Today I bring you something I find fascinating…..a closer look at cryptids that science now acknowledges as genuine creatures.
To better understand the field of cryptozoology, we need to recognize the criteria needed for mainstream science to formally identify an animal as a
new species. This process can be long and quite formal, with many scientists refusing to acknowledge the existence of said creature without a body to
George M. Eberhart of the American Library Association, who has written for the Journal of Scientific
Exploration on the difficulties of cataloging media materials about fringe science, classifies ten types of mystery animals under the cryptozoological
1. Distribution anomalies [known animals reported outside their normal range, e.g. the anomalous big cats of the U.K.];
2. Undescribed, unusual, or outsized variations of known species [e.g. the giant anacondas reported from Amazonia or the spotted lions of East
3. Survivals of recently extinct species [e.g. Ivory-billed Woodpecker presumed extinct ca. 1960, or the Steller's Sea Cowpresumed extinct ca. 1770,
both of which are occasionally claimed to have survived to the present];
4. Survivals of species known only from the fossil record into modern times [e.g. the mokele-mbembe of central Africa, sometimes described as a living
5. Lingerlings, or survivals of species known from the fossil record much later into historical times than currently thought [e.g. the woolly mammoth,
presumed extinct ca. 12,000 BCE but occasionally purported surviving into later eras];
6. Animals not known from the fossil record but related to known species [e.g. the Andean wolf or the striped manta-ray reported by William Beebe in
7. Animals not known from the fossil record nor related to any known species [e.g. North America's Bigfoot or most sea serpents];
8. Mythical animals with a zoological basis [e.g. the Griffin, partly inspired by dinosaur fossils of Central Asia];
9. Seemingly paranormal or supernatural entities with some animal-like characteristics [e.g. Mothman, Black Dogs or some fairiesfrom folklore];
10. Known hoaxes or probable misidentifications [e.g. the Jackalope, an antlered rabbit created as a hoax or prank, but possibly inspired by rabbits
infected with Shope papilloma virus, which causes antler-like tumors].
There’s also the concept of “ethnoknown” creatures; basically, animals that are acknowledged as real by local peoples but not formally
identified by science. Many cryptids that later were scientifically verified were known to exist by local people for centuries. In many cases, these
animals have been described by the local people but remained elusive (perhaps due to dwindling numbers?).
So….lets take a look at some real, flesh-and-blood animals once deemed cryptid by mainstream science, shall we?
First up….The Devil Bird of Sir Lanka
n the island country of Sir Lanka in Southeast Asia a strange bird with devil horns and the shriek of a human has been a part of local legends for
generations. The bird, called Ulama by the locals and Devil Bird by visiting westerners, is rarely seen but is often heard in the form of a shrill
shriek that resembles that of a human woman’s scream. The screams are believed by locals to be an omen of death and many folklorists have connected
this legend with the well-known Irish legends of the Banshee.
Then, in 2001, a rare owl that was not known to be indigenous to the area was discovered to inhabit the vast forests of Sir Lanka. This owl has
patches of feathers above its eyes that rise off the head like horns and it emits a screeching sound that is similar to that of a human. It matched
the description of the Ulama perfectly. Picture
Next…The African Unicorn (AKA the Okapi)
Many western explorers came back home from the African Congo with tales that they had heard from local tribes about a rain forest horse that was a mix
between a giraffe and a zebra. Most dismissed these stories as the tall-tales of explorers looking for glory until the 20th century when western
scientists finally recognized this animal’s existence. The strange thing about this animal, though, is that there was evidence for its existence all
around us that we simply ignored. The animal was depicted in the art of the Egyptians and explorers even brought back strange zebra like pelts, but
all of these were disregarded as hoaxes or legends. It was regarded as such a ridiculous myth that westerners coined the term “African Unicorn” to
describe this animal.
Today the Okapi is officially recognized, and is considered to be a living fossil (see cryptid classifications above).
The Duck-Mole (aka the Platypus)
Let’s face it. If someone described a platypus to you, you’d most likely be highly skeptical. And that’s exactly what happened when Westerners
first encountered tales of the Duck-Mole.
Now imagine you are an explorer, just back from Australia trying to describe a new species you discovered that swims like an amphibian, has hair like
a mammal, is poisonous like a reptile, and has a beak and lays eggs like a bird. Odds are you will be laughed at and your discovery would be
considered a hoax and that is pretty much what happened in real life when explorers tried to tell biologists what they seen in Australia. Even when
explorers brought back a stuffed Platypus, some were still insistent that this animal did not exist. It is an animal that just seems to make no sense
The platypus was officially recognized in the 1800s. Good news for Phinneas and Ferb.
Bring out the Kraken! (aka the Giant Squid)
For centuries tales of a giant squid-like creatures attacking ships were written off as the tall-tales of sailors. Large specimens of squid-like
creatures had been obtained in the 1800s but this was not conclusive enough to completely confirm the actually existence of a massive squid. Then, in
the 21st century, live specimens were caught and photographed proving the existence of these creatures that were once regulated to myths and
The Bondegezou of Western Indonesia
The Bondegezou (“man of the forests”) is a legendary, ancestral spirit of the Moni people in Western Indonesia. Described as a tree-dwelling
creature, the Bondegezou resembles a small man covered in black and white fur. It is said to be a tree climber, but often stands on the ground in a
bipedal stance. In the 1980s, a photograph of the Bondegezou was sent to Australian research scientist Tim Flannery, who initially identified the
creature as a young tree kangaroo. But in May, 1994, Flannery conducted a wildlife survey of the area and discovered that the animal in the picture
was new to science. The Dingiso (Dendrolagus mbaiso), as the creature is also known, is a forest-dwelling marsupial with bold coloration that spends
most of its time on the ground. The Dingiso remains a rare sight – the first real evidence of the creature was only skins, and to this day, no
Dingiso exists in captivity.
Continued in next post....
edit on 20-3-2013 by smyleegrl because: (no reason given)