Beast of Busco
Also known as: Oscar the Turtle, Churubusco Turtle
A giant snapping turtle the size of a dining table, spotted in an Indiana farm pond.
1949
Churubusco, Indiana, USA
5 ft long, 4 ft wide (est.)
Elusive
Unconfirmed
The Lore
The Beast of Busco is an enormous snapping turtle reportedly seen in a farm pond near Churubusco, Indiana in 1949. Farmer Gale Harris claimed the turtle was roughly 5 feet long and 4 feet wide, with a head the size of a softball. Efforts to capture it drew national media and crowds of spectators. The pond was partially drained but the turtle was never found. Churubusco now celebrates Turtle Days every June in its honor.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Notable Witnesses
- Gale Harris
- Ora Harris
Similar Real Animals
You might also like
Loch Ness Monster
LowThe legendary lake serpent of Scotland, photographed, sonar-scanned, and never found.
Champ
LowAmerica's own lake monster, surfacing in the waters between Vermont and New York.
Lake Worth Monster
MediumA scaly, goat-like creature that charged a crowd of onlookers at a Texas lake in 1969.
Snallygaster
MediumA half-bird, half-reptile terror from Maryland with a taste for livestock and legend.
Piasa Bird
HighA dragon-bird painted on Mississippi River bluffs by the Illini, feared as a man-eater.
Hodag
MediumA spiny, fire-born beast from the Wisconsin woods with a taste for white bulldogs.
Tahoe Tessie
LowA serpentine lake dweller hiding in the frigid depths of Lake Tahoe since Washoe legend.
Bear Lake Monster
LowA serpentine terror of Bear Lake, first reported by Mormon settlers and Shoshone alike.