Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 17, 2026

List of cryptids

Cryptids are animals or other beings whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science. Cryptozoology, the study of cryptids, is a pseudoscience claiming that such beings may exist somewhere in the wild; it has been widely critiqued by scientists. The subculture is regularly criticized for reliance on anecdotal information and because in the course of investigating animals that most scientists believe are unlikely to have existed, cryptozoologists do not follow the scientific method. Many scientists have criticized the plausibility of cryptids due to lack of physical evidence, likely misidentifications and misinterpretation of stories from folklore. While biologists regularly identify new species following established scientific methodology, cryptozoologists focus on entities mentioned in the folklore record and rumor.

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Cryptids are animals or other beings whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science. Cryptozoology, the study of cryptids, is a pseudoscience claiming that such beings may exist somewhere in the wild; it has been widely critiqued by scientists.1234 The subculture is regularly criticized for reliance on anecdotal information5 and because in the course of investigating animals that most scientists believe are unlikely to have existed, cryptozoologists do not follow the scientific method.6 Many scientists have criticized the plausibility of cryptids due to lack of physical evidence,7 likely misidentifications8 and misinterpretation of stories from folklore.9 While biologists regularly identify new species following established scientific methodology, cryptozoologists focus on entities mentioned in the folklore record and rumor.

List

Aquatic or semi-aquatic

Name Other names Description Purported location Depiction
Anguila peluda10 Hairy Eel Pond animal Pamital ravine, Canary Islands
Beast of Busco11 Oscar12 Giant snapping turtle Churubusco, Indiana, United States
Bunyip13 Bahnyip Amphibious creature Australia
Cadborosaurus14 Caddy Sea animal Pacific Coast of North America
Champ15 Champy Lake monster Lake Champlain, North America
Cryptid whales1617 Giglioli's Whale, Rhinoceros dolphin, High-finned sperm whale, Alula whale, Unidentified beaked whales Sea animal Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean
Dobhar-chú18 Water Hound, King Otter Extra-large otter-like carnivorous aquatic mammal Ireland
Gloucester sea serpent19 Large serpent Gloucester, Massachusetts

(Cape Ann), United States

source ↗
Iemisch20 Iemisch Listai Mix of a jaguar and otter Patagonian region of Argentina
Igopogo21 Kempenfelt Kelly Lake monster Lake Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
Labynkyr Devil222324 Labynkyrsky Chert Lake monster Oymyakonsky Ulus, Sakha Republic, Russia
Loch Ness Monster25 Nessie Lake monster Loch Ness, Scotland Sculpture of the Loch Ness monster as a plesiosaurus
Loveland Frog26 Loveland frogman, Loveland lizard Humanoid frog Loveland, Ohio, United States
Manipogo27 Winnipogo Lake monster Lake Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada
Mbielu-mbielu-mbielu28 Stegosaurid dinosaur (lake, river and/or swamp monster) Democratic Republic of the Congo
Megalodon (surviving populations)293031 Otodus megalodona Giant prehistoric shark Oceans
Mermaid32 Siren33 Top half human female and bottom half fish Oceans, various bodies of water
Mokele-mbembe34 Dinosaur (lake, river and/or swamp monster) Democratic Republic of the Congo
Montauk Monster3536 Small bald beaked mammal Montauk, New York, United States
Morgawr37 Sea serpent Falmouth Bay, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Ogopogo15 N'ha•a•itk, Naitaka Lake monster Okanagan Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Sea serpents38 Sea animals, dinosaurs All bodies of water
Selma39 Seljordsormen Lake monster Lake Seljord, Telemark, Norway
Steller's sea ape40 Sea animal Northern Pacific Ocean
Storsjö monster41 Lake monster Lake Storsjön, Jämtland, Sweden

Terrestrial

Name Other names Description Purported location Depiction
British big cats42 Alien big cats (ABCs), phantom cats, mystery cats, English lions,
Beast of Bodmin, Beast of Exmoor 		Non-native, wild big cats Great Britain
Chupacabra43 Chupacabras (Spanish for goat-sucker) Highly variable – typically falling into two categories: 1) bipedal humanoid with spiked spines (original description); 2) a quadrupedal canid44 Puerto Rico (originally),
South and Central America,
Southern North America
Dover Demon45 Approximately four-foot tall humanoid creature with glowing eyes Dover, Massachusetts, United States
Fresno nightcrawler46 Resembling a pair of white trousers, this creature reportedly has long, white legs immediately topped by a rounded head.47 Fresno, California, United States
Goatman484950 Pope Lick Monster; Lake Worth monster; Satyr; Faun Humanoid creature with the torso and head of a man (with horns sprouting from the head) and the legs of a goat Prince George's County, Maryland; Louisville, Kentucky; Lake Worth, Texas
Katanga Snake51 50-foot long snake Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp52 Lizard Man of Lee County Bipedal, humanoid reptilian creature Lee County, South Carolina, United States
Michigan Dogman53 Humanoid dog Wexford County, Michigan, United States
Moa (surviving original populations)54b Dinornis robustus (South Island giant moa), Dinornis novaezelandiae (North Island giant moa), Anomalopteryx didiformis (Bush moa, little bush moa, or lesser moa) Medium to large flightless birds New Zealand
Mongolian death worm55 Allghoi (or orghoi) khorkhoi Worm-like animal Gobi Desert (Asia)
Nandi bear56 Chemosit, Kerit, Koddoelo, Ngoelo, Ngoloko, Duba Large, powerfully built carnivore Eastern Africa
Phantom kangaroo5758 Kangaroos which appear outside of their normal range of Australia and New Guinea. Chicago, Illinois

Japan United Kingdom Sweden

Queensland Tiger59 Yarri Large feline Queensland, Australia
Thylacine (surviving original populations)6061c Tasmanian tiger, Tasmanian wolf, Thylacinus cynocephalus Carnivorous marsupial Australia,

Papua New Guinea

Hominid

Name Other names Description Purported location Depiction
Almas15 Abnauayu, almasty, albasty, bekk-bok,
biabin-guli, golub-yavan, gul-biavan, auli-avan,
kaptar, kra-dhun, ksy-giik, ksy-gyik, ochokochi,
mirygdy, mulen, voita, wind-man, Zana 		Non-human ape or hominid Asia/Caucasus
Amomongo62 Orang Mawas, Impakta Ape or hominid Negros Occidental, Philippines
Bigfoot63 Sasquatch Large and hairy ape-like creature United States and Canada
Bukit Timah Monkey Man64 BTM, BTMM Forest-dwelling hominid or other primate Singapore
Chatawa Monster6566 Large ape-like creature Pike County, Mississippi, United States
Chuchunya67 Large hominid Russia
Fouke Monster6869 Jonesville Monster, Southern Sasquatch, Boggy Creek Monster Hominid or other primate Arkansas, United States
Honey Island Swamp monster70 Letiche, Tainted Keitre Hominid or other primate Louisiana, United States
Kandahar Giant71 13-foot tall, red-headed hominid with six fingers on each hand and two rows of teeth Kandahar, Afghanistan
Mapinguari72 Mapinguary Man-eating hominid with a mouth on its abdomen; sometimes thought to be a ground sloth Brazil
Nittaewo73 Nittevo Small hominid Sri Lanka
Orang Pendek74 Small hominid Sumatra, Indonesia
Skunk ape75 Stink Ape, Myakka Ape, Myakka Skunk Ape Primate Florida, United States
Yeren7675 Yiren, Yeh Ren, Chinese Wildman Primate (possible hominin) China
Yeti77 Abominable Snowman Large and hairy human-like entity, various other descriptions Himalayas (Asia)
Yowie73 Large and hairy human-like entity, various other descriptions Australia

Flying

Name Other names Description Purported location Depiction
Flatwoods monster78 Braxie, Braxton County Monster, Phantom of Flatwoods A floating creature with a head that looks like a spade79 Flatwoods, West Virginia
Jersey Devil25 Leeds Devil Winged, bipedal horse United States, mainly the South Jersey Pine Barrens, as well as other parts of New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania
Kongamato80 Living species of pterosaur Mwinilunga, Zambia;

Angola; The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mothman7881 Winged bipedal Mason County, West Virginia, United States
See also

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. Otodus is the currently accepted genus name for megalodon. Older sources refer to the genus as Carcharodon, Carcharocles, and several other names.
  2. There is an ongoing de-extinction project to revive the bush moa through genome editing, this entry refers to the possibility of surviving original populations
  3. There is an ongoing project to revive the species through genome editing, this entry refers to the unconfirmed sightings and reports of surviving original populations
References

References

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  2. Loxton & Prothero (2013: 332): "Whatever the romantic appeal of monster mysteries, cryptozoology as it exists today is unquestionably a pseudoscience." Loxton & Prothero (2013: 320): "Cryptozoology has a reputation of being part of a general pseudoscientific fringe—just one more facet of paranormal belief." (Both quotes from Donald Prothero)
  3. Church (2009: 251–252): "Cryptozoology has acquired a bad reputation as a pseudoscience [...] Until detailed, methodical research becomes standard practice among cryptozoologists, the field will remain disrespected by more traditional biologists and zoologists."
  4. Roesch & Moore (2002: 71–78): "Pointing to this rampant speculation and ignorance of established scientific theories in cryptozoology, as well as the field's poor record of success and its reliance on unsystematic, anecdotal evidence, many scientists and skeptics classify cryptozoology as a pseudoscience."
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Sources

Sources

External links
  • Media related to Cryptozoology at Wikimedia Commons
  • The dictionary definition of cryptid at Wiktionary