Although there are no known species of fresh water octopus living anywhere in the world, reports of such a creature have been coming out of Oklahoma for centuries. Three bodies of water in particular have become synonymous with these phenomena, Lake Thunderbird, Lake Oolagah and Lake Tenkiller.
Modern sightings of the creature are almost non existent, however it is reported that Native Americans long feared this creature that they likened to a leach. Described as having the overall appearance of an octopus, with leathery, reddish brown skin, the Oklahoma Octopus is said to grow to the size of a horse.
Skeptics, and there are plenty, laugh off the idea of a giant fresh water octopus stalking the fresh water lakes of Oklahoma, to date not even a small species of fresh water octopus has been discovered, convincing the majority of investigators, who even give a second thought to the Oklahoma Octopus, to the write off the creature outright as nothing more than the misidentification of a common animal.
The Evidence There is currently no physical evidence to suggest that a creature like the Oklahoma Octopus does or ever did call the fresh water lakes of Oklahoma home. The Sightings No documented sightings of the Oklahoma Octopus could be located at this time.
The Stats – (Where applicable)
• Classification: Lake Monster • Size: Roughly that of a horse • Weight: Unknown • Diet: Carnivorous • Location: Oklahoma, United States of America • Movement: Swimming • Environment: Fresh water lake
The Oklahoma Octopus is a mysterious creature generally said to inhabit three lakes in Oklahoma (Lake Thunderbird, Lake Oolagah and Lake Tenkiller) where it attacks and kills unsuspecting swimmers. According to legend and rumor, this freshwater demon measures the size of a horse and resembles an octopus, with long tentacles and leathery, reddish-brown skin. Skeptics question how an octopus — an ocean creature — could survive in freshwater lakes, but it is easy to believe that such a creature would be a fearsome predator. The Giant Pacific Octopus, for example, has tentacles that each boast the strength of a 200-pound man and a powerful beak that it uses to kill prey.
Although no physical evidence exists in the case of the Oklahoma Octopus, many point to the high mortality rate and large number of unexplained drownings in the Oklahoma lakes as a clear sign of its presence. There have also been numerous reported sightings. Cryptozoologists have pointed out that species of jellyfish have been able to adapt from saltwater to freshwater conditions, and the same adaptation may have been possible for a giant cephalopod trapped in an inland lake when coastal waters receded.