Cryptozoologist George Eberhart categorized cryptids in ten separate categories:
1. Distribution anomalies – animals spotted in places they otherwise shouldn’t be. E.g. British big cats.
2. Undescribed, unusual, or outsized variations of known species – such as giant anacondas.
3. Survivals of recently extinct species – e.g. the thylacine.
4. Survivals of species known only from the fossil record into modern times – for example, the mokele-rnbernbe (believed to be a living dinosaur).
5. Lingerlings, or survivals of species known from the fossil record much later into historical times than currently thought
6. Animals not known from the fossil record but related to known species – for example, the Andean wolf
7. Animals not known from the fossil record nor related to any known species – such as Bigfoot or Nessie
8. Mythical animals with a zoological basis – such as the griffin, which seems to be based on dinosaur fossils
9. Seemingly paranormal or supernatural entities with some animal-like characteristics – like the Lizard Man or Mothman
10. Known hoaxes or probable misidentifications – such as the jackalope
George M. Eberhart’s ten cryptid categories
Published
Dama Cherepaha 