Does the Devil live in New Jersey?

Summary

Who Smarted? Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: Does the Devil live in New Jersey?
Date: June 1, 2026
Host & Cast: Adam Tex Davis (Narrator), Jenna Highway 2 Hoban, Sheffield Swamp Creature Chastain, Jerry Colbert, Chet Nickerson, "Agent Mox," "Agent Gully"
Podcast Context: "Who Smarted?" is a family-friendly, humorous educational podcast specializing in science, history, and trivia adventures for kids and curious minds.

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Episode Overview

In this spooky-yet-fun episode, the Who Smarted? team dives into the legend of the Jersey Devil—a mysterious cryptid said to haunt the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. The episode blends humor, storytelling, interactive trivia, and clever character banter to unravel the origins, sightings, and science (or lack thereof) behind the Jersey Devil myth. While the tone is lighthearted, parents are warned that the topic may be slightly scary for younger listeners.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Camping in the Pine Barrens

• The narrator is "camping" in the murky Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey, setting a suspenseful mood with sound effects and late-night wildlife.
  • [02:05] Enter humorous sidekick “Chet Nickerson” with a classic New Jersey exit joke.
  • [03:32] Agents Mox and Gully, from the “Unexplained Phenomena Department,” arrive, recalling encounters in previous cryptid-themed episodes (Jackalopes, Yeti).

2. What Is a Cryptid?

• Interactive trivia moment for listeners:
  • “Is a cryptid something that lives in a crypt, a kind of cryptocurrency, or an animal-like creature that allegedly exists but without proof?”
  • Correct answer: "C, an animal-like creature that allegedly exists but that we lack actual proof or scientific evidence of." [04:30]

3. The Jersey Devil Legend: A Colonial Origin Story

• Agents retell the iconic “Mother Leeds” legend from 1735:
  • [07:22] Agent Mox: "According to the most popular account, the sighting that started it all traces way back to colonial times."
  • [08:04] Agent Gully: "According to the local townspeople, she was believed to be a sorceress."
  • Mother Leeds gives birth to her thirteenth child during a storm; the child transforms into a bizarre, monstrous creature with “the head of a horse or goat, a kangaroo-like body, bat wings, hooves, and a devilish tail.” [08:43–09:17]
  • The beast “flew up the chimney and disappeared into the night.” [09:44–10:06]

4. Sightings and Notoriety

• Thousands of purported sightings over 300 years, mostly from farmers reporting livestock attacks. [14:34]
• Agent Gully highlights a "royal twist":
  • “One of the more interesting sightings even had a royal twist to it... by none other than Joseph Bonaparte, the former King of Spain and older brother of Napoleon.” [14:47–15:02]
    • Joseph Bonaparte fled to New Jersey after abdicating his throne and reportedly saw the Jersey Devil while hunting.

5. Evolution of the Name

• Originally called "the Leeds Devil" after the notorious family.
• Later rebranded as “the Jersey Devil” as tales and sightings expanded. [16:00]

6. Physical Descriptions & Hoaxes

• Descriptions are inconsistent: sometimes 6 ft tall with glowing red eyes, sometimes 4 ft; always with wings. [16:43–16:56]
• Hoaxes abound:
  • [17:00] In 1909, two men attached claws and wings to a circus kangaroo and claimed to have captured the Devil.
• Scientific investigations considered whether the creature could be related to prehistoric animals—most notably a pterodactyl. [17:17–17:38]

7. Science vs. Myth

• No credible evidence found by scientists or institutions (including the Smithsonian). [17:58]
  • Agent Gully: “People have mistaken animals and even hunters for the Jersey Devil. And there have been hoaxes, too.”
• The episode encourages skepticism and critical thinking, balancing the fun with facts.

8. Interactive & Humorous Moments

• The team chases (or imagines chasing) the creature through the woods, with a clutch of running gags about caffeine, exit numbers, and witty asides.
• Chet Nickerson reveals the mysterious screeching sound turns out to be... a cat video on his phone, diffusing the tension and ending the hunt with laughter. [19:08–19:30]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I want to believe. But I need evidence for that."
  —Narrator (Adam Tex Davis) [09:19]

• "Come on, Mox. Sounds like it’s moving further away."
  —Agent Gully, urging the chase [07:18]

• "According to the most popular account, the sighting that started it all traces way back to colonial times."
  —Agent Mox [07:28]

• "In 1909, two men bought a kangaroo from a circus, glued claws and wings to it, and said they caught the Jersey Devil."
  —Agent Gully [17:00]

• "The truth is out there."
  —Agent Mox, several times, echoing classic X-Files language and setting the episode’s playful tone [06:40][18:24]

• "I’ve been watching cat videos while I’ve been waiting...this one's very funny."
  —Chet Nickerson, explaining the mysterious noise [19:13]

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Important Timestamps

• 02:05 – The campfire and spooky setting are established.
• 03:32 – Agents Mox and Gully enter, hinting at a cryptid case.
• 04:30 – Interactive quiz: What is a cryptid?
• 07:22 – The legend's origins (Mother Leeds) are recounted.
• 14:34 – Discussion of 300 years of sightings.
• 14:52 – "Royal twist" featuring Joseph Bonaparte.
• 16:00 – The evolution from the Leeds Devil to the Jersey Devil.
• 17:00 – Discussion of hoaxes and scientific scrutiny.
• 18:24–19:13 – The climax of the chase: the screech reveals itself as a cat video.
• 19:39 – Episode credits and a shout-out.

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Playful, imaginative, and conversational, loaded with jokes and interactive questions for young listeners.
• Main Takeaways:
  • The Jersey Devil legend blends history, folklore, and local color.
  • Sightings are unproven, and the evidence is weak—yet the story persists as a fun, spooky New Jersey tradition.
  • Critical thinking and a skeptical approach are encouraged, even as the adventure (and humor) sweep along.

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Perfect For:
Kids, families, and classrooms interested in folklore, regional legends, mythology, and the fun intersection of science and storytelling.

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For More Adventures:

Catch new "Who Smarted?" episodes exploring wacky wonders, fascinating science, and unforgettable history—always smart, always funny!

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End of summary.

Transcript

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Hey smarty family picture. 7th grade trustee at the kitchen table staring at a page of math homework that might as well have been written in Dragonese. I just didn't get it. My parents could afford a few sessions with a tutor and they went at my pace, but they could only help when they were there. Boy, do I wish IXL learning had existed back then. IXL is like a friendly tutor working at your pace and adjusting to your needs. IXL has pretty much every subject your kid studies with free friendly explanations when they get stuck and fun celebrations when they get it right. Homeschool parents, this is especially for you. I know summer schedules are all over the place, and 10 minutes here and there with IXL lets you keep the homeschool learning momentum going in a fun way all summer long. Over 15 million students use it and it's backed by real research who Smarted Listeners get an exclusive 20% off when you sign up [e-mail] SmartID so sign up today and give give your smarty pants the experience I wish I'd had access to. That's ixl.com smarted for your exclusive 20% off. And now it's time for who's Smarted? Hey there trusty Here with a quick warning. While this episode is a fun look at a mythical creature, it may be a little scary for younger smarty pants. So please, if you get scared easily, I recommend that you skip this episode or don't listen before bedtime. Psst. Hey smarty pants. As you can probably tell by the crickets, I'm outside. And from that owl hoot, you know it's nighttime when owls are active and that campfire lets you know I'm camping. And from the sound of the trees and rustling leaves, you may have guessed I am camping in the woods. But I'm not camping in just any woods. I'm in a particularly large marshy forest in the southern part of the state of New Jersey.

[Chet Nickerson]

Joycey Yo. What exit?

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

It's actually exit 7 off the turnpike to Route 206 south, if you really want to know. Anyhoo, I'm pretty bushed after a long hike. I think I'll put out my campfire, climb into the old tent and get some. Much needed shut eye. There's nothing like a nice warm sleeping bag. I'll be asleep in no time. Whoa. What was that? Smarty pants? You heard that too, right? I've met, studied, and even spoken to a lot of animals in my time narrating who's Smarted. But I don't think I've ever encountered anything that sounds like. Yep, there's definitely something strange out there, smarty pants. Any ideas what it is? Go ahead, shout out some guesses. I heard a bat. Interesting. A bear? A wolverine? A honey badger? An angry bird, maybe? Oh, boy. Sounds like something's coming closer. Where did I put my super bright flashlight? Ah, found it. Oh, yeah. Something is definitely out there.

[Agent Gully]

I'm telling you, Mox, based on wind direction, that sound came from 100 yards due west. Hey, is that a tent?

[Agent Mox]

Brilliant observation, Gully. That is indeed a tent.

[Agent Gully]

Maybe they know something.

[Agent Mox]

I just hope they have some coffee. I'm starting to fade.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Excuse me. Who's there?

[Agent Mox]

Easy, Luke Skywalker. Put down the lightsaber. You're blinding me here.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Sorry. Hey, wait a sec.

[Agent Mox]

Aren't you Agent Mox? Folder.

[Agent Gully]

And Special Agent Gully?

[Agent Mox]

Why do you get to be a special agent?

[Agent Gully]

Because I said it and it sounds better.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Yes, of course. You're two government agents from the Unexplained Phenomena Department. We met in Wyoming during our Jackalopes episode. And again in the Himalayas, searching for yeti. I am the trusty narrator. From who.

[Agent Gully]

We know who you are.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh. Anyway, I usually see you when I'm looking for Cryptids. Smarty pants, do you remember what a cryptid is? Is it A, something that lives in a crypt, B, a kind of cryptocurrency, or C, an animal like creature that allegedly exists but that we lack actual proof or scientific evidence of? The answer, of course, is C. But

[Agent Mox]

they are out there.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

But wait. If I only run into you when I'm searching for Cryptids and I just ran into you here in the woods, using the transitive property whereby A equals B and B C, therefore A equals C, I can safely assume there's a Cryptid nearby. Yikes. Is that it?

[Agent Gully]

Yeah. This guy doesn't have a clue.

[Agent Mox]

Or any coffee. Come on, we got work to do.

[Agent Gully]

Sorry to bother you. Enjoy your camping trip.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Wait, There is something out there, isn't there? Come on, you can tell me. And the thousands of smarty pants listening. After all, I want to believe.

[Agent Mox]

Have you ever heard of the Jersey Devil?

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Of course. They're a hockey team.

[Agent Gully]

Not the hockey team. The mysterious Cryptid that's been known to scare the daylights out of locals and unsuspecting visitors to the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh, hey, is that what the hockey team is named after?

[Agent Mox]

Do you always catch on this quick?

[Agent Gully]

Come on, Mox. Sounds like it's moving further away.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Agent Smocks. Gully, please Let me go with you so the smarty pants and I can learn more about the Jersey Devil. Like how and when did the legend begin? How many sightings have there been? What does it look like? And could it possibly be a leftover creature from the prehistoric era?

[Agent Gully]

What do you say, Mox?

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

I have coffee pods and a battery operated coffee maker.

[Agent Mox]

Fine. Let's go. The truth is out there.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Get ready for a cryptic whiff of science and some questionable history on who

[Chet Nickerson]

smarted, who's smarted, who's smart, Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smart and.

[Agent Mox]

Mmm. Good coffee, trusty.

[Agent Gully]

It's on the move again. Let's pick up the pace.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

So, first question. When was the Jersey Devil first sighted? How far back does the Jersey Devil legend go?

[Agent Mox]

According to the most popular account, the sighting that started it all traces way back to colonial times.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Smartypants, true or false? Colonial times in the United States took place in the 16 and 1700s. If you said true, you're right.

[Agent Mox]

In this instance, the year was 1735.

[Agent Gully]

It's what is referred to as the Mother Leeds version.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Mother leads. Who's that?

[Agent Gully]

According to the local townspeople, she was believed to be a sorceress.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

You mean a witch?

[Agent Gully]

Yeah, if you believe in such things. I don't.

[Agent Mox]

I do.

[Agent Gully]

I know. Back to the story. It was a stormy night when Mother Leeds gave birth to her 13th child.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Wait, she had 13 kids? That's a lot of diapers.

[Agent Gully]

As you know, many believe the number 13 to be bad luck. Well, a few months later, that 13th child began taking on some pretty creepy characteristics.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

How creepy?

[Agent Mox]

Well, his head took on the shape of a horse or a goat.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Seriously?

[Agent Mox]

That's not all. His skinny, elongated body began to take on the form of a kangaroo, while bat like wings sprung out from under its arms. He also grew hoof like feet and a long devilish tail.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh, come on now. There is no way that happened.

[Agent Mox]

I thought you said you believe.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

I said I want to believe. But I need evidence for that.

[Agent Gully]

Thank you.

[Agent Mox]

You want to hear the rest of this or not?

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Yes. Sorry.

[Agent Mox]

According to the legend, Mother Leeds was so distraught over having given birth to such a monstrous creature, she kept it hidden away so the townsfolk wouldn't see it.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Poor kid, or whatever it was.

[Agent Mox]

Eventually, the lead's child got tired of being cooped up, and one night while everyone was asleep, it escaped from the basement, crawled up the chimney and flew off into the night.

[Agent Gully]

Allegedly.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Then what?

[Agent Mox]

That's Just the start.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh wow, smarty pants. We'll hear more about the sightings.

[Agent Gully]

Alleged sightings, right?

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Alleged sightings of this crazy sounding cryptid right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Hey smarty families. I've had the Skylight calendar in our kitchen for about a week and I'll just tell you what changed. It became the one source of truth before this, keeping track of who, what, when and where with sticky notes, group text, and hopefully me remembering to get the groceries. Now everyone checks the same screen. The meal planning feature alone has saved us from the nightly what's for dinner spiral, and I can pull recipes right into it. Skylight is the calendar I didn't know I needed. Skylight is designed to bring families together for more time. It syncs seamlessly with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook with customizable daily, weekly, and monthly views. The tasks feature helps kids build healthy routines and independence. Brushing teeth, homework, and chores become fun and rewarding. Assign each family member their own color and the excuses disappear. If you're not 100% thrilled in four months, you can get a full refund. Now you know I love an adventure, but Skylight has helped me make organizing the family less of a safari. Families are better when they're working together. Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch calendars by going to myskylight.com smarted go to myskylight.com smartED for $30 off your 15 inch calendar. That is my S K Y L I g h t.com smarted

[Yoshi (Nintendo Switch character)]

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[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Hey smarty pants. Quick question. Would it be cool to slice flying fruit out of the air like a ninja? I'm hearing a lot of yeses. Well last weekend I was actually doing it in my living room. Just me chopping watermelons and pineapples out of mid air while my dinner was bubbling on the stove. How NEX Playground Nex Playground is a kid focused game system where your Body is the controller. No joystick, no buttons. The playground sees your moves and you're in the game. I've been crushing Fruit Ninja. And there's also Bluey and Ninja Turtles games. And an Avatar Earth Rumble tournament where I got to bend rocks. Dance games, sports games, over 50 games. Once you add play. Pass smarty parents, here's the part for you. Playground is built kid safe. No ads, no in app purchases, no mature content, no online chat with strangers. Just your smarty pants moving their body, having a blast. Playing games that you can can actually feel good about. It's the screen time solution that's also exercise, which means everyone wins. Check out next [e-mail] that's nexplayground.com Trust me, your living room is about to get a lot more interesting. Now back to who's smarted.

[Chet Nickerson]

This is Chet Nickerson in hot pursuit of a wily creature known as the Jersey Devil. No, not a hockey player. A cryptid that's been said to live in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. I don't know about you, but I'd sure hate to be tracking this supposed creature through the swampy marshes on foot. And now, sports. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 32 in overtime.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Besides, this kooky story about a supposed sorceress mother leads in her bizarre horse headed baby. Has anyone actually seen this thing?

[Agent Mox]

For nearly 300 years, there's been thousands of sightings. Mostly farmers claiming a creature tried to make off with their livestock or chickens.

[Agent Gully]

One of the more interesting sightings even had a royal twist to it.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Royal as in kings and queens?

[Agent Gully]

Yeah, by none other than Joseph Bonaparte, the former King of Spain and older brother of Napoleon.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

The Napoleon?

[Agent Gully]

Yes, that Napoleon. Unable to defend Spain against England during the Peninsula Wars, King Joseph was forced to leave the throne in 1813, not long after his brother, the French emperor, lost the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. So Joseph fled Europe and went into exile in, of all places, New Jersey.

[Chet Nickerson]

Oh yeah? What exit?

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Exit 7 for Bordentown. Please continue.

[Agent Mox]

MOX1 Snowy afternoon, while game hunting alone on his newly purchased property, he encountered a cryptid.

[Agent Gully]

Allegedly.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

And this cryptid, of course, was a jackalope. What? Really?

[Agent Mox]

No, of course not. It was the Jersey Devil.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh, duh.

[Agent Gully]

It wasn't called the Jersey Devil yet. In the beginning, it was known as the Leeds Devil. Then with more alleged sightings, it became known as the Jersey Devil.

[Agent Mox]

Because it has wings. The Jersey Devil is able to cover a lot of ground. The Pinelands occupy over a million acres of Land, swamps and marshes. So sightings and stories range everything from crops being cursed by the creature's presence to dozens of individual reports over a one week time period in 1919,09 that were registered with local police departments and featured in articles in multiple newspapers.

[Agent Gully]

Descriptions vary, too. In some reports, the Jersey Devil is 6ft or 1.8 meters tall or taller. In others, he's only 4ft, 1.2 meters tall with red glowing eyes.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

I see. That makes me wonder if people really saw it.

[Agent Gully]

That's just it. People have mistook animals and even hunters for the Jersey Devil. And there have been hoaxes, too. In 1909, two men bought a kangaroo from a circus, glued claws and wings to it and said they caught the Jersey Devil.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh, wow.

[Agent Mox]

Hey, that doesn't mean it's not real. Science professors from nearby universities and even experts from the Smithsonian Institution were brought in to determine if maybe this cryptid was actually a carryover from the Jurassic period because it somewhat resembled a prehistoric creature.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Smarty pants, what prehistoric creature does the Jersey Devil most resemble? Is it A, a brontosaurus, B, a T. Rex, or C, a pterodactyl? If you said a pterodactyl, you're right.

[Agent Gully]

But none of those studies ever turned up anything useful. Today, people still claim they see it and some even say they photographed it. None of it is very convincing.

[Agent Mox]

Oh, yeah? Explain that. Come on, we're close.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

I can't believe we're in pursuit of a real life cryptid.

[Agent Gully]

I'll believe it when I say it.

[Agent Mox]

The truth is out there.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Hey, what's that? Straight ahead. Here, I'll shine my flashlight on it. Look, there's something perched on that short pine tree.

[Agent Mox]

We're definitely not alone.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Wyatt's

[Chet Nickerson]

this is Chet Nickerson reporting live from the Pine Barrens where I'm in pursuit of the famed Jersey Devil. I'm now being joined by the trusty narrator and two unhappy looking secret government agents.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

Chet, what are you doing here?

[Chet Nickerson]

Well, I saw you from the air and I figured I'd better land if I wanted to get the scoop.

[Agent Mox]

What about the screeching sound? You heard that too, right?

[Chet Nickerson]

Oh, you mean this? I've been watching cat videos while I've been waiting. I probably shouldn't have held my phone so close to my microphone, but this one's very funny.

[Agent Mox]

I don't believe it.

[Chet Nickerson]

I do.

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

A spooky shout out to Avalon in Bath, Pennsylvania. Thanks for writing in to say you love the funny episodes, especially all the voices and listen during your homeschool day. Sounds like a very smart way to learn Smarty pants. This episode, the Jersey Devil was written by Devilish Dave Davis and voiced by Jenna Highway 2 Hoban Sheffield Swamp Creature Chastain Adam what Exit Davis and Jerry Colbert Technical direction and sound Design by Josh Highway 2 Han who smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our Associate producer is Max Cryptid Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Leeds Baby Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[Chet Nickerson]

Too Smart and

[Narrator (Adam Tex Davis)]

hey Smarty pants, Quick question. Would it be cool to slice flying fruit out of the air like a ninja? I'm hearing a lot of yeses. Well last weekend I was actually doing it in my living room. Just me chopping watermelons and pineapples out of mid air while my dinner was bubbling on the stove. How Next Playground Next Playground is a kid focused game system where your body is the controller. No joystick, no buttons. The playground sees your moves and you're in the game. I've been crushing Fruit Ninja and there's also Bluey and Ninja Turtles games and an Avatar Earth Rumble tournament where I got to bend rocks. Dance games, sports games, over 50 games. Once you add play pass smarty parents. Here's the part for you. Playground is built kids safe. No ads, no in app purchases, no mature content, no online chat with strangers. Just your smarty pants moving their body having a blast, playing games that you can actually feel good about. It's the screen time solution that's also exercise, which means everyone wins. Check out next [e-mail] that's nexplayground.com Trust me, your living room is about to get a lot more interesting.