Cryptozoology Cryptozoology Bears Bigfoot (Sasquatch), Yeti, and other unknown apes and hominids Birds and Flying Reptiles Carcharocles megalodon Cats Chupacabra Coelacanth Elephants General Giant Snakes and Reptiles Giant Squid and Octopodes Jersey Devil Kangaroos Loch Ness Monster and other lake monsters Mapinguari and Giant Ground Sloths Mothman Rods Sea Serpents and other Sea Monsters Tasmanian Tiger and other marsupial cryptids Books about Cryptozoology Cryptozoology and Philately Have we found all the large animals still living in the world? Probably not, since in the last decade some previously unknown species have surfaced in Southeast Asia, for example. This page is dedicated to such animals -- commonly called "cryptids" -- which might possibly exist in nature but whose existence has not yet been accepted by modern science. If you are interested in animals which have never existed in nature (although they may, in part, have been based upon real animals) such as gryphons and mermaids, please see my legendary animals page. Cryptozoological topics have generated a vast number of books, magazines, and articles. My page of books about cryptozoology lists some I've found interesting. Encounters with hairy hominids or "wild men" like the Yeti, Sasquatch, and Nguoi Rung go back to antiquity and appear in legends throughout the world. One of the earliest literary compositions in the world, the Epic of Gilgamesh, contains a hairy wildman named Enkidu. North America's representative is usually called the Sasquatch, one of its Native American names, or Bigfoot. The best-known photographic evidence is the famous Roger Patterson film of a purported Sasquatch, taken in 1967. (Stories that Patterson's film was a hoax continue to circulate.) One hypothesis is that some reports represent encounters with surviving representatives of supposedly extinct hominoid or hominid species. A popular choice for Bigfoot is Gigantopithecus blacki, a giant ape commonly assumed to have died out several hundred thousand years ago. Other suggested candidates include Homo neandertalensis (Neanderthal Man), Homo erectus, and Australopithecus (Paranthropus) robustus. The history of the discovery of the mountain gorilla demonstrates that a large ape can elude detection for decades, and that native tales of such creatures can be based in fact. Likewise for the Giant Panda. It took sixty-seven years from the time the Giant Panda was "discovered" by Westerners until its live capture. During this period twelve well staffed and equipped professional expeditions failed to collect a single live specimen of this large bear. It took over twenty years to collect a living specimen of the Congo Peacock once it became known to Westerners from feathers and oral descriptions by natives of the Congo River basin. Another persistent type of encounter is with lake monsters. The most famous serpentine lake monster is Nessie, supposed inhabitant of Loch Ness in Scotland. Closer to home is Ogopogo, a Nessie-like creature said to inhabit Lake Okanagan in Canada. Many such sightings may actually be due to standing wave phenomena such as soliton waves or little known weather phenomena such as "mini" waterspouts. The Bunyip of Australia may represent an oral tradition of sightings of an extinct giant marsupial, the Diprotodont. Sightings of giant sturgeon in lakes with a connection to the sea may explain some lake monster sightings. The sturgeon's prehistoric appearance differs markedly from other fish. Rather than scales, the great Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrhynchus is covered with five rows of bony plates called scutes. The head tapers to a hard snout with four catfish-like sensory barbels near the mouth. Small sturgeon swim up the shallow rivers connecting lakes such as Lake Champlain in Vermont, USA to the sea. Once in the lake the sturgeon can grow to awesome size. The Atlantic sturgeon reaches lengths of five meters and weighs over four hundred kilograms. In 1951 an eye witness reported seeing a "monster" in Lake Champlain. She shot at it, believing she hit it with at least one bullet, and the creature disappeared. A few days later the corpse of a giant sturgeon bearing a bullet hole washed up on the shore of the lake. The largest reliably recorded sturgeon was a specimen of Acipenser huso caught in the Volga River in 1827. That sturgeon measured eight meters long and weighed 1,470 kg, surely a monster in anyone's book! Many animals have gone extinct over the last few hundred years as a result of ecological disruption caused by humans migrating to new environments or direct attempts to exterminate "problem" species. An example is the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine (scientific name Thylacinus cynocephalus), also known as the marsupial wolf. This carnivorous marsupial was apparently hunted to extinction in the early part of the twentieth century. The last known living specimen, whose photo appears at the top of this page, died in captivity in 1936 in the Hobart Zoo in Australia. Persistent reports of sightings right down to the present offer hope that a few thylacines may still live in the wild. For example, a Park and Wildlife Officer reported observing a Thylacine in the Pyengana region of eastern Tasmania in January, 1995. A followup search failed to find any trace of this specimen. Other animals generally considered extinct but which continue to be sighted occasionally include the dodo bird of Mauritius, the giant moa of New Zealand, and the giant shark Carcharocles megalodon. Efforts are also underway to try to bring back some animals from extinction. A project to resurrect the Quagga, an extinct variety of zebra, has been somewhat successful. Recent successes with mammal cloning have fueled hopes that creatures like the mammoth or the thylacine could be brought back via cloning or hybridization procedures. For example, scientists at the Australian Museum in Sydney hope to clone a thylacine using DNA from a pup preserved in alcohol since 1866. Sometimes a supposedly extinct animal turns out to be still alive. The coelacanth provides a famous example. In 1938 a coelacanth was caught by fishermen on the vessel Nerine trawling off the mouth of the Chalumna River in South Africa. The fish measured about 1.5 m (5 feet) in length and weighed 57 kg (126 lbs). Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, a curator at the East London Museum, could not identify the fish. She sent a sketch to J. L. B. Smith at Rhodes University in South Africa who identified the fish as a coelacanth. Prior to this discovery, scientists had believed the coelacanth died out around 80 million years ago. The next coelacanth was not caught until 1952. Since then at least two hundred Coelacanths have been caught in and around the Comoro Islands. In 1998 a new population was discovered off North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Survivors from prehistoric times like the coelacanth are sometimes called "living fossils." In the early 1970s Ralph M. Wetzel and co-workers from the University of Connecticut discovered living specimens of the Chacoan Peccary, which he named Catagonus wagneri. Peccaries are close relatives of pigs and boars. Prior to Wetzel's find this type of peccary was known only from fossils and had been thought to have died out ten thousand years ago. Wetzel found the living specimens in Patagonia after hearing native stories. The natives called it the tagua. The Chacoan Peccary is the largest of the three known living species of peccary. There are significant differences in the chromosome numbers of the Chacoan peccary and the other two species, indicating they are not closely related. Very little is yet known of the Chacoan peccary's life cycle. It is considered to be an endangered species. Another recent example from the Canary Islands concerns the lizard Gallotia gomerana. In June 1999 Spanish scientists reported finding six living specimens (two males, three females, and one juvenile) of this lizard on La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands. Gallotia gomerana had previously been considered extinct for nearly five hundred years. This lizard measures about half a meter in length, a respectable size for a lizard. The 1997 discovery of a large tree rat in the Vilcabamba mountains of Peru provides another recent example of the survival of a presumably extinct animal. Its discoverer, Louise Emmons of the Smithsonian Institution, named the animal Cuscomys ashaninka after the city of Cusco near where the animal was discovered and the indigenous Ashaninka people. The Cuscomys closely resembles the so-called Inca Tomb Rat that the Inca kept as pets. The Inca tomb rats are considered extinct, but since Cuscomys is still alive, it is possible that the Inca tomb rat still survives as well. The Chinese crested tern, considered extinct since 1937, was found to be still surviving in the summer of 2000. Six pair of terns were spotted rearing chicks on a tiny islet off the coast of Taiwan. The Central Rock Rat of Australia, considered extinct for forty years, was found to be still surviving in 1996, and more populations surfaced in West MacDonnell National Park in January, 2001. The sites below include some which offer a scientific outlook on cryptozoology, some which tend to the mystical, some which are better understood as part of the UFO phenomenon (e.g., Mothman), and some which are probably just a joke. The latter includes sites about the Ozark Howler, the name of whose principal investigator -- Itzakh Joach ("It's a joke") -- reveals the probable spurious nature of this creature and its reports. In fact, it now seems quite certain that the Ozark Howler is entirely a deliberate hoax. Cryptozoological subjects have often been depicted on postage stamps around the world. My pages about Cryptozoology and Philately present some of these stamps. Each of my stamp pages provides more information about each cryptid. There are many online message boards which discuss cryptozoological topics. I moderate the CryptoSearch message board on www.yahoogroups.com. There are several other Yahoo! Groups message boards dedicated to cryptozoological topics as well. Bears Giant Panda As noted above, it took sixty-seven years from the time of the "discovery" of the Giant Panda by Westerners until its live capture. This provides an example of how difficult it can be to track down and locate even a large creature in difficult terrain. Less than one thousand Giant Pandas still remain in the wild. Giant Panda presents information about this endangered animal from the World Wide Fund for Nature. My Giant Panda Stamps page lists some postage stamps which depict this remarkable bear whose existence in the wild is threatened. WWF - US: World Wildlife Fund - Endangered Species offers a good introduction to this endangered creature. Bigfoot (Sasquatch), Yeti, and other unknown apes and hominids See my pages on Bigfoot Stamps and Yeti Stamps for more information about these creatures. Bigfoot/Sasquatch, Skunk Ape, and other Hairy Hominids American Anthropological Research Foundation includes information about Bigfoot or "giant forest people" by long-time Bigfoot tracker Robert W. Morgan. Bigfoot - Fact or Fantasy? by R. F. Thomas discusses the evidence for Bigfoot, especially the Patterson/Gimlin film. Bigfoot Internet Library offers links to recent news articles about Bigfoot and related creatures, information about the continuing debate on whether the Patterson film is a hoax, a message board, and more. Bigfoot in Wisconsin offers a compilation of Bigfoot sightings from the state of Wisconsin. Bigfoot Recordings offers a CD of purported Bigfoot sounds. Bigfoot Research Page by Hans Kuhn offers a brief description of Bigfoot from a pamphlet of the North American Science Institute. Bigfoot / Sasquatch FAQ by Wesley A, Williams provides answers to the most commonly asked questions about the Bigfoot phenomenon. My Bigfoot Stamps page lists some postage stamps which depict Bigfoot. Bigfoot -- Tracks Unveiled offers research wildlife biologist Bruce G. Marcot's analysis of the footprint evidence for Bigfoot. He suggests that tracks can be deceptive and that many reportedly created by Bigfoot and friends may have been made by bears or other large animals in unusual patterns. British Hominid Research details reports and sightings of a Bigfoot/Hominid type creature seen in Britain. Buckeye (Ohio) Bigfoot Encounters in the year 1998. offers a continuously updated listing of alleged encounters with Bigfoot-like creatures in Ohio. California Bigfoot and Recorded Sightings by Bobbie Short features a list of Bigfoot sighting in California. Cryptozoology by Charlie Carlson offers recent sightings of the Florida Bigfoot and the Bardin Booger. Crystalinks: Big Foot~~Sasquatch~~Yeti~~Yoser offers a brief introduction to hairy hominids and a Yeti tale. De Loys's ape is the subject of two articles (in Spanish) in the journal Intersciencia. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. Don't Shoot That Bigfoot by Bob Ellison reports that King County, Washington officials have listed Bigfoot as a protected species and placed it on a wetlands inventory list. E.W. Burnett's Bigfoot Site provides information and resources about research into Bigfoot and related creatures. Includes notes on Burnett's personal involvement in this research, photos, audio clips, links to related sites, and more. Enigma Cryptozoo: Missing Links Primate Center offers information about the Yeti, Bigfoot, Orang-Pendek, Chinese Wildman, Yowie, Skunk Ape, Piltdown Man, De Loys's Ape, Minnesota Iceman, and Oliver the chimpanzee. Florida Skunk Ape discusses this Bigfoot-like creature said to live in the Florida Everglades. Includes sightings, a form for reporting a sighting, a Bigfoot message board, articles and editorials about the Skunk Ape, and links to related web sites. Gastón Chague's Science Home Page - The Unknown discusses Bigfoot as well as UFOs and alien creatures. Gigantopithecus blacki is an article by Eric Perrifor about this giant extinct(?) ape which some believe may be the real creature behind Bigfoot reports. Hairy Hominids Archives provides a list of news reports and articles about Sasquatch, Bigfoot, and similar creatures. How Bigfoot Might Work discusses the anatomy and habits of possible Sasquatch-like creatures. J. Vaughn's Bigfoot/Sasquatch Page offers his personal views on Bigfoot research as well as links to Bigfoot-related sites. John's Bigfoot Picture Page presents John McGhee's artistic renderings of Bigfoot based upon eye-witness descriptions. Mississippi Swamp Ape Forum is a discussion group dedicated to bigfoot, skunk apes, and related subjects. Monthly Bigfoot Report Newsletter tells how to subscribe to Don Keating's newsletter "dealing with Bigfoot type activities across North America as well as Internationaly, whenever that information is available." North American Bigfoot Legends offers legends about Saquatch-like creatures from several Native American tribes. Patterson Bigfoot Footage by Patricia Patterson, wife of Roger Patterson, discusses the television and video rights of her husband's famous 1967 film of a purported Bigfoot, as well as offering still photos of Roger Patterson. Sasquatch by Douglas Trapp discusses the Patterson film, tracks, the Gigantopithecus hypothesis, and more. Sasquatch: North America's Great Ape by John Bindernagel describes his book on the subject. Bindernagel is an experienced wildlife biologist who is seriously studying the Sasquatch in North America. Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest offers an introduction to the Bigfoot phenomenon, several photos of bigfoot and skunk apes as well as stories and recent news about Bigfoot. Sasquatch...The Mounting Evidence by Don Keating discusses sightings of Bigfoot-like creatures in Ohio. Shadowlands Bigfoot Page provides purported photos of Bigfoot and tracks. Stan Johnson claims he has been in contact for over a decade with the Bigfoot who are actually aliens from another star system. Steve Williams "Squatchman" homepage is dedicated to all believers in Bigfoot. Williams recounts his own childhood encouinter with a Bigfoot-like creature. Story of the Winsted (Conn.) Wild Man by Joseph Cadrain originally appeared in the Winsted Voice. Cadrain discusses sightings of a "wild man" near Winsted in the 1890s. Strange Story of the Minnesota Iceman discusses the 1968 reports by Ivan Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans of the "ape man" exhibited by Frank Hansen. This "Minnesota Iceman" is usually considered a hoax. Tennesee Bigfoot Lady's Page recaps sightings of Bigfoot in Tennessee and offers a few photos of purported Bigfoot creatures. Bigfoot Search Organizations Alabama Bigfoot Seekers Research Group provides reports of Bigfoot sightings in Alabama. Also allows you to report your own sightings. Arizona Bigfoot Center by Lyle Vann discusses Bigfoot sightings from Arizona. He believes Bigfoot live in subterranean caves and are being used by extraterrestrials for mining. Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization by Matt Moneymaker includes a geographic database of bigfoot/sasquatch sightings. Bluenorth Bigfoot Research by John Freitas includes articles and photos of Bigfoot as well as a bibliography about Bigfoot. Central Ohio Bigfoot Homepage by Blake Mathys is dedicated to the search for Bigfoot in Ohio. Mathys offers photos from his Bigfoot hunting excursions, reports of Bigfoot sightings from Ohio, links to Bigfoot sites, and an essay by Mathys on the existence of Bigfoot. Eastern Ohio Bigfoot Investigation Center by Keating discusses film shot he shot and also includes information on the Tri-State Bigfoot Study Group and the Annual Bigfoot Conference. Gulf Coast BigFoot Research Organization seeks evidence of Bigfoot activity in the Southern United States. Includes photos of animal mutilations purportedly caused by Bigfoot-like creatures. North East Washington Bigfoot Researchers Unlimited offers photos of possible bigfoot tracks, beds, and scat. You may report a sighting using an online web form. The Ohio Bigfoot Research and Study Group is a branch of the Western Bigfoot Society and is dedicated to the study of Sasquatch (Bigfoot). Oklahoma Monkey Chasers is an organization dedicated to gathering and verifying Bigfoot sightings in the state of Oklahoma. Includes a message board, links, a photo log, and more. Sasquatch Watch is dedicated to the collection and reporting of Bigfoot, Yeti, Yowie, and Skunk Ape sightings. Skunk Ape Tracking Page from the Bigfoot and Skunk Ape Research Group of Cincinnati features recent sightings of these creatures. Also offers information on giant ground sloths (e.g., mapinguari). Southeast Kentucky Bigfoot Information Center by D. Peace discusses sightings of Bigfoot in Kentucky. Southeastern Ohio Bigfoot Sightings by Jack Eblin offers a database of Bigfoot sightings from the greater Southeastern Ohio area. The Southern Oregon Bigfoot Society seeks to prove the existence of Bigfoot by temporarily capturing a specimen and extracting DNA for analysis. Texas Bigfoot Research Center discusses sightings of Bigfoot in the forested regions of Texas. Includes photos and footprint casts. Washington State Sasquatch Homepage by Andrew Peterson and George Kelley exists to receive and post Sasquatch sightings from the state of Washington. Western Tennessee Bigfoot Resarch Group conducts year-round expeditions and investigations into Bigfoot sightings in western Tennessee. Bondo Mystery Apes The Bondo Mystery Ape by Karl Ammann discusses the gorilla-like chimpanzees living in the Bili/Bondo region of the Congo. Miscellaneous Giant Primates of the New World by Michael Seres discusses De Loys's ape and Protopithecus brasiliensis Lund. Man-like Apes (1863) is an article written by Thomas Huxley in 1863 discussing the natrual history of the Great Apes as known up to that time. Koolakamba by Elaine Jane Struthers discusses the folk mythology which surrounds this purported African animal, which may be a… truncated (36,796 more characters in archive)