Cryptid/ Mythological Creature Encyclopedia

Jersey Devil

Animal Class: Mammal

Diet: Carnivorous

The hundreds of years old stories of Jersey Devils being dangerous, aggressive, and highly feared monsters that attacked and chased people in the Pine Barrens is true, but we now know that the attacks were mostly in self defense due to the number of Jersey Devils back then being very low ( they were very close to becoming extinct and it probably didn't help that people started hunting them out of fear and the fact that they preyed on livestock) and them just wanting to have a safe place for what was left of them to live in. Now the Pine Barrens of New Jersey are a highly protected place that has heavy punishments for people that are caught hunting there and the population of Jersey Devils has gone up drastically and they feel so safe there that most of them never leave the Pine Barrens. ( Some do, but they don't go very far. A young male was once spotted in southern Maine which is the farthest away that one has been seen) 

They tend to live in small groups of around 5 to 15, but they prefer to hunt alone.( Most of this groups don't seem to have a leader and they tend to make decisions as a group) 

Their main prey is deer (about 2 times a year, park rangers will release herds of cattle and goat into the park, so they can have a change in diet)  and they like to fly up to the tops of large trees and eat their food there. They eat what they want and then leave the carcass there, sometimes coming back to eat what is left of it later. 

It takes about two and a half years for a young Jersey Devil to learn how to fly and even then they are very clumsy flyers, sometimes it takes them well into their adult years to fully master it. ( They reach adulthood at around 9 years old)

Naturally live for around 60 to 85 years. ( some of them give up flying when they get too old due to their wings becoming too weak to support them during flight) 

For a fully grown Jersey Devil, anything from their hooves, tail, wings, and horns can be used as a weapon .( similar to Bighorn Sheep, males will occasionally have headbutting contests for the rights to mate with a certain female) 

Were once mainly nocturnal, but since the Pine Barrens became a protected place, they are spotted out during the day a lot more often now and they have become more friendlier towards humans. 

They seem to be afraid of heavy winds and lightning, refusing to fly during thunderstorms. 

Their main competition in the Pine Barrens is Coyotes and some people compare the rivalry between Jersey Devils and Coyotes to the rivalry between Lions and Hyenas.

Extra Fun Fact: For many years, some people have been trying to get it to where if anyone is caught trying to hunt a Jersey Devil, they should be locked up in a cage with a hungry one ( that is loosely chained to a wall) for five minutes before being prosecuted for their crimes. But, many people don't want that law passed because of how unfair it is.( How unfair it is to the Jersey Devil not the person)