Cryptids - Sasquatch, the Loch Ness Monster, and the like

[Lensherr]

What are you guys' opinions on the possible existence of cryptids? For those not in the know, the Oxford English Dictionary defines cryptid as "an animal whose existence or survival to the present day is disputed or unsubstantiated". Think animals like Sasquatch, the Chuparcabra, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness Monster. Is there a possibility that any of these mythical beasts actually exist, or is it all just some elaborate hoax?

 

[ICametoLurk]

@cumrobbery

 

[cumrobbery]

I believe that many of them exist. Some very bizarre animals such as the kangaroo were once considered to be cryptids but they are very real. So a few of them probably exist at the very least.

 

[AnOminous]

What are you guys' opinions on the possible existence of cryptids? For those not in the know, the Oxford English Dictionary defines cryptid as "an animal whose existence or survival to the present day is disputed or unsubstantiated". Think animals like Sasquatch, the Chuparcabra, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness Monster. Is there a possibility that any of these mythical beasts actually exist, or is it all just some elaborate hoax?

I don't believe in any of those four, but there certainly have been creatures that were long thought extinct but then turned up very much alive, like the coelacanth. Usually when people say "cryptid" they mean things the very existence of which is generally not believed, though. We always knew that fish had existed at some point.

 

[Cripple]

I believe some can exist, but there's plenty of hoaxes, so proceed with caution. I've never seen one but I have seen possible evidence (inexplicable property damage that invovled bite marks from no known predator in the area in sheet metal).

 

[Kari Kamiya]

I think they had to have existed at one point in order to be remembered in the collective consciousness, even if it's mainly through word of mouth (or photography/video footage in the last century--the Fresno Alien's one of my favorites when it comes to this) as man is prone to boredom and imagination. Some cryptids are most likely just urban legends made manifest and thus why they're popular topics for horror games and movies, but some are more believable than others, I would say. Off the top of my head, the Cadborosaurus willsi? I can believe something like it once existed/still exists. The Tsuchinoko? Not so much.

Something I still wish to believe is that Nessie or something similar was a thing at one point or another despite it being labeled as a hoax these days (though was that ever really confirmed when someone fessed up about it?). Part of it does stem from my love of dinosaurs since it's commonly believed to be a plesiosaur, but I do like to believe something had to have taken a wrong turn and found its way into Loch Ness where it just stayed for the rest of its days.

 

[Sperglord Dante]

Cryptids are bullshit.

Biologist and find species they weren't even looking for all the time. If these animals were real, and considering how much public interest is there on them, we'd more convincing proof of their existence than your redneck cousin swearin' on his mum's grave that he saw big foot once. If the sighings were real, we'd have some big foot falling into a bear trap, or a Chupacabra getting torn by guard dogs.

 

[Intelligent Calcium]

Cryptids are fun. The more well known ones are probably all bullshit, but even then it's interesting to try and figure out where the believe comes from and the crazies who have dedicated their life to hunting Bigfoot or claim to have visited his crystal city make good cows.

 

[TheImportantFart]

My personal take on Cryptids is that while I'm sure there's plenty of strange animals out there that haven't been discovered or some animals we thought were extinct that somehow survived, I don't believe stuff like the Loch Ness Monster exists, fun though it is to imagine that kind of stuff. I'm a sucker for horror stories and creepypastas, so while I don't think creatures like the Chupacabra or Bigfoot exist, the stories are the kind of thing I'll lap up.

That said, there are some extinct animals I'm actually quite relieved aren't around today. You ever heard of Megalodon? Basically, imagine a Great White Shark four times larger than the largest Great White that's ever been found.

Seriously, imagine being out scuba diving and running into that. It's bad enough when you bump into a Great White.

 

[Lokamayadon]

Cryptids are bullshit.

Biologist and find species they weren't even looking for all the time. If these animals were real, and considering how much public interest is there on them, we'd more convincing proof of their existence than your redneck cousin swearin' on his mum's grave that he saw big foot once. If the sighings were real, we'd have some big foot falling into a bear trap, or a Chupacabra getting torn by guard dogs.

Well, giant cephalopods were considered cryptids, the legendary krakens are directly inspired by them for example.
Most cryptids are probably fake and people (not even only stupid or crazy ones) only believe having seen them because they have seen something and heard about this kind of rumors.
A few are certainly inspired by real elusive animals in not very well explored environements like the ocean, jungles,ect...

 

[Fareal]

NESSIE IS OBVIOUSLY REAL

 

[Cripple]

One of tbe cryptids that interests me is the Japanese ningen. I personally think it's an unknown white Antarctic whale over an unknown humanoid. A lot of unidentified sounds come from the ocean and could easily be from unknown species.

 

[AnOminous]

Seriously, imagine being out scuba diving and running into that. It's bad enough when you bump into a Great White.

Part of why most sharks don't eat humans is we're not only not on their usual menu because of being on land, but we're also too large to guarantee an easy kill. Most shark attacks on humans are a mistake. If you were bite-sized compared to a shark they'd totally eat the fuck out of you, though.

 

[XYZpdq]

I can believe "big hairy hominids in the woods Bigfoot" more than "interdimensional traveler and friend to the UFOs Bigfoot".

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

Behold, the mythical two-headed hound... born with only one head!

Spoiler

 

[Guy With Shit Opinions]

This may sound autistic, but I always assumed that the Yeti may have been the missing link in the evolutionary line between apes and humans and that's why tales of them exist.

It would also explain the Yeti's love of the Himalayas, because in that timeframe of the missing link we would've experienced the ice age, making Yetis the prime adaptation to survive such harsh environments that only exist today in those areas.

 

[Big Nasty]

Bigfoot is definitely my favorite cryptid. I don't think that sasquatches exist in real life, though. I'm more of a bigfoot fan than a bigfoot believer. I think most reported sightings has to do with someone catching a glimpse of a bear in the woods. Bigfoot sightings seems to occur only in bear habitats.

I've taken a good look at the Patterson-Gimlin film, and to my eyes, it looks like someone wearing a jacket- and pants type costume,

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

I remember when I was a kid in the 90s, local news ran a few pieces about a mysterious new species of large cat in the area, colored as dark as midnight. Rural folk got scared because no one knew anything about where it came from or what it might do. After some actual investigation it turned out it was just black cougars, probably one specific specimen who strayed too close to a farm and spooked some people. Minnesota has wild cougars and melanism (way too much pigment that turns their fur and everything pitch-black) is a very common genetic condition for the species so it was obviously a slow news day.

Also in the 90s, local news ran a few pieces about a strange new animal reported by some folks who thought it was a cross between a rat and a squirrel; the papers called it a "sqrat". Turned out it was just a black squirrel with the same melanism condition as the cougar. The twin cities are as full of squirrels as any other city and I know several locations where almost all the squirrels are black because it's a dominant gene in every mating.

Should've realized the scourge that was fake news back then.

 

[ulsterscotsman]

I've got a few books o Bigfoot and stuff like that.
Personally I kinda do believe that things like Bigfoot (Sasquatch), Yeti , Yeren, Yowie, Orang Pendek and Almas ect could exist.

 

[Alec Benson Leary]

Personally I kinda do believe that things like Bigfoot (Sasquatch), Yeti , Yeren, Yowie, Orang Pendek and Almas ect could exist.

I wonder if there's any credence to old bigfoot mythologies because of homo sapiens' relationship with gigantopithecus? Evolutionarily speaking, they didn't go extinct all that long ago.