Types of Cryptid
New species or sub-species of animals are being discovered everyday.
On land most of these creatures are insects
or even smaller microscopic animals, while the
discovery of any new large mammal, reptile
or bird is very rare. 'Found'
animals are those which have finally been described, usually after a period
of searching. Examples of 'Found' land animals include the Mountain Gorilla,
the
The sea, which is largely unexplored,
has been much more fruitful for the budding
cryptozoologist, with the Megamouth Shark, the Giant Squid and the
Coelocanth. Indeed whole new biospheres were discovered in the late 20th
century.
Cryptids have been
cloassified in a number of ways. Chad Arment uses four large catagories
described in in his book The Search
for Enigmatic Animals. The four catagories are:
 |
Unknown animals that don't match the description of any known species,
living or extinct. |
 |
Animals that are believed to be extinct. |
 |
Populations of animals of a known species, but possessing unexpected
physical characteristics. |
 |
Unusual populations of animal found in unexpected locations. |
Note that, for the most part, these catagories are concerned with populations
of animals and not individuals.
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Common patterns of cryptid >