Are You Familiar With a Bizarre KY Legend About a Giant Lizard?

Kentucky is flush with wonderful folklore, just like every other state. The central players in many of the stories are otherworldly, of the spirit world, or cryptids. I thought I was caught up on everything that could slide into the latter category, but I was wrong.

Kentucky Folklore

Bigfoot is always a major player in Kentucky legend, but as big as the dude is, he is still extraordinarily elusive. Bigfoot (or Sasquatch or any other nicknames) is perhaps our most popular cryptid, and he is certainly my favorite. (He even has an official government page.) But I've recently learned of another tale about a giant lizard nicknamed the "Milton lizard." Since it's fresh to me, it might be to you, too.

Monitor Lizards

I would love it if the lizard's name were Milton, but Milton is a town in Trimble County, KY with a rather reptilian story to tell. It takes us back 50 years and to a place called Canip Creek. Now, before we proceed, take a look at a Malayan water monitor. (There's a reason I'm showing you this specific species.)

The Milton Lizard

This is the largest species of monitor lizard on Earth. Some can reach lengths of 10 feet. That's important to know because back in '75, in Milton at Canip Creek, a man named Clarence Cable claimed he spotted a 15-foot-long lizard. His description indicated he may have seen a monitor lizard. Other accounts put the cryptid (if that's what it was) at 12 feet.

Yes, I did say "if that's what it was" because maybe it was a monitor lizard and he just got the length wrong. Perhaps it looked a lot bigger than it was from his vantage point. Then again, there are multiple reports of sightings of this thing over the years, and that, in my estimation, would make it a cryptid, not unlike the "Crosswick Monster" mentioned in this Reddit thread.

Could the Crosswick Monster and Milton Lizard be related?
byu/kb-creations incryptids

That also would make it far more interesting. Who wants a real lizard when you can have a possibly fictional monster lizard?

33 Photos That Show Why You Wish You Were at this Monitor Lizard Christmas Party in Bangkok

Monitor lizard caretakers and enthusiasts gather on Christmas Day at a restaurant in Bangkok to share their love of the often controversial monitor lizard. Although many agree that they are usually shy by nature and will stay away from human beings – unless they are raised by them – they can be aggressive when provoked or hungry – especially in the wild.

It is a day of fun, food and drink (for lizards and their human caregivers), and prizes.

There are approximately 80 species of monitor lizards known to exist on Earth at this time, and most are considered venomous. According to Singapore’s National Parks agency that venom usually has a “relatively mild effect on (human beings).”

Gallery Credit: Kristine Bellino

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