Hoax Hunters take on the Fresno Nightcrawler

Summary

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Brains On!: Hoax Hunters Take on the Fresno Nightcrawler

Podcast: Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids
Episode Date: July 21, 2026
Host(s): Molly Bloom, Mark, Sandon (Hoax Hunters)
Guest: Michael Banty (Weird Fresno)
Kid Co-Host: Connor

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Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into the mysterious legend of the Fresno Nightcrawler, a cryptid said to haunt the streets of Fresno, California. The “Hoax Hunters” (Mark and Sandon) return to investigate:

• Where did the story come from?
• What evidence is there for these “walking pants”?
• Why has the Nightcrawler legend become so popular and beloved in Fresno?
  With help from kid co-host Connor and local cryptid enthusiast Michael Banty, the team uncovers not just the facts but also what makes cryptids like the Fresno Nightcrawler fascinating to our collective imagination.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Are Cryptids? (01:08–07:14)

• Cryptids are mysterious creatures that people claim to have seen, but with no scientific proof (Bigfoot, Chupacabra, Mothman, etc.).
• These creatures often emerge from blurry photos, shaky videos, or local legends.
• Connor names his favorite cryptid: the Loveland Frog, described as a "giant frog that walks on two legs."
• Notable quote [06:49, Sandon]:
  “Whatever the source—video, picture, story—it’s gotta be super hard to tell what really happened.”

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2. The Fresno Nightcrawler’s Origin Story (07:19–11:12)

• In 2007, a Fresno homeowner set up a camera to see why his dogs barked at night.
• The resulting video showed two strange, pale, leggy creatures walking across the yard—basically, “white baggy sweatpants out for a stroll.”
• The hosts watch the video for the first time together.
  • Notable quote [09:21, Mark]:
    “It looks like a pair of pants. …It almost looks like a sea creature moving along the bottom of the ocean.”
  • Notable quote [09:53, Sandon]:
    “Jellyfish pants, for sure.”
• The music and atmosphere change how spooky or friendly the creatures seem.
  • [10:21, Sandon]:
    “If you watch that video and it’s like, dun dun dun!—then creepy. But if it’s do-do-do-do—they’re just little pants.”

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3. The Mystery Deepens: Viral Video and Speculation (14:01–17:44)

• The only available footage is a recording of a recording—the original is lost—making it extra grainy and mysterious.
  • [16:12, Sandon]:
    “The worse the quality of the video, the more you should question what you’re seeing.”
• The homeowner remains anonymous and never sought fame or money.
• The video is picked up by local Spanish news and posted online—cryptid fans love it.
• Online, people guess at the creatures’ identities: aliens, giant bugs, “Santa Claus’s magic pants.”
  • Notable quote [17:00, Connor]:
    “No, it’s Santa Claus’s magic pants. It’s how he watches us to know if we’ve been good or bad.”
• New alleged “sightings” emerge (including Yosemite and even Poland), but most appear to be imitations.

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4. Hoax or Mystery? Investigating Explanations (17:44–19:21)

• Paranormal investigators attempt to recreate the footage with puppets or special effects—some are convincing, some not.
• The hosts suggest possible rational explanations:
  • The camera angle or poor quality could create strange effects.
  • Could it be wind-blown tarps or plastic bags? Maybe a bird or insect?
• [18:46, Mark]:
  “Have you ever seen, like, a plastic bag blowing in the wind? …A couple plastic bags, tarps, or something got tangled together…”
• In the end, there’s agreement the mystery is unsolved.

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5. The Fresno Nightcrawler as Local Icon (23:16–25:51)

• Interview with Michael Banty (Weird Fresno), an expert on local strange stories.
  • He recalls seeing the video in 2008 and being “excited because this was something I’d never seen before.” [23:36, Michael]
• As the Nightcrawler legend grew, it became a pop culture hit:
  • Art Hops in Fresno feature Nightcrawler stickers and plushies
  • Artists depict it as cute (like Pokémon or Totoro) or spooky, but mostly adorable
  • The Fresno tourism board even has a special Nightcrawler page, despite no new sightings
  • [25:51, Michael Banty]:
    “It’s part of Fresno. It’s ingrained now.”

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6. Why Do We Love Cryptids? (26:03–26:46)

• The hosts reflect: what matters most isn’t whether cryptids like the Nightcrawler are “real,” but that they spark wonder and creativity.
  • [26:03, Sandon]:
    “The Nightcrawler may forever be a mystery, but that’s what makes it so fun.”
  • [26:12, Mark]:
    “Cryptids are cool because they let us wonder. And wonder is what makes the world feel big and special—and still kind of wild.”

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7. Advice for Aspiring Cryptid Hunters (26:12–26:41)

• Michael Banty’s number one tool for the curious: a library card!
  • “Just read and just be open minded about everything and just be curious.” [26:41, Michael Banty]
  • Cautions about relying too heavily on the Internet, due to fakes and AI.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [10:36, Mark]:
  “I want to be friends with that pair of pants.”
• [25:02, Michael Banty]:
  “People were having stickers made of the Nightcrawler, or they would have plushies.”
• [26:46, Mark]:
  “That’s it for this episode of Hoax Hunters.”
• [26:49, Sandon]:
  “Remember, stay skeptical and don’t get hoaxed.”

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Key Segment Timestamps

• 01:08 – What are cryptids?
• 07:19 – Origin of the Fresno Nightcrawler
• 09:06 – Hosts watch the original video
• 14:06 – Viral spread, speculation, and internet theories
• 17:44 – Hoax vs. real: expert attempts at recreation
• 23:16 – Interview with Michael Banty, Weird Fresno
• 25:02 – The Nightcrawler in local art and culture
• 26:12 – Why cryptids matter, library advice for curious kids

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Episode Takeaways

• The Fresno Nightcrawler is most likely a product of mystery, myth, and community storytelling—its appeal is less about being explained and more about inspiring wonder.
• Quality of video evidence should always be questioned—the grainier, the more skeptical we should be!
• Local legends like the Nightcrawler can become symbols of community pride and creativity.
• The best way to explore “the unknown”? Stay curious, read widely, and keep an open (but skeptical) mind!

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For more weird wonders, fun science, and skeptical sleuthing, tune back in to Brains On!

Transcript

[Molly Bloom]

Lemonada. Today's episode is sponsored by Great Wolf Lodge. At Great Wolf Lodge, there's adventure for the whole family. You and your pack can splash away in the indoor water park where it's always 84 degrees. There's a massive wave pool, a lazy river and tons of water slides for your pack to enjoy together. And the fun doesn't stop there. Get ready to explore and play at Adventure packed attractions from Magiquest Alive action game that takes place throughout the lodge to the Northern Lights Arcade. There's also a bunch of great dining options and complimentary daily events like nightly dance parties all under one roof. And the best part? With 22 lodges across the country, you're always only a short drive away from adventure. So bring your pack together at a lodge near you, book your [e-mail] and strengthen the pack.

[Brains On Announcer]

Brains On Universe. You're listening to Brains On. Where we're serious about being curious.

[Molly Bloom]

Bigfoot, Chupacabra, the Loch Ness Monster. These are mythical creatures called Cryptids. Cryptids are animals that some people say are real, but there's no real proof to. Some Cryptids are scary, others think they are fascinating. There are even people who think they're cute. Aw. But one thing's for sure, they're really good at grabbing our attention. Humans love mystery. And where there's mystery, there's the Hoax Hunters. Mark and Sandon are back with another episode of Hoax Hunters. This time they'll investigate a cryptid called the Fresno Nightcrawler. Will it be scary, fascinating, or cute? Or maybe all three? Get ready to find out. Got a birthday coming up? Or starting a new school and want to pep talk? Or maybe you just need more joy in your life. Well, join Smarty Pass and you can get more actual joy in the form of Joydolo. She'll record a special message to help you celebrate, prepare, or just laugh. It's one of the perks you get when you join the Galactic Explorers Club in Smartypass. You can also choose instead to get a custom greeting from me. Sandin, Mark, Gungador, bob, You name it. It's a perfect surprise for a Brains on superfan. Plus, it feels good knowing you're powering smart fact filled, high quality independent shows that don't talk down to kids and are fun for adults too. Join now by going to smartypass.org thanks.

[Mark]

In the mood for mystery Craving Conspiracy? Maybe you've got a hankering for. How'd that happen? Then you're in the right place. This is the brain's on Basement. And we're the Hoax Hunters. I'm Mark. And here's Sandon. Uh, how'd that cricket get down here? Also, where's Sandin? Sandin.

[Sandon]

Over here.

[Brains On Announcer]

Ouch.

[Michael Banty]

Ouch.

[Sandon]

Just trying to make my way through all this junk down here in the basement.

[Mark]

Dude, we're doing the Hoax Hunters now.

[Sandon]

Oh, coming.

[Mark]

Ahem.

[Sandon]

In the mood for mystery.

[Mark]

I did that part already.

[Sandon]

Oh, sorry, I'm just distracted. It's just, you know, remember how I brought a full grown moose into our basement lair?

[Mark]

Uh huh. Our new sidekick, Mystery Moose.

[Brains On Announcer]

Yeah.

[Sandon]

And that moose has been living here rent free.

[Mark]

Uh huh. Moose are always broke.

[Sandon]

And how we can't get that moose to leave.

[Mark]

Uh huh. Moose love basements.

[Sandon]

Well, ever since all of that, it's been like a real mess of junk down here.

[Mark]

Oh yeah, there's dirty clothes everywhere, half empty bowls of vegan ice cream, old issues of Mothman Monthly. Mystery Moose is a slob.

[Sandon]

Yeah, actually all of that is mine. I was talking more about like the soccer balls, screwdrivers, and half empty cans of pickle juice.

[Mark]

Yeah, actually. Oh, those are mine.

[Sandon]

Wait, are we the slobs? Definitely not.

[Mark]

Moose are definitely the most slobby.

[Sandon]

Upstairs is for cleaning downstairs. No rules.

[Mark]

This is our domain.

[Sandon]

Actually, it's strategically placed. Definitely. The moose is the poem.

[Mark]

For sure. We should teach Mystery Moose to clean up after himself.

[Sandon]

Totally. Totally. Anyway, time for hoax hunters. Let's go.

[Mark]

We like myths, but we hate getting tricks. Yeah, we like myths, but we hate getting tricks. Yo, rap. We like myths, but we hate getting tricked. We hate getting tricked. No, we don't like it. This is the show where we look into strange things and say, what's up with that?

[Sandon]

Today's episode was suggested by this hoax hunter in training.

[Connor]

Hi, my name is Connor, and I wanted you to do an episode on the Fresno Nightcrawlers. I heard about the Fresno Nightcrawlers on a different podcast about Cryptids and mythical creatures.

[Mark]

Cryptids, of course, are mysterious animals that may or may not exist. My favorite is the Chupacabra, a goat eating beast.

[Sandon]

My fave is Mothman, a human sized winged creature with red eyes. What about you, Connor?

[Connor]

My favorite Cryptid would probably be the Loveland Frog.

[Mark]

Ah, yes, a giant frog that walks on two legs.

[Sandon]

Sick Cryptid, bro. Now, the thing about Cryptids is they're usually based on a story, like a local legend.

[Mark]

Or maybe someone took a blurry photo of something strange.

[Sandon]

It might even be a grainy, shaky video.

[Mark]

The key thing is, and this is

[Sandon]

very important, whatever the source video picture story.

[Mark]

It's gotta be super hard to tell what really happened.

[Sandon]

Is it real or a prank or a hoax?

[Mark]

Or did someone see something totally normal, but they were confused and thought it was a monster?

[Sandon]

We don't know. It's a mystery.

[Mark]

And because it's a mystery, people come up with all sorts of guesses about what that thing actually is.

[Molly Bloom]

It's aliens.

[Sandon]

A dinosaur.

[Connor]

It's Santa Claus after he fell into glue and got covered in dirt and leaves.

[Sandon]

Keep this in mind while we tell you the tale of the Fresno nightcrawler. The year is 2007.

[Mark]

The place is Fresno, California.

[Sandon]

A city in the big flat middle

[Mark]

part of the state famous for farming and zombie grapes.

[Sandon]

Uh, raisins. He means raisins. Raisins are just dried up old grapes and Fresno makes a lot of them.

[Mark]

Okay, well, anyway, a homeowner set up a camera outside his house.

[Connor]

Yeah.

[Sandon]

He noticed that his dogs had been barking a lot at night.

[Mark]

Was it zombie grapes? Dogs do hate grapes and zombies, bro.

[Sandon]

Again, they're just raisins. But this guy was curious what was going on, so he started taping one evening.

[Mark]

And what he saw completely baffled him.

[Sandon]

Walking across the yard was a pale two legged creature with no torso or arms or head to be seen. It was like a pair of white baggy sweatpants out for a stroll all by themselves. It flowed across the ground, almost gliding and bending in strange, unfamiliar ways. The thing calmly moved along, eventually strutting off the screen. And then moments later, a second one showed up. It also walked across the yard and disappeared from view. Okay, now, Mark, you haven't seen this video before, right?

[Molly Bloom]

Correct.

[Mark]

I've only heard the story.

[Sandon]

All right, all right, check out all my screen right here. I'm going to show you the video.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay.

[Mark]

All right, let's look at it.

[Brains On Announcer]

Okay.

[Mark]

Grainy, grainy video with a timestamp. And there's definitely something moving across it. And it looks like a pair of pants. You're right. Oh, it's kind of like a shaky handheld camera that's, that's moving a little bit. There's a tree, it looks like in the background. And there's a second what looks like pair of pants kind of scooting along. It almost looks like, like a sea creature moving along the bottom of the ocean.

[Sandon]

Yeah. And they move kind of weird, right? It's not like normal movement like you'd expect if a person was just walking and you couldn't see their top, right?

[Mark]

No, no, no, it's very like flowing and Gliding and like, like you described it. But it reminds me of something under the ocean, I think, because also the screen looks kind of bluish. So it looks like ocean underwater.

[Sandon]

Mm, yeah. Jellyfish pants, for sure. Well, honest question. Does it give you the heebie jeebies?

[Mark]

I could see how it could give someone the heebie jeebies, mostly because of how it looks, so. Because again, it's so grainy and it's kind of like this bluish black and white picture. But if you just focus on what's happening, it kind of looks, I don't know, friendly.

[Sandon]

Yeah, I think the music would make a big difference. Like, if you're watching that video and it's like, dun, dun, dun, dun. Then you're like, ooh, creepy. But then if you watch it, it's like, do do do do do do do do do do do do. Be like, oh, look at those little pants.

[Mark]

I want to be friends with that pair of pants.

[Michael Banty]

Yeah.

[Mark]

Can pants be friends?

[Sandon]

I mean, you'd make a perfect pair. Okay, well, coming up, we'll tell you what happened when that video of those pants, or whatever they were, was shared with the world.

[Mark]

And we'll tell you what's been happening in Fresno in the years since that video first appeared.

[Molly Bloom]

Humans love to dance. Give us a beat and we'll start bopping. But why? We're doing an episode all about why we love to shake our tail feathers, metaphorically speaking. And we want you in it. Tell us about a dance you made up. Like the Running man where you run in place, or the moonwalk where you walk backwards. Record yourself describing your dance and tell us what it's called. We may feature it in our episode. Just send it to [e-mail] contact and while you're there, you can also send questions, mystery sounds and high fives. That's brainson.org contact. Thanks. Today's episode is sponsored by Quints. My family and I have been shopping at Quint's for years. And now everyone in my little nuclear family and my larger extended family, we all have items from Quints. That's because they focus on high quality essentials that feel and look amazing. Think breathable linen and soft organic cotton. Perfect for the summer. There are well made basics, but they don't have the luxury markup. So this summer, I. I don't like wearing shorts. I don't like how they feel. So that's why linen pants have become my summer go to. And Quince has lovely linen pants, perfect for the hottest days. They're comfy durable. And they look great, too. Quint works directly with ethical factories and they cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for quality, not brand markup. You know, it's the kind of brand you end up recommending to everyone for everything. Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com brainson for free. Free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com brainson for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's quince.com brainson Today's episode is sponsored by Great Wolf Lodge. At Great Wolf Lodge, there's adventure for the whole family. You and your pack can splash away in the indoor water park where it's always 84 degrees. There's a massive wave pool, a lazy river and tons of water water slides for your pack to enjoy together. And the fun doesn't stop there. Get ready to explore and play at Adventure packed attractions from Magiquest, a live action game that takes place throughout the lodge, to the Northern Lights Arcade. There's also a bunch of great dining options and complimentary daily events like nightly dance parties, all under one roof. And the best part, with 22 lodges across the country, you're always only a short drive away from adventure. So bring your pack together at a lodge near you. Book your [e-mail] and strengthen the pack.

[Michael Banty]

Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba.

[Mark]

Brains on.

[Sandon]

We're back with more hoax hunters. I'm Sandon.

[Mark]

And I'm Mark.

[Sandon]

And that's a ghost vacuuming our floor.

[Mark]

Oh. Oh, actually, actually. Wait, wait, wait, wait. That's mystery moose. Apparently he knows how to vacuum.

[Sandon]

I'm no moose expert, but I think he just said he's tired of living in filth. And since we apparently don't know how to keep the basement tidy, he's learned how to operate simple machines and even spray bottles and disinfecting wipes. And he's going to clean up after us because even though he's the wild animal, we're the ones who live like we were raised in the woods with no standards of cleanliness whatsoever.

[Mark]

Huh? He said all that?

[Sandon]

Just my guess, based on vibes.

[Mark]

Well, okay, thanks. Mystery moose.

[Sandon]

You rule. Now back to today's topic. The Fresno nightcrawler. When we left our story, a homeowner recorded a video of two strange things that looked like they were mostly legs walking across his yard.

[Mark]

Why were they there? Where were they going? Was it to get some raisins? I bet it was raisins.

[Sandon]

The man was freaked out, so he recorded the footage, but he did it in a weird way.

[Mark]

Remember, this was 2007. No one had a smartphone with a high def camera yet.

[Sandon]

So instead, he played the footage from his security camera on a screen and used a handheld video camera to record what was on that screen.

[Mark]

This is an important detail because the original security camera footage was later lost. No one else has ever seen that original tape.

[Sandon]

All the footage we've ever seen of the Fresno Nightcrawler comes from this recording of a recording. So it's extra blurry and fuzzy, making it even harder to tell what could be happening.

[Mark]

Which means I'm extra skeptical.

[Sandon]

Get skeptical. That's right. The worse the quality of the video, the more you should question what you're seeing. So picture me questioning all of this right now.

[Molly Bloom]

Hmm.

[Brains On Announcer]

Hmm.

[Mark]

Next, the man took his recording of a recording to the local office of a Spanish news channel called Univision.

[Sandon]

They, too, were baffled. They hired an investigator to look into it. But he couldn't make heads or tails of.

[Mark]

But he could make legs of it, because that's all they were. Legs. Mystery legs.

[Sandon]

The footage got posted online, and it was shared on websites for fans of weird and spooky things. And, boy, howdy, did they like it.

[Mark]

It's definitely an alien.

[Molly Bloom]

Nah, it's a giant bug.

[Connor]

No, it's Santa Claus's magic pants. It's how he watches us to know if we've been good or bad. I've been good. Magic pants. I've been good.

[Mark]

Soon, other people were posting sightings of these walking legs online. One was supposedly caught on a security camera in nearby Yosemite National Park.

[Sandon]

Another was from Poland. That's all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. In these videos, the legs are just sort of legging, I guess, you know, doing their walking thing. Not really that scary. But also not. Not scary.

[Mark]

Yeah, just weird. But unlike that first tape, the one from Fresno, it wasn't as clear who recorded these new tapes. They just kind of appeared online, and they look pretty fake.

[Sandon]

They may have been copycat videos made by people trying to get in on the Fresno Nightcrawler craze.

[Mark]

To this day, the man who took that video in 2007 has remained anonymous, which means he never revealed his identity.

[Sandon]

Apparently, he didn't want money or fame for his find. In fact, he wanted to be left out of this altogether. That's why we still don't know who he is.

[Mark]

A bunch of different paranormal investigators have looked at the video. Some have tried to recreate it by using puppets or special effects, and some

[Sandon]

did a pretty good job. Others say the video is too unique to fake. Personally, I think it was probably a weird trick of the camera, like as a bird or something passed by. I don't know, but I'm not 100% sure.

[Mark]

Yeah, it doesn't look like a bird to me, but who knows? With all the, like, filming of a screen or a recording of a recording.

[Sandon]

I don't know. I could also see, like, a weird insects or. I don't know, maybe the camera, like, cut something off. Accidentally recorded over the top half of the lens.

[Brains On Announcer]

Yeah.

[Mark]

You know what it reminds me of kind of is like, have you ever seen, like, a plastic bag kind of blowing in the wind? It somehow, like a couple plastic bags, I don't know, tarps or something got tangled together.

[Sandon]

What's weird is there's two of them, though. I could see that happening once, but the second one, unless it went off screen and blew right back to where it started, like there's a little cyclone just spinning it around. I don't know.

[Mark]

I'd have to watch it again. But it almost looks like it takes the same path as the first one. The second one takes the first path. So, like, it's almost as if it's looped or repeated.

[Molly Bloom]

Mmm.

[Sandon]

Weird.

[Mark]

The most interesting thing about this story to us isn't whether or not these ghost pants are real.

[Sandon]

You know, we'll probably never have a good answer.

[Mark]

It's what happened next in Fresno after the nightcrawlers became a worldwide cryptid sensation.

[Sandon]

We'll tell you that chapter next, right after the mailbag.

[Molly Bloom]

Hi, Molly Bloom here in the mail room. Swimming in mail. Watch me plunge into postcards. Backstroke through envelope. Got stamps up my nose. Swimming through mail is actually a terrible idea. Opening mail is a much better one. Let's open this. Oh, it's from Sahana and Sanaya. They love smashboom best, so they recorded their own own debate. Potato chips versus french fries. Sanaya is team chips and Sahana is team fries. Let's listen to some of their debate.

[Brains On Announcer]

When french fries get cold, potato chips never get cold. You can sell warm french fries up, but if you just want to warm french fries up, that's wasting your time. Why don't just grab a bag of potatoes? What if they don't have a bag of potato chips at their house? Well, if you don't have a bag of potato chips, just go somewhere to get it. But you have to go to the store, and that's a waste of your time. It takes longer than warming up French fries, but it doesn't waste your time if you're looking for something good. And I think french fries don't taste good because when you get them from places, most people need sauces to go with them because they're not good in the fruit first place.

[Connor]

I don't.

[Brains On Announcer]

So potato chips are good all the time.

[Molly Bloom]

Fantastic work, y'. All. I am truly torn between chips and fries. Now I guess I'll just go snack on both. If you have something you want to share with us for the mailbag, send it to [e-mail] contact we can't wait to hear from you. Hoax Hunters is media literacy wrapped in myth and lore. If that sounds cool to you, support it by joining SmartyPass. You'll also get ad free versions of all of our shows and more. [e-mail] Thanks.

[Mark]

Boring fun. We're back. And. Okay, I gotta give it to you, Mystery Moose. This basement floor looks clean enough to eat off.

[Sandon]

Yeah, which is good because I eat off it all the time. When I spill ice cream on the floor, I always follow the five minute rule.

[Mark]

Uh, don't you mean the five second rule?

[Sandon]

Wait, wait, seconds? I thought it was minutes.

[Mark]

Anyway, thank you, Mystery Moose. Consider yourself an official basement roommate. We'll create a chore wheel so you don't always have to do all the cleaning.

[Sandon]

Yeah, and we'll try to be better basement roommates too. Like by being tidier. For starters, I'll start by not spilling my ice cream on the floor on purpose.

[Mark]

Wait, on purpose again?

[Sandon]

Mark, I thought I had five minutes to eat it before it got gross.

[Mark]

Uh, that doesn't explain why you spill it on the floor.

[Sandon]

Don't you just hate bowls sometimes?

[Mark]

Um, okay, why don't we just get back to the Fresno Nightcrawler?

[Sandon]

Okay, for this next part, we're gonna meet someone who probably knows more about these spooky steppers than anyone else in the world.

[Mark]

His name is Michael Banty. He runs a website called Weird Fresno. It covers creepy and strange stories from all around the Fresno area.

[Sandon]

So of course he wrote about the nightcrawlers.

[Michael Banty]

That was actually one of the very first articles I wrote about back in 2008. I watched it over and over. I had no idea what this grainy video was. I just see these two little figures walking across this guy's front yard and was confused. There's a lot of things I thought of, but I was excited because this was something I'd never seen before, he says.

[Mark]

At first, the video stayed pretty underground. Only hardcore Cryptid fans knew about it.

[Sandon]

But over time, as more people stumbled across the grainy video, the Nightcrawlers became

[Mark]

more famous and more popular. People started posting about them, them drawing them, making their own videos and podcasts about them.

[Michael Banty]

There's just something about it that people embrace. It's not the normal, like Bigfoot. There's like, there's a Goatman, there's, you know, there's Dogman Slash, or there's all these other kind of, I'm using air quote, scary monsters, but there's just this cute little walking haunted pants thing that I don't know what it is and it's just, it's different. And I think that's why people latched onto it because it's this cute little thing.

[Sandon]

Michael says once a month, Fresno has an art hop where local artists show off and sell cool things they made.

[Mark]

A few years back, he noticed something. The Fresno Nightcrawler was all over the Fresno Art hop.

[Michael Banty]

I would go to it and people were having like stickers made of of the nightcrawler or they would have plushies.

[Mark]

Sometimes artists would give the Nightcrawler big curious eyes. Other artists would dress them up in overalls or stockings.

[Sandon]

Lots of other creators got in on this too. Some made the creatures look creepy, but most made them look downright adorable. Picture something from Pokemon or my neighbor Totoro or one of the crew members from among us.

[Mark]

The tourism board of Fresno even made a special page all about these long legged wonders with tips on where to look for them. Even though they admit no new sightings have ever happened.

[Sandon]

Michael says these days the city takes pride in being where the legend began. And the nightcrawlers have become sort of an unofficial mascot.

[Michael Banty]

It's part of Fresno. It's in Grange now.

[Sandon]

So the Nightcrawler may forever be a mystery, but that's what makes it so fun.

[Mark]

Yeah, Cryptids are cool because they let us wonder. And wonder is what makes the world feel big and special and still kind of wild.

[Sandon]

By the way, if you love Cryptids and you want to learn more, Michael from Weird Fresno says there's a key piece of equipment you need to get started.

[Mark]

A library card.

[Michael Banty]

Just go to the library. Read, read, read, read, read. I'm very distrustful of the Internet now, especially with AI being so prevalent. I question everything I see, which I believe everybody should do anyways. But don't just watch the videos, Learn about the lore, learn about the history. Just read and just be open minded about everything and just be curious.

[Sandon]

Libraries for the Wiz Yay.

[Mark]

That's it for this episode of Hoax Hunters.

[Sandon]

Remember, stay skeptical and don't get hoaxed.

[Molly Bloom]

The Fresno Nightcrawler is a cryptid, which means it's a mysterious thing that some people claim is an unknown kind of creature. But it might also be a prank or a trick of the camera. We don't have enough evidence to say one way or another, at least not yet. And even though this thing is strange and unexplainable, it's also become beloved by people in Fresno, California. That's it for this episode of Brains On. It was produced by me, Molly Blum, Marc Sanchez and he also wrote our theme music. Special thanks to Vicki Lintour, Andy Doucet and Felix. Now it's time for the Brain's Honor Roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery, sounds, drawings and high fives. Elle from London, Ontario Dayuthi from Cupertino, California Jake from Hurley, New York Tony from Madison, Wisconsin Charlie from Nottingham, England Lucy from Overland Park, Kansas Charlie from Judsonian, Arkansas LOL from Bristol, UK Heidi and Stella from Newton, Massachusetts Leonardo from North Ridgeville, Ohio Abby from Buellton, California Amaya from Seattle Jingying from Syosset, New York Violet from Delray Beach, Florida Amelia and Annalise from El Paso, Texas Ione from Baltimore Madeline from Winchester, Virginia Max from Gilbert, Arizona Ella from San Diego, California Tian an from Melbourne, Australia Aliyah from Shenzhen, China Hudson from Boulder, Colorado Thomas from Bridgewater, Massachusetts Will from Hingham, Massachusetts Florence from Parma, Ohio Maeve from Arlington, Virginia Lydia from Harlem, New York Ziva from Columbus, Ohio John from Ann Arbor, Michigan Connor from Maycomb, Michigan Kevin from Rumford, Maine Casey from Carstairs, Alberta Isaac, Abby and Jacob from Sellersville, Pennsylvania Ruby from Helena, Montana Juniper from Chicago Lucas from San Jose, California Nolan from Winchester, Kentucky Milo from New York City Patrick from Springfield, Pennsylvania Mabel from Atlanta Riker from Midland, Michigan Nikti from Great Meadows, New Jersey Malachi from Hillsborough, North Carolina Blythe from LA Nora from Cronin, Wetter, Wisconsin Ayan from Pahoa, Hawaii J Javier from Louisville, Texas Alistair from Bloomington, Indiana Xavier from Melbourne, Florida Juliette from Mira Rancho, New Mexico Akash from Clifton, Virginia Silas from Pineville, North Carolina Cannon from Monticello, Arkansas Jude, Mila and PK from Pocatello, Idaho Mina from Chicago Hallie from Edmonton, Alberta Lucas and Amelia from Orlando, Florida Sunny and Samuel from Kaneohe, Hawaii. Silas from Yarmouth, Maine. Hank from South Bend, Indiana. Noble. And June from Phoenix. Ethan Jr. From Harrington Park, New Jersey. Charlie from Seattle. And Jamie from Toronto. We'll be back next week with an episode all about walkie talkies. Thanks for listening.