Join Earth Ranger Emma on a myth-busting mission across continents to answer one fiery question: were dragons ever real? From the sheep-stealing beasts of medieval England to the mighty legends of ancient China, Emma’s journey is packed with wild stories, fossil finds, and mind-blowing science. Tune in so we can learn the truth behind one of humanity’s oldest legends!

This episode takes Emma to Nanyang, China, where she investigates the region’s ancient river basin for clues about Chinese dragon mythology. At XiXia Relic Park, she meets with Professor Li, a passionate paleontologist who shares her expertise on fossils—and her love of dragons.

The Nanyang River Basin holds some of the oldest known deposits of dinosaur eggs in the world. Spanning over 78,000 square meters, this area has yielded thousands of fossilized eggs—with many more still waiting to be discovered. Mentions of these fossils date back as early as 1920, if not earlier. It’s easy to imagine how such strange and mysterious relics could give rise to myths.

Professor Li explains how dragon legends vary across cultures. In Aboriginal Australian tradition, the Rainbow Serpent is said to bring water and rain. Meanwhile, in Albanian folklore, the dragon Kulshedra causes droughts, breathing fire and summoning lightning.

Dragons, wyverns, serpents, drakes, wyrms, hydras—they all share a few lizard-like traits. Some have wings, others tiny arms or missing legs. To someone without scientific knowledge, these features might look like evidence of a real creature. Some researchers believe that ancient discoveries of dinosaur fossils may have inspired dragon myths around the world—myths that predate written history by thousands of years.

As science advanced and our understanding of dinosaurs evolved, the dragon began to fade from scientific explanations—but never from our imaginations.

What’s your favorite kind of dragon? Do you know any dragon-like creatures that didn’t make our list? Have you heard of any legendary beasts from other cultures? Share them with your fellow Earth Rangers! And don’t forget to let us know which cryptids you want Ryan or Emma to explore next—Ryan’s already brainstorming a bunch, but we’d love to hear your ideas!

Earth Ranger Emma dives into a ribbiting mystery in Loveland, Ohio! Legend has it that a four-foot-tall frog once roamed the quiet streets at night, wand in its hand and magic in the air. Emma’s on a mission to debunk this tale, but things get wild when she stumbles upon a giant “frog” in the most unexpected place. Is it really a magic-wielding frog army, or just a case of mistaken identity? Join the fun as Emma busts myths, explores the quirky side of small-town folklore, and maybe even learns a dance move or two!

Ryan’s wild quest to prove myths real has Emma visiting another US State: Ohio to investigate the stories of the Loveland Frogman. According to the 1955 start of legend, a creature with a frog-like face was seen standing on two legs, some versions even detailing it holding a wand with magic sparkles.

Ryan takes this legend even further, theorizing that the frogmen are “Secret Scientists” who escaped from a top-secret laboratory. That’d make a fun book or movie…but that’s far from the truth!

Sure, some frogs, like the tiger-legged monkey frog, prefer walking rather than hopping, but no specials can stand and walk around on two legs the way humans do. There’s also the strange detail about “leathery skin,” which is unlike any real frog—frog skin is smooth and moist, not leathery like a lizard’s. Just looking at these two photos, it’s clear how different the skin “texture” of a frog and a lizard is.

Speaking of lizards – it’s believed that it’s an iguana that people might have mistaken for a frog! In 1972 police officer Ray Shockey reported a sighting of a creature looking a lot like the frogman of the legends. Two weeks later, a colleague of his Mark Matthews saw and shot an animal that fit the description. After picking it up, the police realized that this animal was a green iguana that had dropped its tail!

Like many other lizards, iguanas can drop their tails. They do this when they feel threatened and use it as a way to surprise and distract potential predators. Don’t worry! They have a special regenerative ability to grow back their bone and skin. They get to have their tail back after a few months!

There you have it, Earth Rangers! The legend of the Loveland Frogman was solved when it was revealed to be an iguana. It could still have been a cool lizardman story, but most people like to “embellish” details to make them more fantastical and surreal.

What do you think of the Loveland Frogman Legend? Do you think it’d have been cooler if it had been a lizardman?
Let us know some other cool cryptids you wish Ryan or Emma talked about! Ryan’s going nuts coming up with some, but why not talk about other cool legends here?