Indigenous Cornish Dragons or an Environmental Disaster Biological Freak

Since the late 1980's there have allegedly been increased sightings of strange previously unknown species of creature in Cornwall in the UK

The

‘Nancekuke Slithering’

Kuriology Artist Sculpture of  'The Cornish Slithering'
Small Dragon like indigenous species to Cornwall,
but mammalian not reptile. 

Unique Cornish bat species of dragon-like underground adaptation or mutation in Nancekuke toxic environmental dumping in former mining area? 

‘Nancekuke Slithering’ - So named due to its movement when escaping when chanced upon & after its initial 1st sighting location.  A cryptozoology Troglophile semi-aquatic & flying/gliding species. A small, but voracious predatory mammal (cannibalistic in nature). Said to be exclusive in habitat found only in/around underground abandoned mine workings & cave environments of the former Cornish Tin mining industry -primarily Camborne/Redruth & surrounding geographical mining locality of Cornwall, UK.

Mammalian: Length up to 1 metre. Completely hairless, with thick leathery skin. Head is mustelid like, with efficient canine teeth & flesh slicing incisors & premolars. Outstanding & unique biological feature are an unprecedented third pair limbs of small leathery wings. Speculated to be an opportunist ‘glide & strike’ aerial cave/cavern hunter. Theoretically derived from a sub-order of Chiroptera (Bats), although completely unlike any other hitherto known species of bat.  

To date; no live specimen recorded as having been retained in captivity. Appears to be utterly intolerant to both daylight & artificial light which seem to cause 'extreme' discomfort to its eyes. Has poor conventional eye sight, but may be able to detect prey by thermal, electrical and/or chemical marker indicator means.

   

Extremely aggressive when encountered/cornered. Spits, or sprays regurgitated highly caustic gastric stomach acid which can cause severe burns, & pain to exposed skin & almost instant blindness if caught in the eyes of a victim. A small, rodent/rat like body torso (although not of a rodent species). It has an elastic like gut which can expand massively. This expanding stomach enables the creature to consume (comparative to its own body size) vast amounts of prey food in one feeding.  A long slender snake like neck, with an expanding gullet & stomach, quite unlike any other species of mammal & more akin to that found in species of deep sea fish.

Three toed claw feet on back & front legs, occasionally webbed.  A long seemingly prehensile tail which can grasp & hold objects.  The creature can also use its tail as a whip like weapon. Also, the tail  used to restrict, crush, & suffocate prey much like a constrictor snake. Tail may occasionally have a small paddle-like tip to the end, thought to be an aid for swimming/aquatic hunting.

A Nancekuke Slithering. Cornwall

Male & female Slithering's are believed to be approx. of equal size. Mature males reputedly have up to five (more commonly three) horny appendage spikes down its back along the spine.  Horn like head appendages thought to sometimes occur in both male & female mature specimens. 

It is believed they give birth to live young, which are completely independent hunters from birth. The 1st born may even predate upon any other subsequent new born siblings for their first meal. In time of food shortage a fertile mother may also predate upon her own new born young. 

         

A voracious hunter predator, preferring live food but adaptable & will scavenge on any available meat carrion. Giving rise to theory these creatures ‘may’ be the original ‘Cornish knockers’, fabled underground creatures in Cornish mining folklore.  From as early as the C17th, Cornish miners would sometimes hear ‘knockers’ underground.  This was believed to be a forewarning of a mine collapse/flood & Cornish miners would leave food scraps for the creatures for luck, to appease & thank the knockers. Also, the ‘Slithering’ maybe responsible for sudden inexplicable occasional utter decimation of entire underground rat populations in mine workings.

Prey:- 'They are what they eat' - has been said of them due to their diverse species environmental physical adaptations, being able to hunt by air, in water & by land - but only in the dark, sun-less environment.  Believed to primarily prey upon insects, fish, crustaceans, small rodents (shrews, mice, voles, rats, rabbits), birds, bats – Will predate upon virtually anything it can tackle & can take prey up to & in extreme cases, in excess of x10 times its own weight/size.  Also, cannibalistic, feeding upon its own species believed common place.  

A spate of domestic cat disappearances & unexplained dog injuries & blind-ings since 2000 are attributed by ‘some’ & coincide with - increased sightings of ‘Slithering’ creatures in the same catchment urban human population settlement areas in Cornwall.  This may indicate a possible expanding of subterranean ‘Slithering’ habitat territory from original ground zero sighting location & an increased diversity & expanding range of their selected prey food species.

‘Slithering’ as a separate species, first may have allegedly been reported sighted 1989 by local night sea anglers at Portreath, Cornwall. An accidental chanced upon night sighting by torch light on cliffs.  This occurred near & very shortly after closure & subsequent demolition of the Ministry of Defence Chemical (& Biological?) warfare research facilities at Nancekuke.

Nancekuke was a chemical (biological?) research facility, Portreath, Cornwall from the early 1950s. Chemical weapons, including Sarin & VX gas are known to have been manufactured there.

 The demolition & toxic material from the former research premises is recorded (Hansard: House of Commons Debate 18 Jan 2000 vol 342 cc818-26) to have been unceremoniously disposed of, reputedly buried (dumped) down abandoned nearby old mine-shafts.  The area riddled with centuries of  interconnected mine workings, many completely uncharted.  A factor not disclosed, despite widespread local public knowledge, when the MOD Nancekuke chemical warfare research facility was proposed, then sited post WWII in the cold war political environment of the 1950's. Increased environmental concerns necessitated clearing of previously dumped Nancekuke toxic waste & began in 2003. Although questions do remain.

NB: It is interesting to note former Cornwall Kerrier local council undertook a massive & hugely expensive program of capping hundreds of open mine shafts in their authority, which included the Portreath, Nancekuke area.  This was despite considerable environmentalists concern expressed regarding negative impact upon vulnerable & endangered protected species of native bat colonies which roost in open abandoned mine shafts.  Some shafts were fitted with bat friendly access grills, - but not all of them?

The disturbance by initial dumping of Nancekuke  demolition material followed by re excavation of said dump sites may have caused exposure/disturbance of hither too completely unknown/unrecognized indigenous or adapted native species.  Or as is more broadly speculated, chemical/biological contamination may have contributed to a gross & rapid traumatic evolutionary mutation transition of an already existing species. - The Slithering. Alternatively a combination of both factors.

Cornish Slithering - A Cryptozoic Species 

  

An ever-expanding population growth of ‘Slithering’ is hypothesized & suspected.  Although sighting encounters with humans are exceptionally rare, however since 2005 sightings & interactions have markedly increased. Sightings/chance encounters occurring primarily in Camborne/Redruth areas, but as far away as St. Day in Cornwall.  

All sightings are notably in former mining areas, spanning huge geographical areas of centuries of former underground workings.  All these former working mines now abandoned, consisting of miles & miles of tunnels & passageways, many uncharted & not surveyed.