Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology is the study of hidden animals. These mystery animals (cryptids) are known to locals who may have seen them or heard stories about them. Beyond these stories, there is little to no evidence that they actually exist.
The field of cryptozoology is not considered by the scientific community to be a legitimate branch of zoology – the scientific study of animals. While many self-proclaimed cryptozoologists have a scientific background or claim to conduct their research scientifically, they must rely on another person’s description of an encounter with an unknown creature or on rare and questionable traces (like footprints) or photographs to support their theory. This weak evidence (without a real living or dead body to study) is not enough to conclude that such strange animals truly exist.
The “science” of cryptozoology has been further tarnished by its association with UFO encounters and supernatural explanations. For example, Bigfoot & friends sightings are sometimes associated with UFO sightings. Or, it might be suggested that a bizarre animal that mysteriously vanishes without a trace may be traveling through time or other dimensions and so is beyond our physical reach. Those are supernatural explanations so science can’t even go there. It’s science fiction.
There are no official training, schooling or college degrees in cryptozoology. The label “cryptozoologist” is one you give yourself or have others pronounce upon you. There are a few professional scientists who investigate cryptids but most are just part-time hobbyists – hunting for clues and documenting sightings in whatever time they can spare.
Zoologists and amateur naturalists discover new species all the time. They may have clues about where to look – areas that have not been well explored (remote rainforests) or even common places that have not been thoroughly cataloged (museum sample cabinets). In these cases, we have samples to examine and compare to other samples. With cryptids, there are no bodies. Too often, reports of strange creatures turn out to be mistaken identifications or hoaxes.
Categories of mystery animals
- Out of place (OOP) animals : Animals that show up where they are not expected. (Examples: alligators in the sewers, big cats in populated areas)
- Totally unknown to science – not officially recognized and described (Examples: Bigfoot, Yeti, sea serpents)
- Related to a known species but of unusual size, features, etc. (Examples: Giants – snakes, sharks, salamanders, spiders)
- Presumed extinct – recently or from the fossil record (Examples: dinosaurs, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs)
- Mythical animals (likely based on real animals) (Examples: mermaids, unicorns, kraken)
- Animal with supernatural characteristics (Examples: Black dogs, werewolves)
Some cryptids fit in to multiple categories depending on the suspected origin. (Example: Loch Ness Monster – some explanations suggested are giant eel, plesiosaur, extinct whale, unknown species or a myth based on a sturgeon or other large fish).
MORE INFORMATION:
Mysterious Creatures (book – in 2 volumes) by George Eberhart
Cryptozoology A to Z (book) by Loren Coleman
Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology (book) by Michael Newton
Lake Monster Mysteries (book) by B. Radford and J. Nickell
On the Track of Unknown Animals (book) by B. Heuvelmans
