Albatwitches, squonks and chupacabras: A fun field guide to the cryptids of Central PACentral Pa. boasts many cryptid sightings. Have you seen any of these creatures?Angel Albring York Daily RecordShow Caption Hide Caption Bucks County borough mayor believes he may have encountered BigfootRiegelsville Mayor Greg Stokes believes he may have encountered Bigfoot while camping in the Pennsylvania wilderness in 1983.Bucks County Courier TimesIn the late 1880s, a mysterious creature haunted Clark Alley in York, disguising itself as a horse thief, a boy selling newspapers and even a bottle of beer. It was never caught, but what was it — a ghost or a shapeshifting cryptid?Cryptids have always fascinated me. I grew up in Northwest Louisiana, near the Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma borders, and the Kisatchie National Forest was essentially my backyard. All the Bigfoot hunters reading this probably know that area: it’s not far from where the Boggy Creek Monster in Arkansas lives. It’s also reported to be home to shapeshifters, the Swamp Stalker and even a type of thunderbird.Of course, the prevalence of these monsters coincides nicely with the real monsters we have in Louisiana: alligators, gar (a large fish with alligator-like teeth), cougars, bears and giant snakes. Pennsylvania has its fair share of real-life beasts, and a healthy dose of cryptid legends, too. You can find at least one legend in each region of this vast state, and if you’re like me, you want to see them all.But what exactly are cryptids?Cryptids and cryptozoologistsCryptids are an animal that has been claimed to exist but never proven to be real. Of course, there are many cryptozoologists and amateur cryptid hunters who would argue that their existence has been proven, but the findings are not accepted by mainstream scientists.More haunted York:Spooky York, part 1: Hex murder, creepy crematorium, steps to nowhere and a runaway trainMore spooky season happenings:Spooky York, part 2: Toad Road, Gravity Hill, the Weeping Woman and Elmwood Mansion ghostsIt should be noted that cryptids don't have to be supernatural or mythical creatures. Take alligator gar, for example. There was a time it was simply a legend, but it is a real (and terrifying) fish. The narwhal, giant sturgeon and giant squid also make the list of creatures once thought to be mythical, but are all-too real.Cryptozoology, or the study of cryptids, is a pseudoscience that focuses on creatures mentioned in local legends and folklore, such as Bigfoot, the Chupacabra and the Jersey Devil. The fact that cryptozoology isn’t a real science hasn’t stopped its popularity, though.In fact, cryptids are so popular that the United States Bureau of Land Management keeps and publishes a record of sightings. Maps have even been made about the most famous beast from each state. In Texas, you'll find the Chupacabra. The Specter Moose haunts Maine and the Skunk Ape is popular in Florida. While many would expect Bigfoot to be Pennsylvania's most popular cryptid, it's actually the squonk.What is a squonk?The squonk is reported to live in the hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania. It is a pig-like creature with very saggy skin covered in warts, and while most people would dismiss that as a hunter who ran into a diseased wild hog, the squonk is unique in that it cries — a lot.You see, having such hideous skin makes this little creature very, very sad, so it weeps constantly, leaving a tear-soaked trail behind it. If you catch one, it will become so distressed that it will cry until it turns into a puddle of tears.More on Halloween:She says someone took a Michael Myers figure from her Wyndham Hills home – and left $200More on York's haunted past:Why is York such a huge Halloween town? Hex murder, Seven Gates of Hell, powwowing...Sounds to me like it just needs a good moisturizer.Cryptids closer to homeThe squonk is a true Pennsylvania original, and one I’d love to meet, but if you want to road trip to nearby cryptid sightings, you are in luck: Central Pa. is full of them.Bigfoot is a very popular cryptid all around the country, but he’s supposedly been sighted in the commonwealth over 1,300 times. A map of Pennsylvania Bigfoot sightings has been made to track the creatures' whereabouts, and Sasquatch hunters have frequented the forests all over the state to catch a glimpse of the giant ape-like beast.The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (yes, that's a real thing) has a running tally of the number of sightings per county, and Central Pa. has claimed 13 over the last 30 years, with the oldest sighting going back to 1973 in York. There have been a total of 124 first-hand accounts of Bigfoot encounters across the state. If you want to go looking for a Bigfoot, it’s fairly easy to do. Just pull up a map of supposed sightings and take a hike to that location. There are even Bigfoot groups that can help, such as the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Project and Pennsylvania Bigfoot Investi...