# Eel-dog...what the hell IS this thing??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822 "2004-04-19T13:59:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Cerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerri)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/1 "2004-04-19T13:59:32Z")
[http://www.swezlex.com/log/archives/00000263.htm](http://www.swezlex.com/log/archives/00000263.htm) I tried googling eel-dog, but this and a bunch of beastiality porn links (wtf?!?) are all it came up with. What the hell is this thing? I’m assuming from the picture’s caption this is a wild animal but…??? Is this real? ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/2 "2004-04-19T14:13:25Z")
I’m not sure that’s real. Looking at the feet, I’m inclined to say that it’s a photoshopped picture of a fish. I could be dead wrong though, I’m just guessing. . . ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/3 "2004-04-19T14:14:48Z")
if you zoom in to about 200%, you can see that the dither on the feet is a different rate than the rest of the animal. not a bad chop, all around, though. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/4 "2004-04-19T14:18:51Z")
And the camel spiders aren’t real, either. [Well, probably aren’t real.](http://snopes.com/photos/bugs/camelspider.asp) ---
**Author:** ![sunfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/5 "2004-04-19T14:23:32Z")
Plus the paws aren’t dangling the way you would expect if the creature were actually suspended in the air - you can see that they are positioned like a dog’s feet touching the ground. Nice job on a first glance, though. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/6 "2004-04-19T14:24:40Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > And the camel spiders aren’t real, either. > > [Well, probably aren’t real.](http://snopes.com/photos/bugs/camelspider.asp) Camel spiders are real, as is that photo. What isn’t real is the size that is perceived in the photo (look at the hand holding the spiders, not the leg behind them), nor are some of the claims about it. I’m pretty sure that Cecil and/or The Staff already debunked this down to it’s true details, but the thread escapes me. ---
**Author:** ![PosterChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e274bd/32.png) [@PosterChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PosterChild)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/7 "2004-04-19T14:30:10Z")
The site is less than trustworthy. If you go to the [next strange animal](http://www.swezlex.com/log/archives/00000265.htm) on that website (a three headed frog) you’ll note that it is actually just [three frogs](http://www.raygirvan.co.uk/apoth/trifrog.htm) holding on to each other (likely in a mating ball). ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/8 "2004-04-19T14:31:49Z")
Yes, absolutely a chimera of the post-PhotoShop era. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/9 "2004-04-19T14:32:36Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > And the camel spiders aren’t real, either. How about the [chipmunkiphant](http://www.btinternet.com/~nandemo/chipmunkiphant.jpg); is _that_ real? ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/10 "2004-04-19T14:41:05Z")
> [@PosterChild](#): > > The site is less than trustworthy. If you go to the [next strange animal](http://www.swezlex.com/log/archives/00000265.htm) on that website (a three headed frog) you’ll note that it is actually just [three frogs](http://www.raygirvan.co.uk/apoth/trifrog.htm) holding on to each other (likely in a mating ball). Yes, but this same site leads us to the [Angry Hornets Video](http://www.olympus.co.jp/en/magazine/pursuit/200301/movie/movie_mp_b.html) It’s a shame the director of this short flick is squandering his talents at NatGeo. I loved the background screams as the Hornets devour Honey Bees whole. ---
**Author:** ![Cerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Cerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerri)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/11 "2004-04-19T14:43:28Z")
Well, barring anyone coming up with proof that it is real, I’m going to tell my “oogies” to go away and be relieved it’s not a real animal…because that thing seriously gave me the creeps. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/12 "2004-04-19T15:13:12Z")
> [@Cerri](#): > > Well, barring anyone coming up with proof that it is real, I’m going to tell my “oogies” to go away and be relieved it’s not a real animal…because that thing seriously gave me the creeps. _shudder_ ever thrown driftwood into a lake/river/etc for your dog to fetch? with this guy, you could toss a painted rock as far as you could and let him swim deeeeeep down to get it. not to mention the home protection advantages if one could be bred with an electric eel! ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/13 "2004-04-19T15:15:10Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > How about the [chipmunkiphant](http://www.btinternet.com/~nandemo/chipmunkiphant.jpg); is _that_ real? Wow, that is soooooo cute, I’m mailing it to everyone I know… (but definitely fake just in case you weren’t trying to whooosh us:)) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/14 "2004-04-19T15:21:40Z")
> [@Cerri](#): > > I tried googling eel-dog, but this and a bunch of beastiality porn links (wtf?!?) are all it came up with. This is where we venture into the great and wonderful world of… **Japanese pop culture**! Way back when, way back in 1967, there was a manga by the name of [Tensai Bakabon](http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/ha/vintage/manga/f04/f004034.jpg) (literally, “genius fool”). This manga series was adapted for four tv shows that ran for about a year each, in 1971, 1975, 1990 and 1999. Now, please do click on the link above, it’s the cover from one of the early manga books. There are a number of characters in that image, notably an insane horse in the middle. Don’t look at the horse, however, look at what’s below him. Does that look familiar? [Here’s a slightly better picture](http://www.50ban-graphics.co.jp/50bangraphicsFiles/moveindex/unagi_inu.gif) of that character. His name is “unagi-inu”. Those who like sushi might know that “unagi” means “eel”. “Inu”, of course, means “dog”. And that is the origin of the “eel dog”. It’s a character from a funny manga. A creation of [Fujio Akatsuka](http://metropolis.japantoday.com/biginjapanarchive249/237/biginjapaninc.htm), one of the most important manga artists in Japan. Hope this helped. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eel-dog-what-the-hell-is-this-thing/240822/15 "2004-04-19T15:31:27Z")
This reminds me about the endangered Naga (source of Nagahide) that tromps through the deserts of Eastern Washington…