Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology is the study of cryptids, animals whose existence is unproven by science.

Fast Facts

1. Origin of term: Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans (1955)¹
2. Former cryptids: Platypus, Giant Squid, Polar Bear, Gorilla, Okapi
3. Popular cryptids: Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, Flying Rods

Cryptozoological Classification

Cryptozoologists are concerned with proving the existence of animals that have not been scientifically defined or objectively shown to exist. Lacking official scientific binomial classification, cryptids are defined by the following terms:

1. Type One: Cryptids known through legend or folklore.
2. Type Two: Cryptids known through eyewitness testimony.
3. Type Three: Cryptids known through associated evidence, such as footprints, trails, or tangible impact on an environment.
4. Type Four: Cryptids known by biological physical evidence including hair and skin samples, feces, or blood.
5. Type Five: Cryptids known by complete or partial physical specimens.²

Recent Sightings

• Bigfoot: In July 2008, hunters Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer claimed to have found a dead specimen of the long mythologized North American ape-man in northern Georgia.³ The pair released photographs of what appeared to be a shaggy, gorilla-like creature topped with entrails. An August 15 press conference did not include promised genetic evidence.⁴

• Chupacabra: On August 8, 2008, two Texas sheriff's deputies filmed what they believed to be a live specimen of this livestock-feeding cryptid.⁵ The chupacabra, or "goat-sucker," first gained widespread attention in the 1990s after a series of reported livestock mutilations in Puerto Rico and Mexico.⁶

• Montauk Monster: A photograph posted to Gawker on July 29, 2008, showed what appeared to be the carcass of a creature resembling a hairless mammal, with a beak-like maw. The photographer, Jenna Hewitt, claimed to have discovered the creature on the beach in Montauk, New York.⁷

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