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About This Quiz
Do you know what cryptozoology is? In a nutshell, it's a pseudoscientific discipline that seeks to prove that mythological creatures are real. Many scientists scoff at cryptozoology. Yet there was a point in time when the Komodo dragon, the okapi, the platypus and even the humble gorilla were not considered "real" by the Western scientific community. Needless to say, we all know how that turned out!
Today, both cryptozoologists and scientists believe that the world still holds a number of undiscovered creatures, which cryptozoologists call "cryptids." Some cryptids, like the Trinity Alps giant salamander, may not have been found yet because they're shy, while other cryptids, like the mngwa, may be mutated versions of animals we're already familiar with. But, given that much of the ocean is still unexplored, would we really be surprised if it turns out that the kraken actually exists? (Answer: not really!)
For this cryptid-themed quiz, we've gathered together an assortment of creatures from across many cultures, from the Indonesian ahool to the Canadian wendigo. Do you consider yourself an expert on these mysterious beings? If so, this quiz will test the limits of your learning. We're challenging you to identify 35 cryptids, both well-known and obscure, just from their descriptions. Think you can get a perfect score? Put your knowledge to the test — play this quiz!
The Jersey Devil
Bigfoot
The Wendigo
Dingonek
A huge creature from Western Africa, witnesses have described the dingonek as being 14 to 15 feet long, with a body like a hippo and long, fatal fangs. One eye-witness account of the dingonek was so convincing that it was published in MacLean's magazine.
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Canvey Island Monster
Chupacabra
The Chupacabra's name means "goat-sucker." Throughout Mexico and South America, the chupacabra is notorious for drinking the blood of goats and other livestock, such as chickens. Vaguely reptilian, with a spiked spine, it's said to be the bane of poor farmers.
The Loup-Garou
Dingonek
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Missouri Monster
The Shuck
Grootslang
Yeti
The Yeti (which is also known as the Abominable Snowman) has been a cryptid superstar for generations! A major figure in Tibetan folklore, the Yeti is rumored to be related to a prehistoric ape, the Gigantopithecus.
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Grootslang
Water Hound
Altamaha-ha
Monkey-Man of Delhi
In 2001, a monkey-like creature of unusual size terrorized residents of New Delhi. It had red eyes and, according to some reports, a metal helmet. Although police searched for the Monkey-Man after he reportedly harmed a number of people, he was never found.
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Missouri Monster
Sheepsquatch
Mongolian Death Worm
Tahoe Tessie
A lake monster who lives in California's Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Tessie resembles the Loch Ness monster but is said to be very fast. She has been sighted by the Washoe and Paiute tribes since at least the 19th century. Her last modern sighting was in 2004.
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Akkorokamui
The Bunyip
Aboriginal people across Australia have seen the bunyip, a creature which resembles both a bird and an alligator. Residing in swampy areas, such as marshes and billabongs, the bunyip is said to attack women and children who wander too close to their watery dwellings.
Sheepsquatch
Yeti
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The Mapinguari
Akkorokamui
The Beast of Bladenboro
Would you want to run into a cougar-like vampire cat in the middle of the night? Then don't go to North Carolina's Bladenboro County, where a beast of this description is said to reside. Described as murdering goats and dogs, the Beast of Bladenboro County has been investigated by the TV show MonsterQuest.
Yeren
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Ogopogo
The Wendigo
Monkey-man of Delhi
Mongolian Death Worm
Also known as the Olgoi-Khorkhoi, the Mongolian Death Worm is said to be four feet long, coated in poisonous slime and capable of spitting acid. Cryptozoologists believe that the Death Worm is real but have not been able to find it yet, as its Mongolian desert environment is difficult to explore.
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The Jersey Devil
Emela-Ntouka
The Goatman
Elwetritsch
Imagine a chicken with antlers and scales, and you've got the German Elwetritsch. Cursed with more or less functionless wings, the Elwetritsch lives in the underbrush, much like grouse do. A very similar bird has been spotted in Bavaria.
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The Ozark Howler
Ogopogo
Although its name comes from a 1920s pop song, the Ogopogo is anything but fun. Known to First Nations people as the Naitaka, this long, many-humped sea monster lives in Lake Okanagan in Western Canada. Cryptozoologists think that it may be an ancient whale called the Basilosaurus.
Emela-Ntouka
Mngwa
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Grootslang
The Ozark Howler
Kraken
Akkorokamui
Off the coast of Japan lives the Akkorokamui, a huge sea monster that has been sighted many times. It's said to have giant eyes, but the most repellent aspect of the Akkorokamui is its scent, which observers have described as noxious.
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Missouri Monster
The Jersey Devil
Water Hound
Kraken
Should you be afraid of a giant squid? According to the Scandinavians, the answer to that question is, "Yes!" As Scandinavian legend has it, the kraken lives in the sea between Norway and Greenland, where it murders sailors for fun. Yikes!
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Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Nessie Monster is perhaps the most notorious cryptid of them all. Known affectionately as "Nessie," the Loch Ness Monster dwells in a lake in the Scottish Highlands. A sea serpent with a long neck, Nessie may be related to an extinct carnivorous whale, the bassilosaurus.
Yowie
Filiko Teras
Water Hound
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Filiko Teras
The Wendigo
Yowie
The Yowie is a tall, fanged humanoid Outback cryptid. This creature appears in the mythology of multiple Aboriginal cultures, where it is known by several names, from "Quinkin" to "Jurrawarra." Some cryptozoologists think the Yowie may be a bipedal marsupial.
The Bunyip
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The Mapinguari
Grootslang
Bigfoot
Buru
Long-time residents of the marshes of India's Ziro Valley claim their home used to be teeming with Burus. A huge aquatic reptile that somewhat resembles a Komodo Dragon, Burus supposedly disappeared after the Ziro Valley was drained. Crytozoologists believe that this cryptid may turn out to be a real creature.
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Grootslang
Tatzelwurm
Sheepsquatch
Native to West Virginia, the sheepsquatch looks like a supersized sheep with horns. A number of witnesses have seen it recently, including some campers who spotted it in Appalachia in 2015.
The Loup-Garou
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The Goatman
People in Maryland have long spoken of "The Goatman," a human-goat mutant who menaces the forests around Beltsville, Maryland. Said to be a scientist whose experiments on goats backfired, turned him into an evil and murderous hybrid, The Goatman is probably an urban legend.
Ogopogo
Akkorokamui
Yeti
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Akkorokamui
Chupacabra
The Jersey Devil
You've heard that New Jersey is full of mobsters, but did you know that it also has its own monster? The Jersey Devil is a strange hybrid, combining the wings of a bat with the body of a kangaroo and the head and hooves of a goat. Residing in the Pine Barrens, the Jersey Devil is dangerous, with a terrifying scream.
The Goatman
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An Ahool
Deep in the forests of Java, the ahool makes its home. A bat with a ten-foot wingspan and strong, clawed legs, the ahool is powerful enough to prey on people. Crytozoologists think it may be related to the pterosaur.
Missouri Monster
The Jersey Devil
The Emela-Ntouka
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The Mapinguari
Altamaha-ha
A classic river monster, the Altamaha-ha lives in the Altamaha River, which is located close to Darien, Georgia. First encountered by the Tama Native American tibe, the Altamaha-ha has a sturgeon-like body, but swims like a porpoise. Its snout is described as "crocodile-like."
Kraken
The Bunyip
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A Yowie
A Mongolian Death Worm
An Altamaha-ha
A Tatzelwurm
A German cryptid, the Tatzelwurm is said to resemble a very large lizard. Accounts describe them as being two to five feet long, with dangerous claws on their forearms and no back legs. Called Arassas in France and Stollenwurms in Switzerland, the Tatzelwurm is generally spotted in remote Alpine areas.
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Bigfoot
Grootslang
Chupacabra
The Ozark Howler
Roaming across Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, the Ozark Howler is said to be bad luck (hence its "devil cat" nickname). Black as night and equipped with goat's horns, this bear-like beast chills the blood with its unearthly howl.
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The Shuck
What would you do if a deadly black dog appeared at your Sunday service? In 1577, villagers on the east coast of England were taking shelter from a thunderstorm at church when the Shuck appeared and killed several people. Similar creatures have caused mayhem throughout the U.K., suggesting this beast may be real.
Altamaha-ha
Yeren
Mngwa
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Yowie
The Shuck
Emela-Ntouka
Brosno Dragon
The Brosno Dragon is a fire-breathing lake monster. It's said to live in Western Russia, in Lake Brosno. Although the dragon has been spotted periodically by residents of the area since the 13th century, some believe the dragon to be merely a mutant beaver.
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Bigfoot
Dobhar-Chú
A deadly Irish cryptid, the Dobhar-chú's name means "water hound." Somewhat similar to an otter but much, much larger, the Dobhar-Chú is a freshwater monster that has been known to attack both dogs and humans.
Kraken
Tahoe Tessie
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Ogopogo
Altamaha-ha
Chupacabra
The Wendigo
Associated with cannibalism, the Wendigo is featured in the mythology of First Nations people across Canada. A humanoid, the Wendigo has been described as resembling a lipless ape with a "ghoulish" appearance.
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Missouri Monster
Tahoe Tessie
Steller's Sea Ape
Trinity Alps Giant Salamander
The Trinity Alps Giant Salamander dwells in the mountains of Northern California. Witnesses say that some Trinity Alps Giant Salamanders are nine feet in length! First spotted in the 1920s, both scientists and cryptozoologists are actively searching for this creature.
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Bigfoot
Mngwa
The Loup-Garou
Also known as a Rougarou, the Loup-Garou lives in the Louisiana swamps, where it sometimes stalks humans. In its monster form, it has the head of the wolf and the body of a man. Some Catholics claim this creature murders those of their faith who violate the rules of Lent.
Yeti
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Water Hound
Chupacabra
Dingonek
The Mapinguari
Tall and scaly, the Mapinguari is described by observers as being very frightening! Dwelling in the Brazilian rainforest, this Bigfoot-like monster has the power to put out a terrible scent, like a skunk. Even stranger, it has a second mouth, located in its belly. It was last spotted in 2007.
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The Bunyip
Emela-Ntouka
Unlike many of the cryptids on this list, the Central African Emela-Ntouka is an herbivore. However, if attacked, it's extremely dangerous. Need proof? Its name actually means "elephant killer."
Sheepsquatch
Steller's Sea Ape
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Filiko Teras
A sea creature that lives in Cyprus's Cape Greco, the Filiko Teras's name translates to "Friendly Monster." That's because this giant of the deep has never hurt a human (although it does occasionally shred the nets of fishermen).
Sheepsquatch
Ogopogo
The Mapinguari
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Grootslang
The Beast of Bladenboro
Yeren
A humanoid being in the Bigfoot vein, the Yeren is a very credible cryptid. Hundreds of modern witnesses have spotted this red-haired orangutan-like creature, whose face is said to be extremely human.
Monkey-man of Delhi
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Tatzelwurm
Mngwa
The Mngwa is a big African cat that has been known to attack people. One such outbreak was even documented in the British scientific journal Discovery. The possessor of a grey brindled coat, the Mngwa has much larger tracks than a lion or leopard.
Kraken
Chessie
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Canvey Island Monster
Ahool
Missouri Monster
Skunks ward off predators with their evil stink. And so, apparently, does the Missouri Monster. A humanoid from the forests of Missouri, the Missouri Monster is tall and covered in hair. When threatened, it emits a noxious scent. Oddly enough, it's got a cute nickname: "Momo."
The Loup-Garou
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The Beast of Bladenboro
Elwetritsch
Grootslang
Equipped with the head of an elephant and the body of a tremendously large serpent, the Grootslang (Afrikaans for "Great Snake") is indigenous to the South African desert. Legend has it that these creatures are as old as the earth itself. In 1917, a grootslang was rumored to have murdered a diamond merchant.
The Bunyip
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