Creatures of Legend

Let's start by going over what exactly a cryptid is. A cryptid is an animal whose existence is unproven. This is not to be confused with a creature of folklore. Something like bigfoot, or the Loch Ness monster, is considered a cryptid due to its elusive nature and legitimate claims to being sighted in nature. Hoaxes are certainly mixed in with these sightings, especially in Nessie's case, but there have been legitimate efforts to search for them and legitimate claims that remain unproven of their existences. Something like a unicorn, or a jackalope (a rabbit with deer antlers) is not a cryptid, as they were commercialized fictional creatures created for stories and merchandizing. While some cryptid stories may originate from misidentifications or myths, others may have roots in real undiscovered species. Until evidence proves otherwise, these creatures remain captivating mysteries of our world. When it comes to these creatures, there's often a lot of fear in the discussion. Contrary to this, there are many cryptids that have a positive perspective to them. One of my favorites being the Fresno Nightcrawlers. These creatures are not known to cause any harm to people and have a rather silly appearance of two legs that walk without a torso.

Some cryptids also originate in older mythology and folklore. The native americans have tales of the thunderbird, which is a massive bird that flaps its wings loudly to create thunder. This is often dismissed as a primitive explanation for thunder during storms, but there are still some sightings that tie into this creature. In 1977, a 10 year old boy named Marlon Lowe was allegedly lifted 30 feet in the air before his mother came outside and chased the bird away. How that mother was able to chase away birds that were 30 feet in the air is beyond me but this is just one of many instances of a thunderbird sighting.