Talk:Dover Demon

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Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment[edit]

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 1 September 2020 and 18 December 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Hmorine.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 19:48, 16 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Opossum[edit]

A theory proposed by the posters on cryptozoology.com (it may not be there anymore) suggested that the Dover Demon might have been a opossum suffering from frost bite. Apparently their ears and tails are prone to being lost to frost bite, giving them an unusual look. Has anyone else heard this theory?

Well seems to me to answer the description of a frilled neck lizard seen at night. Why a frilled neck lizard was running around Dover don't ask me. Pool god 14:42, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Frost bite would be difficult in late April, even in Massachusetts it rarely gets that cold even at night. I read in one of the links that 1977 was such an active year for "alien/UFO" sitings. Coincidentally that was the year "Close Enounters of the Third Kind" was released. The some of the aliens in that movie are similar to the Dover Demon.

Well...I still think it was an opossum. But with nothing to back that up I won't add mention of it to the artical. =( —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.45.124.176 (talk) 03:25, 1 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's possible, but opossums look almost no different then they usually do when they get frostbite. It seems unlikely that someone would mistake a semi-regular looking opossum for a creature of The Dover Demon's description; not to mention it was late April so it's unlikely any opossum would even get frostbite at this time. But it's not impossible for a frostbitten opossum to be mistaken as a strange creature, especially at night- when people can't see all that well and their imaginations would run wild. Spr.ing peeper (talk) 14:22, 18 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Questions of Credibility[edit]

The claim that '[...] no creature created in a work of science fiction was ever found that met the description of the Dover Demon.' seems to be patently false, as 'grey' type aliens were an increasingly common theme at the time - as is mentioned, 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (released in November of the same year) bears more than a few similarities. So I've removed it pending a citation to back up the claim. SchmittVanDean 14:47, 24 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe it was just some short, skinny, messed up naked dude.

Haydebn Planetarium[edit]

The words 'Hayden Planetarium' redirect to one in New york City, when he was the assisstant director for the onw in Boston. geowhiz1010 22:21, 31 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Chilean link[edit]

I found a link bou that chilean guy who took the photo, personally i think its fake cause its blurry, but i dunno hwo to check closer, anyways here is the link http://www.ufoevidence.org/cases/case380.htm

Jens Christensen 83.72.180.63 20:02, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Is it true that Dover Demon is going to appear in an American comic book series?[edit]

I've heard several rumors to that effect, and I'm curious to know if they have a shred of prove to them. Albert Cheng 01:52, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Fair use rationale for Image:Dover demon.JPG[edit]

Image:Dover demon.JPG is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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BetacommandBot 08:21, 27 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Poorly written[edit]

This article is in need of much work. Right now it reads like bad sci-fi. There is a definite POV here, as some explanation is given whenever a negative response is brought up. Of course as Wikipedians we are not in a position to judge the merit of such positions, but this is the Dover Demon for Pete's sake. Honestly, no one is going to take this article seriously unless it gets a good, neutral rewrite. What do credible scientists have to say (by credible, I mean not fringe scientists or conspiracy theorists) about the Dover Demon? What was the popular response of society at the time? Now? These are questions that need to be addressed. We aren't the national enquirer. If you want to rave about Dover Demon or Mothman being real, do it on your own website and time. Wikipedia is not the place. Thank you.--Wick3dd (talk) 20:21, 19 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have something to say about the dover demon.[edit]

The dover demon might have been an alien that was left behind on earth, or it might be a newley discovered species that IS native to earth. It is a possibility. --Superscaryguy (talk) 19:03, 25 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

New primate?[edit]

I think that the dover demon may be a new species of goat-sized prosimian or ape. It did run bipedally, of which a moose cannot do, and its fingers were adapted for digging for roots, or for probing for the tenderest carrion in a carcass. Its mouth is probably hidden under the head, so that the creature could have superior binocular vision.--Superscaryguy (talk) 12:04, 25 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Bar in Dover?[edit]

I grew up in an adjacent town in the 70s, and I don't remember there being a bar in Dover. Does anyone know the name of the bar the three teens say they first saw the creature in front of? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Skydog61 (talk • contribs) 00:16, 7 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Expansion[edit]

This article is poorly written and underdeveloped, needing significant attention. The history section (which should be renamed sightings) is underdeveloped and needs to be expanded in more detail than what it currently is with more information on how the sightings became public need to be added. Such statements as "The Dover Demon went on to gain worldwide attention, and drew comparison to stories such as that of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster." give no information or reason as to how that statement is true apart from the citationa and should be elaborated. There should also be a section on its appearances in popular culture as well.--Paleface Jack (talk) 21:55, 1 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

OWL?[edit]

When I saw the picture of the drawing in this article the first thing that came to mind is a great horned owl, Bubo virginianus. These creatures can be up to 25 inches tall. They can perch almost anywhere including on a stone wall. From ten feet away in a dimly lit area driving past fairly quick I could see how one could see one but not recognize it as an owl. Their eyes will appear to glow yellow or orange. Their beaks can blend into their feathers. In the dark of night their brown feathers may appear as grey. They have long talons that could be mistaken for long slender fingers. Except for their "horns" which are in fact feathers, their heads are rather rounded on top and their body could be mistaken for a long watermelon shaped head. Also, it should be noted that some owls can be afflicted with diseases that will cause some loss of feathers, particularly at the top of the head. Throw in a small tree branch resting on the stone wall and this fits Bartlett's description quite well. Now add in the other two sightings and you have a two mile straight line and owls often will travel in a relatively straight line over fairly long distances. It would have simply been a coincidence that three different people just happened to see said owl rest at the intersections of their flight path and the paths of the three "witnesses." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2603:9000:FF00:8E:2151:8FFF:10A4:5D53 (talk) 20:26, 15 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]