Cryptids - Revision history

GaryJJSpate at 23:43, 3 August 2026

2026-08-03T23:43:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:43, 3 August 2026
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	'''Cryptids''' are animals whose existence is not recognised by mainstream zoology, but which are reported in eyewitness sightings, local legend, or both. The study and pursuit of such creatures is known as ''cryptozoology'', from the Greek for "hidden animal study." Cryptozoology is ~~considered~~ a pseudoscience by the mainstream scientific community, since it does not follow standard zoological method and its evidence base is generally eyewitness testimony and folklore rather than physical specimens.		{{tick}}
			'''Cryptids''' are animals whose existence is not recognised by mainstream zoology, but which are reported in eyewitness sightings, local legend, or both. The study and pursuit of such creatures is known as ''cryptozoology'', from the Greek for "hidden animal study." Cryptozoology is generally regarded as a pseudoscience by the mainstream scientific community, since it does not follow standard zoological method and its evidence base is generally eyewitness testimony and folklore rather than physical specimens.<ref name="handwiki">{{cite web \|title=Cryptozoology \|url=https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biology:Cryptozoology \|publisher=HandWiki}}</ref>

	The term "cryptid" itself is comparatively recent, coined ~~in 1983~~ by ~~cryptozoology researcher~~ John E. Wall. The field of cryptozoology as an organised pursuit is usually traced to the 1950s and the work of zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans and naturalist Ivan T. Sanderson.		The term "cryptid" itself is comparatively recent: it was coined by John E. Wall of Manitoba in a letter published in the Summer 1983 issue of the newsletter of the International Society of Cryptozoology, proposed as a neutral replacement for sensational terms like "monster."<ref name="cryptomundo">{{cite web \|title=Cryptozoology, Cryptid and Hominology \|url=https://cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/cryptozooterms/ \|publisher=Cryptomundo}}</ref> The field of cryptozoology as an organised pursuit is usually traced to the 1950s and the work of zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans and naturalist Ivan T. Sanderson, though Heuvelmans himself credited Sanderson with coining the term "cryptozoology" itself, and traced the discipline's scholarly roots back further still to Anthonie Cornelis Oudemans' 1892 study of sea-serpent reports.<ref name="wikipedia-crypto">{{cite web \|title=Cryptozoology \|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptozoology \|publisher=Wikipedia}}</ref>

	== Types of cryptid ==		== Types of cryptid ==
	Cryptozoologists generally group reported cryptids into a few broad categories:		Cryptozoologists generally group reported cryptids into a few broad categories:

	* '''Lake and sea monsters''' — large aquatic creatures reported in a specific body of water, most famously the Loch Ness Monster, first tied to local legend as early as the 6th century and reported in its modern form since the 1930s		* '''Lake and sea monsters''' — large aquatic creatures reported in a specific body of water, most famously the Loch Ness Monster, first tied to local legend as early as the 6th century and reported in its modern form since the 1930s
	* '''Humanoid or ape-like figures''' — large, hair-covered bipedal creatures reported in remote or wooded areas, such as Bigfoot in North America		* '''Humanoid or ape-like figures''' — large, hair-covered bipedal creatures reported in remote or wooded areas, such as Bigfoot in North America
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	== Relationship to folklore ==		== Relationship to folklore ==
	Cryptid reports and local folklore are closely intertwined — many cryptid sightings are reported specifically because they match, or are interpreted through, an existing local legend, and a persistent legend can itself generate further sightings over time. This is why this branch of The Vault ~~is filed as [[:Category:Cryptids and Folklore\|Cryptids and Folklore]]~~ rather than splitting ~~the two~~ apart.		Cryptid reports and local folklore are closely intertwined — many cryptid sightings are reported specifically because they match, or are interpreted through, an existing local legend, and a persistent legend can itself generate further sightings over time. This is why this branch of The Vault covers both together rather than splitting them apart.

	== Scientific perspective ==		== Scientific perspective ==
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	== Related concepts ==		== Related concepts ==
	* [[:Category:~~Cryptids and Folklore~~\|~~Cryptids and Folklore~~]], the category this page introduces		* [[:Category:Cryptozoology\|Cryptozoology]], the category this page introduces
	* [[Parapsychology]], a related but distinct field concerned with psychic rather than zoological claims		* [[Parapsychology]], a related but distinct field concerned with psychic rather than zoological claims

	[[Category:~~Cryptids and Folklore~~]]		== References ==
			{{Reflist}}

			== External links ==
			* [https://cryptozoologymuseum.com/what-is-cryptozoology/ International Cryptozoology Museum — What is Cryptozoology?]
			* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptozoology Wikipedia — Cryptozoology]

			[[Category:Cryptozoology]]

GaryJJSpate at 23:41, 3 August 2026

2026-08-03T23:41:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:41, 3 August 2026
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	{{~~PhenomenonInfobox~~		{{InfoboxPhenomenon
	\|name=Cryptids		\|name=Cryptids
	\|type=Cryptozoological claim		\|type=Cryptozoological claim

GaryJJSpate: Created page with "{{PhenomenonInfobox |name=Cryptids |type=Cryptozoological claim |field=Cryptozoology |also_known_as=Cryptozoology (the associated field of study) |notable_case=Loch Ness Monster |status=Unverified — not recognised by mainstream zoology }} '''Cryptids''' are animals whose existence is not recognised by mainstream zoology, but which are reported in eyewitness sightings, local legend, or both. The study and pursuit of such creatures is known as ''cryptozoology'', from th..."

2026-07-22T01:23:45Z

Created page with "{{PhenomenonInfobox |name=Cryptids |type=Cryptozoological claim |field=Cryptozoology |also_known_as=Cryptozoology (the associated field of study) |notable_case=Loch Ness Monster |status=Unverified — not recognised by mainstream zoology }} '''Cryptids''' are animals whose existence is not recognised by mainstream zoology, but which are reported in eyewitness sightings, local legend, or both. The study and pursuit of such creatures is known as ''cryptozoology'', from th..."

New page

{{PhenomenonInfobox
|name=Cryptids
|type=Cryptozoological claim
|field=Cryptozoology
|also_known_as=Cryptozoology (the associated field of study)
|notable_case=Loch Ness Monster
|status=Unverified — not recognised by mainstream zoology
}}

'''Cryptids''' are animals whose existence is not recognised by mainstream zoology, but which are reported in eyewitness sightings, local legend, or both. The study and pursuit of such creatures is known as ''cryptozoology'', from the Greek for "hidden animal study." Cryptozoology is considered a pseudoscience by the mainstream scientific community, since it does not follow standard zoological method and its evidence base is generally eyewitness testimony and folklore rather than physical specimens.

The term "cryptid" itself is comparatively recent, coined in 1983 by cryptozoology researcher John E. Wall. The field of cryptozoology as an organised pursuit is usually traced to the 1950s and the work of zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans and naturalist Ivan T. Sanderson.

== Types of cryptid ==
Cryptozoologists generally group reported cryptids into a few broad categories:

* '''Lake and sea monsters''' — large aquatic creatures reported in a specific body of water, most famously the Loch Ness Monster, first tied to local legend as early as the 6th century and reported in its modern form since the 1930s
* '''Humanoid or ape-like figures''' — large, hair-covered bipedal creatures reported in remote or wooded areas, such as Bigfoot in North America
* '''Out-of-place animals''' — known species reported well outside their expected range, most notably "Alien Big Cats" (ABCs): sightings of large cats such as pumas or black leopards in the British countryside, far from any recognised wild population
* '''Cryptid folklore figures''' — creatures whose reports are inseparable from a specific local legend, rather than a general "type," and which are documented on The Vault case by case rather than as a category of animal

== Relationship to folklore ==
Cryptid reports and local folklore are closely intertwined — many cryptid sightings are reported specifically because they match, or are interpreted through, an existing local legend, and a persistent legend can itself generate further sightings over time. This is why this branch of The Vault is filed as [[:Category:Cryptids and Folklore|Cryptids and Folklore]] rather than splitting the two apart.

== Scientific perspective ==
Mainstream scientists who have examined cryptozoology's central claims point to several recurring problems: a viable, breeding population of any large animal would be very difficult to conceal entirely from scientific detection over long periods; many claimed habitats (such as the depths of Scottish lochs) are geologically inconsistent with a creature's claimed origins; and the great majority of specific photographic or physical "evidence" put forward over the decades has been identified as misidentification, natural phenomena, or outright hoax.

== Related concepts ==
* [[:Category:Cryptids and Folklore|Cryptids and Folklore]], the category this page introduces
* [[Parapsychology]], a related but distinct field concerned with psychic rather than zoological claims

[[Category:Cryptids and Folklore]]