The 1882 Flying Serpent of the Southern Pacific

Contemporary newspaper accounts from March 1882 describe a remarkable encounter between a Southern Pacific Railroad train and an enormous flying creature in the desert between Yuma, Arizona and Los Angeles, California. Witnesses described the creature as a winged serpent approximately 30 feet in length, with features resembling both reptile and bird. The creature reportedly pursued the train for several miles, at times coming close enough for passengers to observe its scaled body and leathery wings in detail. Some accounts mention the creature making attempts to attack the train cars before eventually veering off into the desert. The engineer increased speed to maximum, and the train eventually outpaced the pursuing creature. This incident occurred during a period when numerous "thunderbird" sightings were reported throughout the American Southwest. Native American traditions of the region include detailed accounts of giant flying serpents, and petroglyphs depicting such creatures can be found throughout the area. The 1882 incident represents one of the most well-documented encounters with what may be a surviving species of pterosaur or an unknown cryptid native to the region.