All Topics  
Cryptid

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Cryptid
 
 
  Topics Cryptid Topic Home

Cryptid is a term which is used in the pseudoscience of cryptozoology
Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience focused on the search for animals which are considered to be fictional or otherwise nonexistent by mainstream biology....
 to refer to a creature whose existence has been suggested by cryptozoologists but lacks scientific support. This includes purported organisms such as Bigfoot
Bigfoot

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is an alleged ape-like creature purportedly inhabiting forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America....
 and the Chupacabras, as well as extinct
Extinction

In biology and ecology, extinction is the death of every member of a species or group of taxon. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species ....
 species claimed by cryptozoologists to be living today, such as dinosaurs.

term was coined by John E. Wall in a 1983 letter to the International Society of Cryptozoology newsletter.

Evidence for the existence of cryptids is typically limited to anecdotal evidence
Anecdotal evidence

The expression anecdotal evidence has two distinct meanings. Evidence in the form of an anecdote or hearsay is called anecdotal if there is doubt about its veracity: the evidence itself is considered untrustworthy or untrue....
 or other forms of evidence insufficient to withstand normal scientific scrutiny by the general zoological community.

The existence of several cryptids has been debunked through scientific investigation by cryptozoologists, zoologists, and other interested parties.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Cryptid'
Start a new discussion about 'Cryptid'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Cryptid is a term which is used in the pseudoscience of cryptozoology
Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience focused on the search for animals which are considered to be fictional or otherwise nonexistent by mainstream biology....
 to refer to a creature whose existence has been suggested by cryptozoologists but lacks scientific support. This includes purported organisms such as Bigfoot
Bigfoot

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is an alleged ape-like creature purportedly inhabiting forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America....
 and the Chupacabras, as well as extinct
Extinction

In biology and ecology, extinction is the death of every member of a species or group of taxon. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species ....
 species claimed by cryptozoologists to be living today, such as dinosaurs.

Background

The term was coined by John E. Wall in a 1983 letter to the International Society of Cryptozoology newsletter.

Evidence for the existence of cryptids is typically limited to anecdotal evidence
Anecdotal evidence

The expression anecdotal evidence has two distinct meanings. Evidence in the form of an anecdote or hearsay is called anecdotal if there is doubt about its veracity: the evidence itself is considered untrustworthy or untrue....
 or other forms of evidence insufficient to withstand normal scientific scrutiny by the general zoological community.

The existence of several cryptids has been debunked through scientific investigation by cryptozoologists, zoologists, and other interested parties. Some allegations have been exposed as deliberate hoax
Hoax

A hoax is a deliberate attempt to dupe, deceive or deception an audience into believing, or accepting, that something is real, when in fact it is not; or that something is true, when in fact it is false....
es (for example, The Surgeon's Photograph
Loch Ness Monster

The Loch Ness Monster is a creature alleged to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
). Still, cryptozoology is a subject that has made its way into popular culture and often intrigues media consumers, as illustrated by shows like Monster Quest
Monster Quest

Monster Quest is a weekly American documentary television series that premiered on October 31, 2007 on History Channel. The program deals with the search for various cryptozoology creatures and paranormal entities reportedly witnessed around the world....
 and Destination Truth
Destination Truth

Destination Truth is a weekly List of Sci Fi Channel programs that premiered on June 6 2007. The series follows paranormal researcher Joshua Gates around the world to investigate claims of the supernatural, mainly in the field of cryptozoology....
 and The Secret Saturdays
The Secret Saturdays

The Secret Saturdays is an American animated television series created by Canadian cartoonist Jay Stephens for Cartoon Network . It debuted on October 3, 2008 in the United States....
.

Other uses

The term 'cryptid' has also been applied by cryptozoologists to animals whose existence is accepted by the scientific community, but which are considered of interest to cryptozoology, such as the coelacanth
Coelacanth

Coelacanth is the common name for an Order of fish that includes the oldest living Lineage of gnathostomata known to date. The coelacanths, which are related to lungfishes and tetrapods, were believed to have been extinction since the end of the Cretaceous period, until the first Latimeria specimen was found off the east coast of Sout...
, once believed to be extinct, and the okapi
Okapi

The Okapi is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in central Africa....
, at one time thought to be entirely fictitious.

Legendary creatures
List of legendary creatures

This is a list of legendary creatures from various historical mythologies. Its entries include species of legendary creature and unique creatures, but not individuals of a particular species....
 such as the unicorn
Unicorn

A unicorn is a mythological creature. Though the modern popular image of the unicorn is sometimes that of a horse differing only in the Horn on its forehead, the traditional unicorn also has a Goat beard, a lion's tail, and Cloven hoof—these distinguish it from a horse....
 and the dragon
Dragon

File:Ukiyo-e dragon 2.jpgThe dragon is a legendary creature with serpentine shape or otherwise reptilian traits that features in the mythology of many cultures....
 are sometimes described as cryptids, but many cryptozoologists avoid describing them as such.

See also

  • Cryptozoology
    Cryptozoology

    Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience focused on the search for animals which are considered to be fictional or otherwise nonexistent by mainstream biology....
  • List of cryptids
    List of cryptids

    The following is a list of cryptids and relicts, those animals studied under the field of cryptozoology. Their presumptive existence is often derived from anecdotal or other insufficient scientific evidence....
  • List of legendary creatures
    List of legendary creatures

    This is a list of legendary creatures from various historical mythologies. Its entries include species of legendary creature and unique creatures, but not individuals of a particular species....


Footnotes