Book excerpt: Is it possible that unusual creatures share the Pacific Northwest with its 10.3 million human occupants? It's true! Oregon and Washington have misplaced alien invaders, such as a half-inch flea, a giant spider with a leg span of three inches, and a snakehead fish (made famous of late in four horror movies) that can breathe in water and on land, and grows to be about four feet long. There are sea monsters, from prehistoric times to the present, as well as freshwater phantoms said to infest lakes and rivers. The sky has winged wonders that resemble species long believed to be extinct. These are the stuff of nightmares: thunderbirds described as raptors, resembling eagles or vultures, with a wingspan of eight feet, as well as Bigfoot and other large bipeds. A comprehensive guide to a crypto zoo of the Northwest, this book details the Black Tamanous, a man-eating monster; a kangaroo man; the usual brownies, elves, fairies, gnomes, leprechauns, pixies, wee folk; and many more. You may find this research unsettling, even frightening. One thing is certain...a world of mystery awaits.