Whitcomb . . . disputes an old idea that they are  misidentifications of . . . fruit bats, for in an early  expedition in Papua New Guinea, two natives were  interviewed and they described a ropen holding  itself upright on a tree trunk (fruit bats hang upside  down from branches). Whitcomb’s book also  describes . . . [a] bioluminescent glow that may help  the nocturnal ropen catch fish at night.  Although Whitcomb admits that nobody has yet  come up with a clear photograph to disprove . . .  declarations that all pterosaurs are extinct, he  disputes the suggestion that the ropen is an  unknown bat [like something related to the Flying  Fox]. His book examines an investigation by the  explorers Garth Guessman and David Woetzel,  American Creationist cryptozoologists. Their late-  2004 expedion . . . uncovered a native tradition  about the ropen’s tail: It moves only near the tail’s  base. This, [according to] Guessman, relates to  Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur anatomy, and  Whitcomb agrees.  Copyright 2011 Jonathan David Whitcomb Pterosaur-Like Creatures in Papua New Guinea This third edition should be published in 2012 “In 1949, in Gomlongon, he saw a ropen approach  the grave of a recently buried man. (Bodies were  then wrapped in leaves, but wooden coffins are now  used on Umboi Island.) At night (bung—local  language) the creature came and took the body  (kisim wanpela man—Tok Pisin) and carried it away.  Michael then said, “Mi lukim tru,” pointing to his eye  to indicate that he himself had seen this grave  robbery. The next morning, when the people went  to the grave, it was open—and empty. Michael  believed that the creature took the body to the  mountain to eat it . . .” Several American cryptozoologists explored Umboi  Island on occasion, from 1994 through 2002,  searching for the ropen. The author, Jonathan  Whitcomb believes that they were correct in  believing the flying creature to be a pterosaur.  According to the second edition of his book  (”Searching for Ropens”) there are many similarities  between the American, Australian, and native  eyewitness accounts. Ropens appear featherless  with long tails, and they sometimes eat fish.  Until it is published, this page may partially refer to the content of the second edition  From the second edition of the book: A native eyewitness (Lab Lab, Umboi Island, Papua   New Guinea) indicates the direction of flight of the  glowing ropen that flew over their heads one night.  Searching for Dragons From “Pterosaur-Like Creatures” Garth Guessman (left) interviewed Duane Hodgkinson and verified  the credibility of the World War II veteran. (interview on Youtube)  Read also “Live Pterosaurs in America,” third edition, also by Jonathan David Whitcomb Another Cryptozoology Book by Jonathan Whitcomb Amazon.com review for second edition: “I can hardly put this book down. It is quite astonishing to read of creatures so large that they can lift a human up into the air or rob a corpse from a new grave. They even glow at night with bioluminescence. . . . This book is so refreshing. Jonathan Whitcomb is to be congratulated for giving us a glimpse of our world denied us by the wildlife 'experts' from western countries.” S. Lee "The General" (UK)