. 

Iguanas can grow to be over six feet long, and early reports of the Chupacabra claim it to only be about three feet tall, so the size is actually pretty close. Now imagine you get home from work late one night and find the biggest lizard you've ever seen for a brief moment on the railing of your deck before it dives off into the bushes or charges up a tree. You'd probably be forgiven for thinking you just saw a monster. 

Iguanas eat fruit, not blood. 

Actually, this is where it starts to get interesting in my opinion. Yes, most people are aware that iguanas like bananas, lettuce, and other fruits and veggies; however they are also known to like eggs, and have even been known to eat baby birds whole. 

It's also worth noting these are an invasive species. The foods they usually like isn't really available, so they have to try new things and see what sustains them. We've seen invasive species actually turn from herbivores to carnivores when they have to find new food. The perfect example of this is the fish called the Pacu. In it's native home, it eats nuts that fall into the water; however, when dropped into the rivers of Papua New Guinea, they started eating anything and everything. They even started attacking people swimming in the water. I'll also point out that another well-known herbivore, the white-tailed deer, has been documented killing and eating birds, so just because something USUALLY doesn't eat meat, doesn't mean it won't. 

Iguanas are also highly territorial, and have no problem attacking animals bigger than themselves if their temper is tested. Iguanas could kill chickens over territory, as opposed to for food. That would explain how the animals don't seem to have any other injuries. Of course, that doesn't explain the deaths of larger animals like mules or cows, but it's not very easy to imagine the stereotypical reptilian Chupacabra killing a cow either. 

As far as the blood goes, while doing my research for this idea, I've come across multiple statements that in many cases, the animals being "drained of blood" was an over-exaggeration, and many of them were never actually given a real necropsy, so it can be hard to say where this part of the story really stands. 

One last point I want to make, while reports of attacks by Chupacabras in Puerto Rico do continue to this day, despite a brief surge in the mid-1990's, they have thinned out considerably since the end of the 1970's. This would correlate very well with people getting used to seeing the iguanas running around and being able to recognize them. 

Is this definitive? Hell no. But it does check quite a few boxes and, most importantly to me, it makes sense. 

Or they could be aliens. 

What do you think?