Have you always been curious about Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Yeti—or have you sighted one of these creatures yourself? Read on to learn all about the coolest cryptids in history. Cryptids are creatures that some people claim exist, but whose presence has never been definitively proven. That hasn’t stopped them from being discussed like they’re real, with many people around the world absolutely convinced. Who knows the truth? Whether they exist or not, we’re still fascinated by these frightening and mysterious creatures.

Bigfoot

Bigfoot sightings have been reported since the 1800s. Described as a tall, large, human-like animal covered in fur, Bigfoot has captivated public attention and continues to do so to this day. Animal Planet ran a show called Finding Bigfoot, and there are even groups like the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization tracking sightings. Still, despite numerous sightings from people who swear they’ve seen Bigfoot, the creature’s existence hasn’t been proven.

There are also regional versions of this cryptic, such as the Skunk Ape, which some call Florida’s Bigfoot, a smelly creature, hence its name. The Skunk Ape’s existence also hasn’t been proven, but there’s even a Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee run by a father and son, Dave and Jack Shealy, who are ardent believers. Jack Shealy, who believes there are 7-9 Skunk Apes living in the Everglades, told CBS Miami “an average male Skunk Ape reportedly stands 8 feet tall and weighs roughly 450 lbs. Females are smaller. Both are covered in long, reddish or black hair, similar to an Orangutan or Gorilla. They stand upright on two legs.”

Sasquatch

Sasquatch, sometimes used interchangeably with Bigfoot, is also a large human-shaped creature, but they are separate beings of myth. Sasquatch comes from a Halkomelem word meaning “wild man,” used by the Coast Salish people, according to Newsweek. Sasquatch sightings have been reported most highly in the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Loch Ness Monster

Also known as Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster is a marine creature of Scottish folklore whose name comes from Loch Ness, Scotland. According to Britannica, reports of the Loch Ness monster go back as far as ancient times. PBS notes that the interest in the Loch Ness Monster ramped up in 1933 after a sighting of “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface.” In 1957, a local doctor, Constance Whyte, published a book entitled More than a Legend, featuring firsthand accounts of sightings and drawings.

Yeti

Also known as the Abominable Snowman due to its white fur, the Yeti is a big, apelike creature thought to have been sighted in the Himalayas. Britannica suggests that the footprints that many have said came from the Yeti can most likely be attributable to bears. Amazingly, belief in the Yeti has been so strong at points in history that in 1959, “the US State Department created rules on how one was to behave in its presence.” According to LiveScience, Sir Edmund Hillary searched for evidence of the Yeti in 1960 when he was the first man to scale Mt. Everest, and even claimed to have found a Yeti scalp, but that was later found to be from “a serow, a Himalayan animal similar to a goat.”

Jersey Devil

The Jersey Devil is a cryptid local to New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. The creature is said to live in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens region. The Jersey Devil is thought to be a flying biped with hooves, and is also sometimes called the Leeds Devil. According to Atlantic County, New Jersey, sightings of the Jersey Devil have been reported for over 250 years; the brother of Napoleon Bonaparte was reported to have seen the creature. During one week in 1909, there were even thirty different sightings! The creature’s popularity reached such heights that a $250,000 reward was offered in 1960 for the Jersey Devil’s capture.

Chupacabra

The chupacabra is thought to be a dangerous creature that sucks the blood of animals. The legendary cryptid’s name derives from Spanish words translating to “goat-sucker.” Its description has ranged from being two-legged to four-legged, sometimes with lizardlike skin, sometimes with fur, and sometimes even looking like an alien. Popular in Latin American culture, the chupacabra was first reported in 1995 in Puerto Rico. The chupacabra has become a part of pop culture, with shows like Chupacabra: Dark Series and Netflix’s 2023 series Chupa,  as well as the video game Chupacabra: Night Hunt. The American Museum of Natural History reports, “In some places, the chupacabra is a mysterious predator lurking in the forest; in others, it is a sensational, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, media creation.”

Mothman

Mothman is a cryptid whose origins are said to be in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1966. It’s described by Folklife as a “bipedal, humanoid, mothlike creature with glowing eyes” and has captured the public imagination, inspiring the 2002 film The Mothman Prophecies. There’s even an annual Mothman Festival held annually the third weekend of September to commemorate the original sighting. National Audubon Society suggests that the flying creature was actually an owl.

Keep following the Spirit Halloween blog for news about all sorts of creatures, real and imagined!