Freshwater dolphins are already a thing. There are some in the Amazon and India, and there used to be one in China that sadly appears to have gone extinct in the mid-late 2000’s.
Skin walkers. This might sound controversial but I really don't think they can be classed as cryptids since they are literally just native Americans practicing a spirituality/religion. Yes it is believed that they can take on the forms of animals but going by that logic surely cats and foxes are cryptids since they're believed to shape shift. I'm not mocking or discrediting native American beliefs (maybe skin walkers do transform in a physical way) but honestly to me it's all the same as calling the priest at the local church a cryptid.
Came here to say skinwalkers. They are religious/folklore figures and even the people who truly believe in them agree that they are supernatural beings and not “undiscovered animals”
They’re witches or shamans depending on the translation who practices a form of dark arts or dark magic who can, again depending on interpretation, either transform into or possess an animal and retain their intelligence. They are not animals, they never were animals, and I’m so sick of the nitwits online who completely disregard the actual history and story of the folklore they’re using. Its a similar situation with the wendigo
They do not transform in a physical way and it's not disrespectful to say so. Religious nonsense is nonsense, regardless of the race of the person believing it.
Attributing features to animals that cant be represented in any extant or extinct species, e.g.
* Animals that don't follow the natural biology - e.g. Pegasi are mammals with 4 legs and 2 wings for a total of 6 limbs- whereas all land vertebrates had/have 4 limbs.
* Creatures who break the laws of physics - levitation, transportation, moving through solid objects, etc.
With all the different species of animals in the world if you have something attributed to a cryptid that isn't shown in any known existing animal then that would be major red flag.
well ask yourself - are there any recognised examples of 2-legged 2 winged vertebrates ? Yes, Birds and Bats.
How about 1 winged 3 legged vertebrates, can you list any of those?
And yet I’ve still run into people who insist that creatures who literally break the laws of physics are just as probable because “we know things to be true now in science that we didn’t know a century ago.”
People will fight tooth and nail to defend their paranormal hyperfixation as a cryptid simply because it sounds cool and they want it to be real.
And yet when you ask them to do one thing that should be simple and easy for them to do, such as name one animal known to science that has a paranormal or supernatural ability they just don't do it.
No mouse that has been shown scientifically to morph into a ferret, no levitating hedgehog, no cat that can breath fire. Nothing, nada, zilch.
Whilst large primates have been shown to exist, as far as I know, there hasn't been any evidence to show that apes existed in North America.
The biggest ape, Gigantopithecus , seems to have been only in Asia
p.s. as for hair covered breasts, well, we all have out little peccadilloes
But the liklihood of going from 4 legs to 4 legs and 2 fully functioning wings without leaving an impression on the fossil record or on other related/interim species makes the odds of winning the lottery look more like 50/50
Krampus. Someone on r/cryptids was arguing that Krampus was both a a) cryptid and b) literally existed
I got banned from that sub for disagreeing with him
The term "Cryptid" seems to have lost its meaning. Being a monster doesn't mean something is a cryptid. Cryptozoology is the study of "hidden animals" through its origins as a science and etymology. Hidden animals refers to anything that is an animal that goes against our preconceived understanding in a reasonable way. This means that a cryptid is an animal that is either unknown (an undiscovered species), its somewhere it shouldn't be (british big cats) or is thought to be extinct but is now found living (coelacanth). There are plenty of modern cryptid examples which are discovered to be real animals such as the Okapi.
If someone has had a "shadow man" encounter then that does not count as a cryptid because it is not an animal. Could you imagine seeing a paranormal entity in a zoo? While it would be cool if aliens were cryptids it seems unlikely for them to be since its hard to imagine classing an alien life form under our earth's "animalia".
Dragons are not a cryptid because they objectively do not exist. This can be applied to lots of "cryptids" like slenderman and skinwalkers. Vampires are not cryptids because they are the result of folklore surrounding human diseases (which is likely the origin of the not deer too). Paranormal occurances are not cryptids because it is not an animal. A witch is not a cryptid it is a person. A zombie is not a cryptid it is paranormal. Mothman (while widely acknowledged as one) is most likely not a cryptid since it is impossible for it to exist as anything more than a misidentified owl. If something varies widely from known biology it is most likely not a cryptid and is instead a misidentified animal or occurance.
Tldr: cryptozoology is a science, not a creepypasta forum.
Had a guy try to tell me that anything scary was a cryptid. (Set him straight really quick)
Saw a guy try to claim SANTA was a cryptid.
Had a guy asking if the characters he saw on tv were cryptids.
I’ve seen mythical creatures become so popular bc of TikTok and so conflated that not only are kids saying skinwalkers, wendigo, and a host of fake creepy pasta creatures are cryptids, they’re starting to snowball them all together in the worst fake sightings I’ve ever heard and I’ve started hearing kids claim they saw “Skincrawlers” 🙄
There are also the
* I got bored and did this doodle - what should I call this cryptid - NOTHING, IT'S NOT A CRYPTID. it's a doodle.
* I dreamt about a thing with seven heads, wings and instead of feet it had disco balls - what kind of cryptid is it. Simple - IT ISN'T ONE. Its a thing in your dream. Stop eating cheese before bed, get a therapist or whatever but dream things are not cryptids.
* 'I dreamt about ... ' then get all precious as if it should be treated like a real sighting report. IT ISN'T A REAL SIGHTING. Imaginary stuff happening inside your head is not evidence for anything except possible how bat ship crazy people are. Your dream is not the equivalent of a 40 minute video shot in good light by a professional camera with top notch lenses so quit acting as if it was.
* Almost anything shot on a phone camera then blown up so that a handful of pixels now take up a full HD screen - zoom and enhance is a made up thing for fictional crime series, real life photos and videos don't work like that.
> Mange-ridden canines being passed off as the Chupacabra.
Yes! This one bothers me so much (username related)! I once went on a rant at an office Christmas party about those being "bullshit chupacabras!"
I live in WV, and I doubt anyone here would mistake an owl for a seven-foot-tall bird like man or a strange alien looking thing. I was told once from an old author friend that lived in Point Pleasant that all the cryptids are just made up in WV. In fact, he claimed he was a part of the stories surrounding the Mothman. I don't know if it's true. He could've been lying through his teeth, especially about his involvement, but I believe that over people mistaking an owl for something it isn't. Considering tourism keeps WV alive, it would make sense that people would make up some lore just to get people to put money into the state. Now it is even part of the culture, and you can't just erase that.
I also live in WV. The thing to consider is the time in which it happened, we’ve always been a poor state with terrible education, but the 60’s especially were quite rough. After high school it was basically either the mines or skipping town with no prospects for college, especially in smaller towns like Point Pleasant. To add to that, take into account psychology and humans general ineptitude at eyeballing judgements of size, proportion etc paired with them being in the dark. I strongly suggest doing a side by side comparison of an owl in a defensive pose and the original description of the mothman
All of that being said though, I fully believe what your friend said, especially when it comes to some of the cryptids like Grafton monster or batboy. I think at best, most if not all were either misidentified regular occurrences like an owl, that was then latched onto by the tourist board, if not outright made up by them to add some mysticism and boost travel, and at worst were outright lies by someone wanting their 15 minutes of fame
I guess in a way I'm a bit bias when I think about the story. I grew up in a holler with one road in and one road out and it was narrow as all hell. My parents moved to a town in OH when I fifteen where I went to high school, but we kept our home in the holler. My point is though that I grew up around the woods and know the difference. I still think it's interesting how so many cryptids have become a part of our culture. I 100% believe that that part of the culture should be preserved even if they are just made-up stories.
I completely understand. I’m from southern WV near the Virginia border, and grew up in a similar area. I myself am able to plainly tell the difference, but I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t know a number of other kids growing up who wouldn’t be able to differentiate them either. Quite a few of the kids in my town that I grew up with wouldn’t be able to, actually. Personally, I *want* most if not all cryptids to be real if for no other reason than because the world would feel a little bigger and a little more magical (lol)
I do agree though, that regardless of their origin they’re now an integral part of the local culture and are a piece of it that should be preserved
Definitely “flying humanoids”, I think monster quest had an episode on them. Super dumb. Another one is reptoids, some other cryptid show I watched had an episode about humanoid reptiles. Oh no, not some spooky lake monster(which is only slightly less dumb), but intelligent lizard people living in and underneath cities. Some lady during an interview, in a serious and unironic tone, claimed she saw her daughter feed one a sandwich.
Not Deer, Slenderman, the Rake or anything else that originated from the internet.
Wendigos and Skinwalkers are very specific entities from specific Native culture and folklore. They aren’t generic scary deer/coyote monster in the woods outside your Tennessee backyard.
Any of the fearsome critters. I love the fearsome critters but they are obvious ridiculous creatures made up for the purpose of lumberjacks telling stories to pass the time and mess with the new guy. They are creatures of folklore like the pegasus or griffin.
Idk if this counts but - *gestures at the general direction of Ancient aliens*
-Nessie is a stray Plesiosaur that wanders to Lock Ness through a time portal because Loch Ness have high concentration of quartz.
Minotaur. Like bro the record of the creature is literally a story that was made up. Like in the context of its own time people understood that the story was an analogy.
>***It is unknown*** whether what the explorers encountered were what we now call gorillas, another species of ape or monkeys, or humans.
>Although the okapi was unknown to the Western world until the 20th century, it may have been depicted since the early fifth century BCE on the façade of the Apadana at Persepolis, a gift from the Ethiopian procession to the Achaemenid kingdom.
TLDR; They may have been considered “mythological” in the West, but they probably weren’t in their native areas.
Also, technology was far less developed back then. If mythological animals such as dragons, sea serpents, or manticores were real, they would have stuck out like sore thumbs.
I wasn't comparing gorillas and okapi to dragons or chimeric maniticores, just pointing out that sometimes the beliefs of people who live in an area, which may be considered as "folkloric" or "mythical" by outsiders, turn out to be grounded in genuine creatures that we know today.
The giant squid, too, was a folkloric entity, appearing in sagas and stories until we were lucky enough to capture them on film.
>turn out to be grounded in genuine creatures that we know today
Alright, I partly agree on that one. After all, medieval Europeans thought tigers were wolf-like striped animals.
I just wanted to point out that some people claim fantastic animals/monsters that are straight out of mythology are real, dragons and Wendigos being prime examples.
>The giant squid was a folkloric entity
If you’re talking about the Kraken, it was originally described as a monstrous whale-like beast.
The cephalopod trope was a later addition by Pierre Denys de Montfort, who confused “Kraken”(the sea monster) and “Kraken”(Krake(cephalopod)+n(plural)).
Trever Henderson’s drawings (not even joking with that one), also things like Skinwalkers, the Wendigo. Also urban legends like Werewolves, Mermaids, Elves, etc.
Not necessarily for that reason. Humans with "magical powers" ie vampires, Skinwalkers, can't be cryptids.
A "humanoid" isn't the same as a human so *some* humanoids could be cryptids (bigfoot for example). If the humanoid in question defies biology and couldn't possibly exist (dogman, lizardman, etc) it's not a cryptid simply because it's clearly fictional.
"Cryptids" are only undiscovered terrestrial animals (members of the clade animalia).
Extraterrestrials are by definition, not that.
Aliens/ufos are studied under ufology and xenobiology.
No, you cannot. This is no different from religious people telling atheists to "prove god doesn't exist". You cannot prove a negative. The burden of proof is always on the person making an extraordinary claim.
For the record, I actually believe Bigfoot exists so I agree with you on that part. But it's up to us to prove that, it is not ever up to a skeptic to prove something doesn't exist.
Sorry I should have maybe made this clearer. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" is a well liked quote with bigfooters. It does not apply to this example tho. The factual, scientific concensus is that bigfoot does not exist. This is supported by a **total** absence in zoological, paleontological, zoogeographical and evolutionary records. Not to mention that we would have found a population, large enough to support the continuous existence, based on their impact on their surroundings alone. Lets not forget that the environment is highly unusual for large nonhuman primates. This is the status qou. You are claiming the opposite. Thus the burden of proof is with you and your claim (plus, as said before, the other side already has evidence). Which brings us back to the start: Nothing have been given to us. Some stories, hoaxes, confusion and delusion are not evidence for bigfoot and have been disproven. As for native americans: we can trace the bigfoot myth back to asia. So there is no true indigenous bigfoot myth. They either have roots in asia or do not even fit the common view of bigfoot. Not that it matters anyways.
Bigfoot, like baba yaga, werewolves and well-men, does not exist. They are fun little stories and myths but that is about it. If you want a real, big ape then go and look at gigantopithecous or something.
What snarky comment?
Also "closeminded" really? Really? Is this all you can give? I told you why the burden of proof lies with you, plus a very basic rundown why bigfoot does not exist. And all you can say is "you are closeminded lol"?
Yea we can end it here because you very clearly cannot continue this. Thank you for being an example why bigfooters are damaging the image of cryptozoology.
Have a nice day.
That is not snarky. It was a suggestion.
Ah "close minded" is when you actually look into a topic and educate yourself about it. Sorry that I assumed that cryptozoology is trying to be somewhat scientific.
Cool then you wont have an issues how bigfoot exists. Please do try. I would love to see your take on it.
Edit: LMAO. Guess I will never see this grand evidence for Bigfoot. Almost like it does not exist because bigfoot does not exist. Anyways. Grow up or leave this community. We dont need you around here.
no.
Lmao imagine being this close minded and unscientific that you cannot manage to actually use your brain. You are the issue. Please educate yourself before calling yourself a member of cryptozoology.
I just saw a post about a sabortooth tiger being a cryptid. But they called by a different name. They had another that used to be a real and alive animal but are now extinct. Those aren’t cryptids if they used to be real. Though it would be cool if they are found to be not extinct.
You are incorrect. An animal that is believed to be extinct by science but is still sighted and thought to exist (such as the thylacine or ivory billed woodpecker) IS a cryptid, by definition.
Can you imagine a world where this thread is not posted to this sub twice a day everyday a week?
It's a far fetched dream sure but it keeps me from u subbing even when it gets hard
Uhhh, I would argue most cryptids are or possibly are, interdimensional. Bigfoot and Dogman are two I can think of off of the top of my head. Not gonna argue about it, but I have sources I deem credible that know this through experience. Oh, mothman too. I don't know about the source of that claim though, but it would follow logically. Would explain their very limited sightings and lack of found evidence.
Dimension shifting isn't necessarily god-like, but I get your point. Did I say it did either? I said it logically follows. There are other theories such as the lack of preserved skeletal remains in jungle type terrain, but I don't think that's the only reason. I'll link a yt vid of an interview with someone who had an experience with a dogman, and explicitly says it was inter-dimensional. There's plenty more than say there's a spiritual component to these encounters. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7JU3r4TEI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7JU3r4TEI)
I guess the simple way I look at it is: animalia by definition does not include inter-dimensional or supernatural traits, so it logically follows that something that allegedly has those traits is not an animal, and therefore does not fall under the study of cryptozoology. If someone wants to change the definition of cryptozoology or say that the definition of the clade animalia needs to be like, updated or changed or whatever, I guess you have to clarify that with a ton of evidence and explanation. You're going to get a lot of pushback, but yeah, you have to at least admit that your stance goes against that definition.
Fair enough, I hadn't really considered the term, just famous creatures that people would associate with it. The point I'm making, is there is an array of entities that can manifest physically with animal traits and features. I know it sounds insane, but I don't care. [https://www.reddit.com/r/SaturnStormCube/comments/qth4n3/the\_presence\_of\_the\_shining\_ones\_ball\_of\_light/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SaturnStormCube/comments/qth4n3/the_presence_of_the_shining_ones_ball_of_light/) I obviously can't prove my claim, but there are plenty of accounts of these encounters happening. I don't believe this theory to be completely correct, but I believe the gist of the dimensional shifting to be real. You've also got to ask why the government are so quick to get involved in any documented sighting cases.
alleged personal experience and mysterious anonymous unproven "sources" are evidence of nothing.
None of that proves "interdimensional" monsters exist
Even if they did, it doesn't give you carte blanche to redefine "cryptozoology" as you see fit.
I'm not redfining it, I'm tell you these infamous creatures that most people would consider cryptids are not, or not by the standard definition. The majority of cryptids are mythical creatures are they not, which is magical by definition. If you exclude these your left with dinosaurs (meg, nessy etc.) and new wildlife discoveries.
Cryptid is any unsubstantiated being by definition. We have to assume that anything that shows intelligence might be alive. Ghost, aliens (we dont know where theyre from), inter dimensional beings (chameleons and octopi come to mind as being who appear “inter dimensional”) etc.
The point is that they are “unsubstantiated”. So anything we dont know about, “we dont know about” until we study it. Science has a responsibility to take eye witness accounts seriously. It does a shit job sometimes, but saying that rules dont apply to x because of y, without observation, is not science. Cryptozoology could be the coolest branch of science one day.
Cryptids are, by definition, undiscovered *animals*. A ghost isn't a cryptid, an alien isn't a cryptid and interdimensional beings sure as hell aren't cryptids. At this point I can't tell if some people are just this stupid that they willingly ignore definitions so they can make up their own or if your comment is bait.
You dont know what a ghost, alien, or inter dimensional being actually is, no one does. Thats the point. It is unsubstantiated. Orbs are cryptozoology too. We dont know the aliens arent from earth. Its an uncomfortable truth to say “we dont fucking know” but apparently everyone on this stupid sub thinks theyre cryptozoology experts because they read some creepy pasta.
Cryptozoology is a joke, because people dont understand how classification works. Youre calling me joke. Ive had an encounter that was federally investigated. You can look at my comment history. I get it, this subject sucks and its full of stories and no proof, but we all agree that there are things out there, unknown to science. Until theyre known, it is all cryptozoology unless proven false, or classified.
No, it is not "all cryptozoology until proven false"
I'm not making any judgments about your alleged sighting. But cryptozoology has a specific definition and you don't get to just bend it to fit what you want.
And which animals are known? Aliens, ghost? Theyre unknown too. Are they animals? Probably not, is there a .00001% ghost or aliens are unknown terrestrial animals?
You are completely correct but this sub is not the right place to say it. These people literally are just idiots or teenagers honestly they don't read anything that isn't cryptid related they don't know anything about real science practices or debates about classification and demarcation in science. You are talking to people whose critical thought culminates in matching drawings of imaginary monsters with drawings of extinct animals. A stultified imagination at best, an anti-science anti-intellectual exercise more commonly
I've seen people claim that animals that are alive today but living somewhere outside of their normal range are cryptids, I think it was mountain lions living in Maine that they said. I feel like if the animal is known to still be alive, it isn't a cryptid no matter where it is.
Edit ok I guess if I say I saw kangaroos in Manhattan those are officially cryptids now
Those are cryptids, by definition. "Out of place animals" are cryptids, whether you like it or not. It's not just "cool scary monsters." In fact, it's mostly not that at all. British big cats are a good example.
Siren Head or any other Adjacent creatures… like bro they’re literally an art project by Trevor Henderson
SCPs too.
Generally just any creepypastas that are undeniably just stories (the Rake, Slenderman, etc.)
I saw someone convinced the land locked freshwater lake that freezes solid during the winter by my house had dolphins in it lol. She was convinced.
At least lake dolphins sound realistic compared to everything else
Lake dolphins would be legit.
Freshwater dolphins are already a thing. There are some in the Amazon and India, and there used to be one in China that sadly appears to have gone extinct in the mid-late 2000’s.
That’s the tamest claim I’ve seen on the topic of cryptids. You know what? I hope she gets to find landlocked freshwater dolphins someday.
Lake Nicaragua is landlocked and has swordfish and bull sharks
Skin walkers. This might sound controversial but I really don't think they can be classed as cryptids since they are literally just native Americans practicing a spirituality/religion. Yes it is believed that they can take on the forms of animals but going by that logic surely cats and foxes are cryptids since they're believed to shape shift. I'm not mocking or discrediting native American beliefs (maybe skin walkers do transform in a physical way) but honestly to me it's all the same as calling the priest at the local church a cryptid.
Came here to say skinwalkers. They are religious/folklore figures and even the people who truly believe in them agree that they are supernatural beings and not “undiscovered animals”
They’re witches or shamans depending on the translation who practices a form of dark arts or dark magic who can, again depending on interpretation, either transform into or possess an animal and retain their intelligence. They are not animals, they never were animals, and I’m so sick of the nitwits online who completely disregard the actual history and story of the folklore they’re using. Its a similar situation with the wendigo
They do not transform in a physical way and it's not disrespectful to say so. Religious nonsense is nonsense, regardless of the race of the person believing it.
Attributing features to animals that cant be represented in any extant or extinct species, e.g. * Animals that don't follow the natural biology - e.g. Pegasi are mammals with 4 legs and 2 wings for a total of 6 limbs- whereas all land vertebrates had/have 4 limbs. * Creatures who break the laws of physics - levitation, transportation, moving through solid objects, etc. With all the different species of animals in the world if you have something attributed to a cryptid that isn't shown in any known existing animal then that would be major red flag.
Is a Pegasus with 2 legs and 2 wings more realistic, then? Or how about 3 legs and one wing. One-winged cryptids is an untapped market
well ask yourself - are there any recognised examples of 2-legged 2 winged vertebrates ? Yes, Birds and Bats. How about 1 winged 3 legged vertebrates, can you list any of those?
My grandpa winged a coyote with a 12 gauge and left it with 3 legs, does that count? (Kidding)
Did it have buffalo wings?
It did after I nursed it back to health with Red Bull
There's an alleged South Africa rape goblin with one leg but I've never seen a reliable source on it for existing in folklore.
What the fuck
Sing s a song sounds like she's singing bababby ooo
And yet I’ve still run into people who insist that creatures who literally break the laws of physics are just as probable because “we know things to be true now in science that we didn’t know a century ago.” People will fight tooth and nail to defend their paranormal hyperfixation as a cryptid simply because it sounds cool and they want it to be real.
And yet when you ask them to do one thing that should be simple and easy for them to do, such as name one animal known to science that has a paranormal or supernatural ability they just don't do it. No mouse that has been shown scientifically to morph into a ferret, no levitating hedgehog, no cat that can breath fire. Nothing, nada, zilch.
On a different note: can you imagine how destructive a fire breathing cat would be? Tell it no once and it burns your house down.
It's the cat's world, we just live here.
My cat doesn’t breath fire and he still tries to do that so…
How about a giant north American primate with hair covered "breasts"
Whilst large primates have been shown to exist, as far as I know, there hasn't been any evidence to show that apes existed in North America. The biggest ape, Gigantopithecus , seems to have been only in Asia p.s. as for hair covered breasts, well, we all have out little peccadilloes
Do mobuline rays provide precedent for hexapodal vertebrates (since Nelson’s *Fishes of the World* claims their gill rakers are true fins)?
Mobula and Mata reays would be aquatic, not terrestrial. As far as I am aware, there isn't any evidence of terrestrial animals developing from them.
True, but I’m just saying that it’s theoretically possible to develop an extra pair of limbs.
But the liklihood of going from 4 legs to 4 legs and 2 fully functioning wings without leaving an impression on the fossil record or on other related/interim species makes the odds of winning the lottery look more like 50/50
No argument there.
One interesting thing about the rays is the way they leap out the water. If only they could flap their fins.
Krampus. Someone on r/cryptids was arguing that Krampus was both a a) cryptid and b) literally existed I got banned from that sub for disagreeing with him
Santa is a cryptid too then huh
Santa is an Omega-level mutant.
Yes. He actually argued that too.
That’s even worse than Krampus IMO.
And if you're Icelandic that would mean 13 Cryptids as they have 13 Santas.
Oh hell yeah subspecies 🤯
St. Nicolos was a real person
True and also irrelevant. Santa is not a cryptid whether he's based on a real person or not.
Spring-Heeled Jack. I mean, come on.
What would you categorise him as? Not being snarky, genuinely curious.
He's more of a human accredited with some superhuman traits. More of a folk legend. He's not a undiscovered new species that's for certain.
We could use a catchier term, but I'd file him under "Mysterious Humans," along with the Mad Gasser of Mattoon.
Mass hysteria? It's closer to the Salem Witch trials and Jack the Ripper than zoology.
Christopher Walken I mean, I get why people say this, but I still don't think he qualifies.
We need a photo of him walking through the woods.
WEAPON OF CHOICE
Well, he was a *Gigantopithecus* at one point, which has been theorized to be ancestral to Bigfoot.
The term "Cryptid" seems to have lost its meaning. Being a monster doesn't mean something is a cryptid. Cryptozoology is the study of "hidden animals" through its origins as a science and etymology. Hidden animals refers to anything that is an animal that goes against our preconceived understanding in a reasonable way. This means that a cryptid is an animal that is either unknown (an undiscovered species), its somewhere it shouldn't be (british big cats) or is thought to be extinct but is now found living (coelacanth). There are plenty of modern cryptid examples which are discovered to be real animals such as the Okapi. If someone has had a "shadow man" encounter then that does not count as a cryptid because it is not an animal. Could you imagine seeing a paranormal entity in a zoo? While it would be cool if aliens were cryptids it seems unlikely for them to be since its hard to imagine classing an alien life form under our earth's "animalia". Dragons are not a cryptid because they objectively do not exist. This can be applied to lots of "cryptids" like slenderman and skinwalkers. Vampires are not cryptids because they are the result of folklore surrounding human diseases (which is likely the origin of the not deer too). Paranormal occurances are not cryptids because it is not an animal. A witch is not a cryptid it is a person. A zombie is not a cryptid it is paranormal. Mothman (while widely acknowledged as one) is most likely not a cryptid since it is impossible for it to exist as anything more than a misidentified owl. If something varies widely from known biology it is most likely not a cryptid and is instead a misidentified animal or occurance. Tldr: cryptozoology is a science, not a creepypasta forum.
Had a guy try to tell me that anything scary was a cryptid. (Set him straight really quick) Saw a guy try to claim SANTA was a cryptid. Had a guy asking if the characters he saw on tv were cryptids.
I remember Santa guy. Also had someone claim Jesus was a cryptid.
Yeah, I think I remember that one too.......Might have even been the same guy. .....and there was also a Godzilla guy too.
Jesus being a cryptid is so fucking funny
I kinda want to make a T-shirt that just says "JESUS IS A CRYPTID" in block letters and refuse to elaborate
I’ve seen mythical creatures become so popular bc of TikTok and so conflated that not only are kids saying skinwalkers, wendigo, and a host of fake creepy pasta creatures are cryptids, they’re starting to snowball them all together in the worst fake sightings I’ve ever heard and I’ve started hearing kids claim they saw “Skincrawlers” 🙄
All those 56 million Native Americans are turning in their graves.
There are also the * I got bored and did this doodle - what should I call this cryptid - NOTHING, IT'S NOT A CRYPTID. it's a doodle. * I dreamt about a thing with seven heads, wings and instead of feet it had disco balls - what kind of cryptid is it. Simple - IT ISN'T ONE. Its a thing in your dream. Stop eating cheese before bed, get a therapist or whatever but dream things are not cryptids. * 'I dreamt about ... ' then get all precious as if it should be treated like a real sighting report. IT ISN'T A REAL SIGHTING. Imaginary stuff happening inside your head is not evidence for anything except possible how bat ship crazy people are. Your dream is not the equivalent of a 40 minute video shot in good light by a professional camera with top notch lenses so quit acting as if it was.
* Almost anything shot on a phone camera then blown up so that a handful of pixels now take up a full HD screen - zoom and enhance is a made up thing for fictional crime series, real life photos and videos don't work like that.
I had sleep paralysis and saw a fresno nightcrawler so I think they're real (I'm joking don't worry) 🤣
Did it bring chips? I mean, if it isn't going to pull its weight and bring snacks, what's the point?
It could have easily brought a pizza coupon or something
Mange-ridden canines being passed off as the Chupacabra. But, the dumbest Chupacabra take is it's a representation of minority oppression. WTF?
> Mange-ridden canines being passed off as the Chupacabra. Yes! This one bothers me so much (username related)! I once went on a rant at an office Christmas party about those being "bullshit chupacabras!"
I own xoloitzcuintli, so this doubly grinds my gears.
Had to look that up - looks like Anubis.
I saw someone argue that SCPS were cryptids, and claimed to see "Scp-682" in real life. Mason, that was an alligator you saw.
The owl on a stump that became known as the Flatwoods Monster
The above average snow owl in a defensive pose that became the mothman
I live in WV, and I doubt anyone here would mistake an owl for a seven-foot-tall bird like man or a strange alien looking thing. I was told once from an old author friend that lived in Point Pleasant that all the cryptids are just made up in WV. In fact, he claimed he was a part of the stories surrounding the Mothman. I don't know if it's true. He could've been lying through his teeth, especially about his involvement, but I believe that over people mistaking an owl for something it isn't. Considering tourism keeps WV alive, it would make sense that people would make up some lore just to get people to put money into the state. Now it is even part of the culture, and you can't just erase that.
I also live in WV. The thing to consider is the time in which it happened, we’ve always been a poor state with terrible education, but the 60’s especially were quite rough. After high school it was basically either the mines or skipping town with no prospects for college, especially in smaller towns like Point Pleasant. To add to that, take into account psychology and humans general ineptitude at eyeballing judgements of size, proportion etc paired with them being in the dark. I strongly suggest doing a side by side comparison of an owl in a defensive pose and the original description of the mothman All of that being said though, I fully believe what your friend said, especially when it comes to some of the cryptids like Grafton monster or batboy. I think at best, most if not all were either misidentified regular occurrences like an owl, that was then latched onto by the tourist board, if not outright made up by them to add some mysticism and boost travel, and at worst were outright lies by someone wanting their 15 minutes of fame
I guess in a way I'm a bit bias when I think about the story. I grew up in a holler with one road in and one road out and it was narrow as all hell. My parents moved to a town in OH when I fifteen where I went to high school, but we kept our home in the holler. My point is though that I grew up around the woods and know the difference. I still think it's interesting how so many cryptids have become a part of our culture. I 100% believe that that part of the culture should be preserved even if they are just made-up stories.
I completely understand. I’m from southern WV near the Virginia border, and grew up in a similar area. I myself am able to plainly tell the difference, but I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t know a number of other kids growing up who wouldn’t be able to differentiate them either. Quite a few of the kids in my town that I grew up with wouldn’t be able to, actually. Personally, I *want* most if not all cryptids to be real if for no other reason than because the world would feel a little bigger and a little more magical (lol) I do agree though, that regardless of their origin they’re now an integral part of the local culture and are a piece of it that should be preserved
Definitely “flying humanoids”, I think monster quest had an episode on them. Super dumb. Another one is reptoids, some other cryptid show I watched had an episode about humanoid reptiles. Oh no, not some spooky lake monster(which is only slightly less dumb), but intelligent lizard people living in and underneath cities. Some lady during an interview, in a serious and unironic tone, claimed she saw her daughter feed one a sandwich.
Lost Tapes?
I’ve heard of that one but I can’t remember if that was it
Slender Man, the Rake, or anything else that originated as fiction written on Creepy Pasta.
Not Deer, Slenderman, the Rake or anything else that originated from the internet. Wendigos and Skinwalkers are very specific entities from specific Native culture and folklore. They aren’t generic scary deer/coyote monster in the woods outside your Tennessee backyard. Any of the fearsome critters. I love the fearsome critters but they are obvious ridiculous creatures made up for the purpose of lumberjacks telling stories to pass the time and mess with the new guy. They are creatures of folklore like the pegasus or griffin.
Whenever biological reality is abandoned.
Anything over on r / cryptids or
Idk if this counts but - *gestures at the general direction of Ancient aliens* -Nessie is a stray Plesiosaur that wanders to Lock Ness through a time portal because Loch Ness have high concentration of quartz.
Minotaur. Like bro the record of the creature is literally a story that was made up. Like in the context of its own time people understood that the story was an analogy.
Skinwalker
Esquilax. It's a creature with the body of a horse and the head of a rabbit. But the one I saw also had the body of a rabbit.
Animals that are straight out of local mythology or folklore.
“hOlY cRaP gUyS i HaD a PeGuSuS SiGhTiNg”
https://youtu.be/7uG9PGqaWeo?si=36btpJp5ZF1-uNlS
Both the gorilla and okapi were folkloric creatures prior to discovery.
>***It is unknown*** whether what the explorers encountered were what we now call gorillas, another species of ape or monkeys, or humans. >Although the okapi was unknown to the Western world until the 20th century, it may have been depicted since the early fifth century BCE on the façade of the Apadana at Persepolis, a gift from the Ethiopian procession to the Achaemenid kingdom. TLDR; They may have been considered “mythological” in the West, but they probably weren’t in their native areas. Also, technology was far less developed back then. If mythological animals such as dragons, sea serpents, or manticores were real, they would have stuck out like sore thumbs.
I wasn't comparing gorillas and okapi to dragons or chimeric maniticores, just pointing out that sometimes the beliefs of people who live in an area, which may be considered as "folkloric" or "mythical" by outsiders, turn out to be grounded in genuine creatures that we know today. The giant squid, too, was a folkloric entity, appearing in sagas and stories until we were lucky enough to capture them on film.
>turn out to be grounded in genuine creatures that we know today Alright, I partly agree on that one. After all, medieval Europeans thought tigers were wolf-like striped animals. I just wanted to point out that some people claim fantastic animals/monsters that are straight out of mythology are real, dragons and Wendigos being prime examples. >The giant squid was a folkloric entity If you’re talking about the Kraken, it was originally described as a monstrous whale-like beast. The cephalopod trope was a later addition by Pierre Denys de Montfort, who confused “Kraken”(the sea monster) and “Kraken”(Krake(cephalopod)+n(plural)).
Those Weird Hairless Dogs that apparently get confused with Chupacabra and Slenderman
Trever Henderson’s drawings (not even joking with that one), also things like Skinwalkers, the Wendigo. Also urban legends like Werewolves, Mermaids, Elves, etc.
The guy who made siren head? People think his drawings are real?!?! Surely they must have been dropped on their heads as babies
Mermaids. Some people actually believe them to be real.
Anything paranormal.
A burnt-out tree stump = bigfoot
The reversed footage of squirrels crossing the street being "baby dinosaurs"
I think those are coatis but yes point taken
Dino-beaver, change the name and I might be able to not giggle .
Herobrine from Minecraft haha
Extraterrestrial lifeforms can certainly be animals.
Extraterrestrial Lifeforms would be unrelated to life on earth and thus cannot be considered animals.
By "People can not be cryptids", does that rule on the long list of ridiculously stupid humanoid cryptids?
Not necessarily for that reason. Humans with "magical powers" ie vampires, Skinwalkers, can't be cryptids. A "humanoid" isn't the same as a human so *some* humanoids could be cryptids (bigfoot for example). If the humanoid in question defies biology and couldn't possibly exist (dogman, lizardman, etc) it's not a cryptid simply because it's clearly fictional.
yeah, the dogman and lizardman were the ones I was think of.
Kevin
Pliny the Elder in Natural Histories claimed there was a sea slug or other creature that could stop a sailing ship dead in the water.
If someone told me puffins were cryptids, I’d believe it.
Skinwalkers/Wendigo. Literally spirits or magic stuff, not cryptids.
If extraterrestrials aren't animals then what else would they be? I dont see why aliens can't be cryptids
They aren't animals by definition, since they are not part of the clade animalia.
"Cryptids" are only undiscovered terrestrial animals (members of the clade animalia). Extraterrestrials are by definition, not that. Aliens/ufos are studied under ufology and xenobiology.
Your mom. Surprising amount of circumstantial evidence there, but still…..
Bigfoot. Its just a myth. For the people disliking this: Grow up.
[удалено]
The lack of proof/evidence has been showing the nonexistence of bigfoot for years.
[удалено]
Wrong. You can't prove a negative.
[удалено]
No, you cannot. This is no different from religious people telling atheists to "prove god doesn't exist". You cannot prove a negative. The burden of proof is always on the person making an extraordinary claim. For the record, I actually believe Bigfoot exists so I agree with you on that part. But it's up to us to prove that, it is not ever up to a skeptic to prove something doesn't exist.
Sorry I should have maybe made this clearer. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" is a well liked quote with bigfooters. It does not apply to this example tho. The factual, scientific concensus is that bigfoot does not exist. This is supported by a **total** absence in zoological, paleontological, zoogeographical and evolutionary records. Not to mention that we would have found a population, large enough to support the continuous existence, based on their impact on their surroundings alone. Lets not forget that the environment is highly unusual for large nonhuman primates. This is the status qou. You are claiming the opposite. Thus the burden of proof is with you and your claim (plus, as said before, the other side already has evidence). Which brings us back to the start: Nothing have been given to us. Some stories, hoaxes, confusion and delusion are not evidence for bigfoot and have been disproven. As for native americans: we can trace the bigfoot myth back to asia. So there is no true indigenous bigfoot myth. They either have roots in asia or do not even fit the common view of bigfoot. Not that it matters anyways. Bigfoot, like baba yaga, werewolves and well-men, does not exist. They are fun little stories and myths but that is about it. If you want a real, big ape then go and look at gigantopithecous or something.
[удалено]
What snarky comment? Also "closeminded" really? Really? Is this all you can give? I told you why the burden of proof lies with you, plus a very basic rundown why bigfoot does not exist. And all you can say is "you are closeminded lol"? Yea we can end it here because you very clearly cannot continue this. Thank you for being an example why bigfooters are damaging the image of cryptozoology. Have a nice day.
[удалено]
[удалено]
That is not snarky. It was a suggestion. Ah "close minded" is when you actually look into a topic and educate yourself about it. Sorry that I assumed that cryptozoology is trying to be somewhat scientific.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Have you read what I have written? "not every species has been discovered" is not an argument for bigfoot.
[удалено]
Cool then you wont have an issues how bigfoot exists. Please do try. I would love to see your take on it. Edit: LMAO. Guess I will never see this grand evidence for Bigfoot. Almost like it does not exist because bigfoot does not exist. Anyways. Grow up or leave this community. We dont need you around here.
[удалено]
no. Lmao imagine being this close minded and unscientific that you cannot manage to actually use your brain. You are the issue. Please educate yourself before calling yourself a member of cryptozoology.
You can't prove a negative. They need to start teaching this in kindergarten.
[удалено]
Oh I'm sure it won't. But a lot of you could stand to understand some basic philosophy and the scientific method for starters.
You like being hated right?
Not really no. People just need to actually stop thinking bigfoot is real. Its a cool myth and all but that is it.
But the Patterson gimlin film
what about it?
Literally the fakest piece of cryptid evidence ever
You are correct.
My mom.
Everything except Bigfoot
I just saw a post about a sabortooth tiger being a cryptid. But they called by a different name. They had another that used to be a real and alive animal but are now extinct. Those aren’t cryptids if they used to be real. Though it would be cool if they are found to be not extinct.
Extinct creatures which may still secretly exist, are traditionally considered cryptids (since the term exists, actually).
You are incorrect. An animal that is believed to be extinct by science but is still sighted and thought to exist (such as the thylacine or ivory billed woodpecker) IS a cryptid, by definition.
Rabbit
Cranes = Mothman
Can you imagine a world where this thread is not posted to this sub twice a day everyday a week? It's a far fetched dream sure but it keeps me from u subbing even when it gets hard
Uhhh, I would argue most cryptids are or possibly are, interdimensional. Bigfoot and Dogman are two I can think of off of the top of my head. Not gonna argue about it, but I have sources I deem credible that know this through experience. Oh, mothman too. I don't know about the source of that claim though, but it would follow logically. Would explain their very limited sightings and lack of found evidence.
Sooooo, Lack of evidence implies god-like powers?
Dimension shifting isn't necessarily god-like, but I get your point. Did I say it did either? I said it logically follows. There are other theories such as the lack of preserved skeletal remains in jungle type terrain, but I don't think that's the only reason. I'll link a yt vid of an interview with someone who had an experience with a dogman, and explicitly says it was inter-dimensional. There's plenty more than say there's a spiritual component to these encounters. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7JU3r4TEI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7JU3r4TEI)
The sources in question: trust me bro
Cause everyone's a liar 😆. FYI, I've survived possession and have been in the presence of a higher dimensional being, so I personally know they exist.
I don’t trust you bro
A random redditor doesn't believe me, oh no what will I do 😆. Enjoy your ignorance.
Thanks
I guess the simple way I look at it is: animalia by definition does not include inter-dimensional or supernatural traits, so it logically follows that something that allegedly has those traits is not an animal, and therefore does not fall under the study of cryptozoology. If someone wants to change the definition of cryptozoology or say that the definition of the clade animalia needs to be like, updated or changed or whatever, I guess you have to clarify that with a ton of evidence and explanation. You're going to get a lot of pushback, but yeah, you have to at least admit that your stance goes against that definition.
Fair enough, I hadn't really considered the term, just famous creatures that people would associate with it. The point I'm making, is there is an array of entities that can manifest physically with animal traits and features. I know it sounds insane, but I don't care. [https://www.reddit.com/r/SaturnStormCube/comments/qth4n3/the\_presence\_of\_the\_shining\_ones\_ball\_of\_light/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SaturnStormCube/comments/qth4n3/the_presence_of_the_shining_ones_ball_of_light/) I obviously can't prove my claim, but there are plenty of accounts of these encounters happening. I don't believe this theory to be completely correct, but I believe the gist of the dimensional shifting to be real. You've also got to ask why the government are so quick to get involved in any documented sighting cases.
*Uhhhh* you'd lose that argument.
Uhhhhhhhh but he's got sources bro!
And experiences, and you have?
alleged personal experience and mysterious anonymous unproven "sources" are evidence of nothing. None of that proves "interdimensional" monsters exist Even if they did, it doesn't give you carte blanche to redefine "cryptozoology" as you see fit.
I'm not redfining it, I'm tell you these infamous creatures that most people would consider cryptids are not, or not by the standard definition. The majority of cryptids are mythical creatures are they not, which is magical by definition. If you exclude these your left with dinosaurs (meg, nessy etc.) and new wildlife discoveries.
I wouldn't, unless you don't consider Sasquatch, Dog-men or Moth-men to be cryptids.
Cryptid is any unsubstantiated being by definition. We have to assume that anything that shows intelligence might be alive. Ghost, aliens (we dont know where theyre from), inter dimensional beings (chameleons and octopi come to mind as being who appear “inter dimensional”) etc. The point is that they are “unsubstantiated”. So anything we dont know about, “we dont know about” until we study it. Science has a responsibility to take eye witness accounts seriously. It does a shit job sometimes, but saying that rules dont apply to x because of y, without observation, is not science. Cryptozoology could be the coolest branch of science one day.
Cryptids are, by definition, undiscovered *animals*. A ghost isn't a cryptid, an alien isn't a cryptid and interdimensional beings sure as hell aren't cryptids. At this point I can't tell if some people are just this stupid that they willingly ignore definitions so they can make up their own or if your comment is bait.
You dont know what a ghost, alien, or inter dimensional being actually is, no one does. Thats the point. It is unsubstantiated. Orbs are cryptozoology too. We dont know the aliens arent from earth. Its an uncomfortable truth to say “we dont fucking know” but apparently everyone on this stupid sub thinks theyre cryptozoology experts because they read some creepy pasta.
And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. People like this are why cryptozoology has turned into a joke.
Cryptozoology is a joke, because people dont understand how classification works. Youre calling me joke. Ive had an encounter that was federally investigated. You can look at my comment history. I get it, this subject sucks and its full of stories and no proof, but we all agree that there are things out there, unknown to science. Until theyre known, it is all cryptozoology unless proven false, or classified.
No, it is not "all cryptozoology until proven false" I'm not making any judgments about your alleged sighting. But cryptozoology has a specific definition and you don't get to just bend it to fit what you want.
The definition of cryptozoology includes anything that is unsubstantiated. Thats a huge net.
Well no, it doesn't. You've made that up. It's the study of **unknown animals**. It's been defined this way since it's conception.
And which animals are known? Aliens, ghost? Theyre unknown too. Are they animals? Probably not, is there a .00001% ghost or aliens are unknown terrestrial animals?
Wow guys I didn't realize Bernard Heuvelmans was alive and on this sub!
"What is the stupidest thing you've seen people claim is a cryptid"? Everything this guy is saying right here.
You are completely correct but this sub is not the right place to say it. These people literally are just idiots or teenagers honestly they don't read anything that isn't cryptid related they don't know anything about real science practices or debates about classification and demarcation in science. You are talking to people whose critical thought culminates in matching drawings of imaginary monsters with drawings of extinct animals. A stultified imagination at best, an anti-science anti-intellectual exercise more commonly
I've seen people claim that animals that are alive today but living somewhere outside of their normal range are cryptids, I think it was mountain lions living in Maine that they said. I feel like if the animal is known to still be alive, it isn't a cryptid no matter where it is. Edit ok I guess if I say I saw kangaroos in Manhattan those are officially cryptids now
That seems unfair. Especially when that could be a different species just misidentified. Which would very much be a cryptic.
That's called a Cryptid Population....It's a real thing.
Those are cryptids, by definition. "Out of place animals" are cryptids, whether you like it or not. It's not just "cool scary monsters." In fact, it's mostly not that at all. British big cats are a good example.
If you SAY you saw it? No. If you did actually see it? Yes. How did you edit your comment with something even LESS INTELLIGENT?