Cryptids are creatures thought by some to exist, but whose presence has never been substantiated by modern science. The evidence for their existence is either scant, debated, or in some cases, entirely fraudulent. But cryptids and their legends frequently make their way into all sorts of fictional worlds, where they are often very real. The possibility of some strange creature, unknown to science, lurking in the remote areas of the globe makes for a compelling tale.

Abomidable Snowman: See Yeti

Barmanou: A bipedal ape found in the Middle East

Batboy: A hybrid between a bat and a boy

Beast of Bodmin Moor: A large cat-like creature found in Cornwall, England

Beast of Exmoor: A large cat-like creature found in England

Bigfoot: See Sasquatch

British Big Cat: A large cat-like creature found in the wilds of Britain

Brosno Dragon: A dragon-like lake monster found in Lake Brosno, Russia

Cadborosaurus: A sea serpent found on the Pacific coast of the United States

Caddy: See Cadborosaurus

Champ: See Champtanystropheus americanus

Champtanystropheus americanus: A lake monster found in Lake Champlain between New York and Vermont in the United States

Chupacabra: A creature from Mexican folklore which sucks the blood from goats, sheep, and cows during the night

Dobhar-chú: An otter that is either part dog or part fish which can be found in Ireland

Giant Squid: See Kraken

Issie: A sauropod-like creature which resides in Lake Ikeda in Japan

Jackalope: A creature from the American West with the body of a rabbit and the antlers of a deer

Jersey Devil: A winged horse found in New Jersey, United States

Kraken: A giant squid large enough to pull ships into the depths of the seas

Kussie: A sauropod-like creature which resides in Lake Kussharo in Japan

Loch Ness Monster: A serpent-like or plesiosaur-like creature which inhabits the Loch Ness of the Scottish Highlands

Loveland Frog: A hybrid between a man and a frog found in Loveland, Ohio, United States

Mermaid: Half-fish(lower), half human (upper) creature that lives in the sea

Minhocão: A large fish or worm found in Brazil

Mokele-mbembe: An elephant-sized sauropod that inhabits the Congo river basin

Mongolian Death Worm: A worm-like creature found in the Gobi desert

Mothman: A creature half man, half moth found in West Virginia, United States

Nessi: See Loch Ness Monster

Sasquatch: A bipedel ape-like creature which lives in the deep forests of the United States

Sea Serpent: A large serpent found in the waters of the ocean

Skunk Ape: A primate found in Florida of the United States

Thunderbird: A giant bird of Native American folklore

Yeren: A primate or wild man found in China

Yeti: A bipedal ape-like creature which inhabits the snowy mountains of Tibet.

While some cryptids are well known, often fictional worlds will feature their own versions of local cryptids.