Cryptids... Reality? Or Myth?

[Sylph]

Hey guys, I was doing random googling as usual (I'm like Hermione Granger here :p) and came across an extremely interesting topic. The creature(s) are called Cryptids and the study of such creatures (or plants), is Cryptozoology (Cryptobotany for plants).
-This is a combination of Paranormal/Animal/Science, but I put it here-

What is a Cryptid you may ask? Well here's what it is.

A Cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland.

We've all heard of them. (Just a few)

Yeti of the Himalaya Mountains
Loch Ness Monster in Scotland
Yowie-Whowie in Austrailia
Big Foot in North America
Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia

They've been sighted in areas where humans never normally inhabited/inhabit and majority of their sightings are in times when technology was just budding, which can either mean that, they we just figments of the imaginations of people who did not know any better or were/are actually real and intelligent enough to know not to come into contact with us, or else their own survival was at stake.

But these Cryptids are what people call myths and legends, due to their outrageous properties and their inability to go and see them. People don't believe it, until they see it right? But, they aren't the only Cryptids that have been speculated and discovered.

Such creatures as;

The Coelacanth -
Coelacanths belong to the subclass Actinistia, a group of lobed-finned fish that are related to lungfish and other extinct Devonian fish such as osteolepiforms, porolepiforms, rhizodonts, and Panderichthys. Coelacanths were thought to have gone extinct in the Late Cretaceous, but were rediscovered in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.

Latimeria chalumnae and the Latimeria menadoensis are the only two living coelacanth species, which are found along the coastlines of the Indian Ocean. The coelacanth has been nicknamed a “living fossil”, because it originally was known only through fossils, long before the first discovery of a live specimen. The coelacanth is thought to have evolved into roughly its current form approximately 400 million years ago.

Coelacanths are a part of the clade Sarcopterygii, or the lobe-finned fishes. Externally, there are several characteristics that distinguish the coelacanth from other lobe-finned fish. They possess a three-lobed caudal fin, also called a trilobate fin. A secondary tail that goes along and extends past the primary tail separates the upper and lower halves of the coelacanth.

Cosmoid scales act as thick armor that protects the exterior of the coelacanth. There also are several internal traits that aid in differentiating coelacanths from other lobe-finned fish. At the back of the skull, the coelacanth possesses a hinge, the intracranial joint, which allows it to open its mouth extremely widely.



These fish were a Cameo in the popular Pokemon Series as "Relicanth", an acient rock fish type Pokemon.

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. Although the okapi bears striped markings reminiscent of zebras, it is most closely related to the giraffe.

The animal was brought to prominent European attention by speculation on its existence found in popular press reports covering Henry Morton Stanley's journeys in 1887. Remains of a carcass were later sent to London by the English adventurer and colonial administrator Harry Johnston and became a media event in 1901. Today there are approximately 10,000–20,000 in the wild and as of 2011, 42 different institutions display them worldwide.

~

And back to our "mythological" Cryptids

Yeti-
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology. Stories of the Yeti first emerged as a facet of Western popular culture in the 19th century.

The scientific community generally regards the Yeti as a legend, given the lack of conclusive evidence, yet it remains one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology. The Yeti may be considered a sort of parallel to the Bigfoot of North America.

Loch Ness Monster-
Is a cryptid that is reputed 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. Popular interest and belief in the animal has varied since it was brought to the world's attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with minimal and much-disputed photographic material and sonar readings.

The most common speculation among believers is that the creature represents a line of long-surviving plesiosaurs. The scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as a modern-day myth, and explains sightings as a mix of hoaxes and wishful thinking. Despite this, it remains one of the most famous examples of cryptozoology. The legendary monster has been affectionately referred to by the nickname Nessie since the 1950s.


Yowie-
Yowie is the term for an unidentified hominid reputed to lurk in the Australian wilderness. It is an Australian cryptid similar to the Himalayan Yeti and the North American Bigfoot.

The origins of the yowie (also "Yowie-Whowie" and yahoo) may lie in a mythological character in native Australian Aboriginal folklore. This creature's characteristics and legend are sometimes interchangeable with those of the bunyip. According to some writers, reports of yowie-type creatures are common in the legends and stories of Australian Aboriginal tribes, particularly those of the eastern states of Australia.


Mothman-
Mothman is a legendary creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area of West Virginia from 15 November 1966 to 15 December 1967. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register dated 16 November 1966, entitled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something".

Mothman was introduced to a wider audience by Gray Barker in 1970, later popularized by John Keel in his 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies, claiming that Mothman was related to a wide array of supernatural events in the area and the collapse of the Silver Bridge. The 2002 film The Mothman Prophecies, starring Richard Gere, was based on Keel's book.

On Nov. 15, 1966, two young couples from Point Pleasant, Roger and Linda Scarberry, and Steve and Mary Mallette told police they saw a large white creature whose eyes "glowed red" when the car headlights picked it up. They described it as a "flying man with ten foot wings" following their car while they were driving in an area of town known as 'the TNT area', the site of a former World War II munitions plant.

During the next few days, other people reported similar sightings. Two volunteer firemen who sighted it said it was a "large bird with red eyes". Mason County Sheriff George Johnson commented that he believed the sightings were due to an unusually large heron he termed a "shitepoke". Contractor Newell Partridge told Johnson that when he aimed a flashlight at a creature in a nearby field its eyes glowed "like bicycle reflectors", and blamed buzzing noises from his television set and the disappearance of his German Shepherd dog on the creature.

Wildlife biologist Dr. Robert L. Smith at West Virginia University told reporters that descriptions and sightings all fit the Sandhill Crane, a large American crane almost as high as a man with a seven foot wingspan featuring circles of reddish coloring around the eyes, and that the bird may have wandered out of its migration route.

There were no Mothman reports in the immediate aftermath of the December 15, 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge and the death of 46 people, giving rise to legends that the Mothman sightings and the bridge collapse were connected.




There are also plants thought to be amazing Cryptids, such as man-eating plants and plants that actually move about unlike other plants.

The Venus Fly Trap was thought to be a Cryptid, due to it's once rarity and amazing ability to move and entrap insects. They believe there is a much larger version, that is capable of devouring a large beast or even a man.
~
All those "dissapearances" and people going out into the woods and not coming back... could it be their simple ineptitude at navigating, or is it something different? Something that people refuse to believe is true, because they are scared that we may not be alone in this world and are not the only creatures capable of intelligence on a sentient level.

What do you believe? These aren't the only Cryptids, as there are many more, but these are the most prevalent and the most "famous" .
~

Okay I'm back . What happened? *looks up* Eek!! :o , who wrote all of that? Something strange is going on. Tell me what you guys think :3 *looks over my shoulder* Quickly...

[Nick9]

LOL Odi, stop looking over your shoulder.

It's funny that latimeria and mothman are together in one category :biggrin:

I want to google those plants though. I don't believe in large man-eating plants, but I am curious what other plants might be there.
As for the Yetti, I tend to not believe in this. I think that there would have to be a large group of them, so that they could survive thousands of years.

There is also supposed to be a large worm in Mongolia, isn't it?

What I do believe in is so called third man factor (lonely people in extreme situations seeing another "ghost" person.)

http://www.amazon.com/Third-Man-Factor-S...748&sr=8-2

[Sylph]

LOL Odi, stop looking over your shoulder.

It's funny that latimeria and mothman are together in one category :biggrin:

I want to google those plants though. I don't believe in large man-eating plants, but I am curious what other plants might be there.
As for the Yetti, I tend to not believe in this. I think that there would have to be a large group of them, so that they could survive thousands of years.

There is also supposed to be a large worm in Mongolia, isn't it?

What I do believe in is so called third man factor (lonely people in extreme situations seeing another "ghost" person.)

http://www.amazon.com/Third-Man-Factor-S...748&sr=8-2

I can't help it Nick, there's a man standing behind me, and he looks scary

Yeah, The Coelacanth was thought to be something that couldn't exist, because of it's primitive qualities, compared to today's fish. It's scales are supposed to be like rock.

As for the Yetis, it's somewhat plausable. There are a few species of whales capable of living over 300yrs and plus, so much of the world is un-explored, it wouldn't surprise me if they found a remote place to colonize. But no one really knows.

I've never heard of this worm in Mongolia, gonna google it though :p .

That's very interesting about the "Third man factor", never knew it had a name. I also believe in this, because I've heard of a man who was struck by lightining and claimed to have seen "people" who were not actually people walking around.

Very interesting stuff

[pellaz]

gay republican in closet


rare open day light shot of same:

[Inchante]

In answer to your question, do I believe in cryptids,my answer is yes and no. At one point the panda was considered a mythical beast and, as you mention, the Coelacanth was thought to be extinct. Yet, I would say that most cryptids, especially the outlandish examples, are not real. We humans are prone to magical thinking which creates all kinds of monsters and beasts. However, I think that there are many species of plants and animals that we have yet to discover or to prove the existence of.


Here are a couple of cryptids you missed.

The chupacabras[1] (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃupaˈkaβɾas], from chupar "to suck" and cabra "goat", literally "goat sucker") is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico (where these sightings were first reported), Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities.[2] The name comes from the animal's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats.



The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many different variations. The Jersey Devil has worked its way into the pop culture of the area, even lending its name to New Jersey's team in the National Hockey League.

[Nick9]

pellaz

the first picture... :biggrin:

and the other one... I am really glad we don't have those aliens in our streets

Odi,
we had learned about latimeria in the elementary school. But to have it here together with such a (...) as a Mothman... LOL Sorry, but I can't believe in him, not for a second.

and that worm...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_death_worm

[Sylph]

In answer to your question, do I believe in cryptids,my answer is yes and no. At one point the panda was considered a mythical beast and, as you mention, the Coelacanth was thought to be extinct. Yet, I would say that most cryptids, especially the outlandish examples, are not real. We humans are prone to magical thinking which creates all kinds of monsters and beasts. However, I think that there are many species of plants and animals that we have yet to discover or to prove the existence of.


Here are a couple of cryptids you missed.

The chupacabras[1] (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃupaˈkaβɾas], from chupar "to suck" and cabra "goat", literally "goat sucker") is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico (where these sightings were first reported), Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities.[2] The name comes from the animal's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats.



The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many different variations. The Jersey Devil has worked its way into the pop culture of the area, even lending its name to New Jersey's team in the National Hockey League.

I agree, certain creatures like the Mothman and Werewolves and what not are very unlikely to exist, but I won't rule them out, just because I haven't seen them. I always give the benefit of the doubt, but again it's probably unlikely.

Creatures such as the Yeti, Yowie and Big Foot to me could probably just be a variation of when man was still transitioning into human. Remember the remains of "Lucy"?


Also the man who is covered in hair, due to a condition of his glands that control hair growth, never turning off; Hypertrichosis? A symptom found in primitive humans and apes.

It could be cases like this that give us the notion of wild men(and women) living in remote areas, since we do not see them everyday.

To me, the Chupacabra could possibly exist, but maybe as an unidentified animal, as it's not outside the realm of possibilities and rationlism.

The Jersey Devil on the other hand seems kind of fictious, as they say it was born because the mother done something horrible to her children or wished her children away, and while pregnant, the baby then became the Jersey Devil, killing his siblings and mother. This seems kind of fishy, but again, I won't rule it out completely. Myths and Legends have to come from somewhere. They also say the whole bloodline of that family is cursed and that he haunts his family, even in the most recent family members today.

[Sylph]

Odi,
we had learned about latimeria in the elementary school. But to have it here together with such a (...) as a Mothman... LOL Sorry, but I can't believe in him, not for a second.

and that worm...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_death_worm

I've never heard of the Coelacanth (Latimeria Chulumnae) before this. It's not something that's common here, as our fishermen don't catch it and our scientists don't study it. But it's realtionship to the Mothman, is merely the fact that at one point, both were thought to be inconceivable. A fish that is over 400million years old, that is basically a swimming rock with a mouth, still living today? And a 6ft man with 10ftwings and glowing red eyes flying around West Virginia supposedly?

But the Coelacanth was discovered and identified, where as the Mothman hasn't and probably never will, but both were still in the same boat. The Mothman is still considered a Cryptid, while the Coelacanth was a Cryptid, as it is now provable by science.

I don't think the Mothman can be real, but they said the same thing about the Coelacanth at one point.

[Inchante]

I agree, certain creatures like the Mothman and Werewolves and what not are very unlikely to exist, but I won't rule them out, just because I haven't seen them. I always give the benefit of the doubt, but again it's probably unlikely.

Creatures such as the Yeti, Yowie and Big Foot to me could probably just be a variation of when man was still transitioning into human. Remember the remains of "Lucy"?


Also the man who is covered in hair, due to a condition of his glands that control hair growth, never turning off; Hypertrichosis? A symptom found in primitive humans and apes.

It could be cases like this that give us the notion of wild men(and women) living in remote areas, since we do not see them everyday.

I am familiar with the theories that say the Yeti and the Sasquatch could be extent examples of early hominids or even gigantopithecus. But you have to realize, at least with the case of Sasquatch, that it would be nearly impossible for such a large animal to hide anyplace in the United States. Yes, it is a large country, but it is also a very populated country that has been well explored, and when you add in the fact that ALL hominid species and primates are gregarious (live in groups) the likely hood that such a group (and several groups would be needed to maintain a viable population) could survive undiscovered is rather unrealistic.

As far as people with hypertrichosis, those people do not live alone in the wilds of Oregon and Washington. They live with us as a part of our society.

Edit: So, I guess I have a hard time believing that such animals could exist without scientists proving their existence.

[Nick9]

I remember having a picture of latimeria in our textbook.
For me, there are some differences between latimeria and the Mothman.

We had an evidence that once there was a fish like that. I don't think we have that in the Mothman case. I would rule out Ikaros
Scientists gave us a believable explanation - the Sandhill Crane.

We have a mountain lion wandering around almost every year :biggrin: Many are reported to see it, but it was never recognized as a true story. Or country is densely populated and it is impossible for an animal like this wandering around without being captured. But every time there is this story in newspapers. So... :biggrin:

But, I've heard about an entire tribe being "discovered" in South America (I hope I remember the location correctly) several years ago.