“Cryptid” is derived from the Greek kryptos, meaning “hidden,” and ides, meaning “in a sense.” The term applies to any type of unknown animal for which only testimonial and circumstantial evidence is available, or material evidence is considered insufficient by mainstream zoology.
There are 3 main categories of cryptids. The first category consists of populations of animals being witnessed in the wild in places they are not supposed to live, such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor, which is a North American puma seen roaming the country side of Britain, and the Trinity Alps Giant Salamander, an apparent subspecies of the giant Asian salamander, but reported out of the mountains of California.
The second category consists of animals believed to be extinct, but are still seen in modern times. This includes the Megalodon, the giant shark of the prehistoric seas popping up in the oceans off New Zealand, the Saber-Toothed Cats stalking the cloud forests of South America, and the Thylacine still being reported out of Australia, despite the last known specimen dying in a zoo in 1938.
The third category are genuine mystery animals that have no obvious correlation to any known species. This category includes some of the most famous and legendary cryptids, like Canada’s wild ape-man Sasquatch, Scotland’s notorious lake creature the Loch Ness Monster, and Puerto Rico’s blood-drinking terror the Chupacabra.