#cryptids — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #cryptids, aggregated by home.social.
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Looks like I haven't posted the finished thing yet!
Here's the finished postcard!
#Illustration #Drawing #Krita #Creature #Creatures #CryptoZoology #CryptoFauna #Cryptid #Cryptids #Postcard
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Witness Reports Bigfoot Sighting During Fourth of July Weekend in Connecticut
📰 Original title: Witness recounts Fourth of July weekend Bigfoot sighting in Connecticut, says 'there were no boobs'
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/witness-reports-bigfoot-sighting-during-fourth-of-july-weekend-in-connecticut.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
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Dude on Coast to Coast AM talking about cryptids, specifically the "Chicago Glimmer Man" and the supposed "Windy City Moth Man"
#Coast_to_Coast_AM #Chicago #MothMan #GlimmerMan #radio #AM #LateNight #cryptids #creepy #spooky
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Dude on Coast to Coast AM talking about cryptids, specifically the "Chicago Glimmer Man" and the supposed "Windy City Moth Man"
#Coast_to_Coast_AM #Chicago #MothMan #GlimmerMan #radio #AM #LateNight #cryptids #creepy #spooky
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While many writers of eSpec Book's "Systema Paradoxa" series start with the cryptid they want to write about, in this exclusive interview with Jennifer R. Povey about her contemporary fantasy novella "The Mists Of Cairn Gorm," she says she picked hers because of where it likes to hang out.
https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-interview-the-mists-of-cairn-gorm-author-jennifer-r-povey/
📖🦧
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
#JenniferRPovey #JenniferRPoveyInterview #JenniferRPoveyTheMistsOfCairnGorm #Fantasy #ContemporaryFantasy #Cryptids #TheGreyMan #SystemaParadoxa -
No explanations, just believe
Once upon a time, when “cryptozoology” was invented as a field, the idea was this: Behind every strange animal report was a real animal we hadn’t identified yet. If the creature’s reputation was dramatic enough, it accrued even more amazing qualities along with additional tales. But such mysterious animals were NEVER found. The evidence did not get better. Some of the original dramatic stories eventually were revealed as more exaggerations than reality. Modern monster reports are far less revealing (because we can now check the details). The body of claims for any particular creature is so ambiguous as to be essentially worthless, except in the context of local folklore, where it gains new life as the monster spirit of place.
The golden era of cryptozoology ended by the late 1970s. The incredible photos of the Loch Ness Monster, the Bigfoot films, and the Yeti footprints made a huge splash but subsequently fell under heavy suspicion. Most have been definitively established as hoaxes, or misidentifications. Yet, those reveals have been ignored. There are even many cryptid-curious people who don’t know that the infamous Surgeon’s photo of Nessie was a hoax. They still carry that iconic image in their minds. We reject the truth and conveniently substitute our own.
For most local cryptids that are undergoing a resurgence in popularity within small towns across the US, the basis for their existence is a smattering of dubious tales during an initial flurry of events. Sometimes, only one questionable event. Then, people may shoehorn weird accounts from the past into the same framework, or imaginative observers will interpret their own weird event as another creature encounter.
Without exception, this “evidence” is poor, too poor to add anything more to the phenomenon except media publicity and heightened speculation. There has never been solid evidence for one of the iconic cryptids. Yet, as we can observe today, that does not matter one whit. There will still be believers.
Cryptids such as the Fresno Nightcrawler, the billowy pale ambling pair of legs, gained attention based on one grainy video that was a copy of a copy of a screen showing a low-res security recording. That was the extent of the evidence that bloomed into merchandise, artwork, other poorly sourced stories, hoaxes (that people still present as real) and copycat videos.
This is simply a poor excuse for “evidence”. But that didn’t matter when our imagination can fill in the rest.The Van Meter Visitor, the huge winged beast of an Iowa coal town with a spotlight horn, is based on a preposterous tale from a local paper. It involved some real names, which gives it credibility, but the events are certainly manufactured sensationalist fodder designed to entertain and sell newspapers.
Mokele-mbembe, depicted as a sauropod dinosaur in the lake regions of Central Africa, was formulated by overly-eager white explorers misled by their own hopes of a new “lost world”. No one ever documented the creature well enough to make heads or tails of it, but any unusual noise or ripple was attributed to it. Creationists kept the dream alive nearly to the present day, based on long-outdated cultural views of prehistoric creatures.
I could go on with dozens of similar examples where the initial push for the existence of a cryptid was established half a century ago (or more) based on doubtful evidence. The original evidence or new observations got less persuasive over time (as technology improved), only to be resurrected in the 21st century as beloved pop cryptids, regardless of the evidence quality. If these were real animals, this is not the way the story would unfold.
A recent opinion piece on the Altamaha-ha river monster of Georgia laid bare how cryptid fans no longer need evidence to believe in their favorite monsters. In fact, the facts just don’t matter at all. In a June 2026 article, author Steve Hudson speaks lovingly of Altie as he visits its space:
But why must we always seek explanation? What’s the fun in that? Maybe it’s just…Altie. That’s what I was kind of hoping, deep down, as I walked along the river there just the other day.
He notes that he just wants to see it, to have that moment of magic, to “keep the legend alive”. The hoax from a few years ago didn’t make people believe it any less. The hoax was an effective way to revisit the legend, instead of discounting it. The locals still celebrate Altie and adore it even more that it remains hidden, open to interpretation to be whatever you want it to be.
For an excellent historical account of another aquatic creature that had a heyday and then turned into a perfectly useful icon, I encourage you to check out Chessie: A Cultural History of the Chesapeake Bay Sea Monster by Eric Cheezum.
Those who still say cryptozoology should be a zoological effort to find and name the real creatures behind the legends are still living in that 1970s era. We are so very far beyond that. Reality can be tough to take. People much prefer an alternative reality of their choosing today. I can’t always blame them for that. It’s infeasible to search for a singular monster based on belief and speculation. But it is enlightening to recognize and understand why we still embrace and celebrate pop cryptids. The idea of them is magical; it gives us hope and joy.
For more on Pop Cryptids, check out my 20 part newsletter series Pop Cryptid Spectator.
#AltamahaHa #Altie #cryptids #Cryptozoology #evidenceForCryptids #FresnoNightcrawler #LochNessMonster #mokeleMbembe #VanMeterVistor -
Been traveling! We visited West Virginia to visit Flatwoods, Weston and then Point Pleasant. The Cryptid and creepy hot spots you know.
I love the area and can't wait to visit again. The woods are just...different in WV. Anyway, some highlights from the trip
#Cryptid #Cryptids #FlatwoodsMonster -
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Check out my review of @jwocker latest travelogue from @quirkbooks - Don't Go There: A Tour of the World's Most Sinister Spots. #travel #haunting #cryptids #spooky #supernatural #ufo
https://strangersights.com/dont-go-there-a-tour-of-the-worlds-most-sinister-spots-by-j-w-ocker/
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Check out my review of @jwocker latest travelogue from @quirkbooks - Don't Go There: A Tour of the World's Most Sinister Spots. #travel #haunting #cryptids #spooky #supernatural #ufo
https://strangersights.com/dont-go-there-a-tour-of-the-worlds-most-sinister-spots-by-j-w-ocker/
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‘Darwin and the Monsters’ looks at cryptozoology’s past
Uncovering the study of hidden animals.
https://aiptcomics.com/2026/07/10/darwin-and-the-monsters-cryptid-bigfoot/ -
shopping-cart cryptid (crows are warning us about it ... or maybe warning it about us) #cryptids
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shopping-cart cryptid (crows are warning us about it ... or maybe warning it about us) #cryptids
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This season's postcard that I'm sending out for sticker club 💚 Featuring Normie, the legendary mutated catfish from local Lake Norman, destroying some recent construction.
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This season's postcard that I'm sending out for sticker club 💚 Featuring Normie, the legendary mutated catfish from local Lake Norman, destroying some recent construction.
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JUNE 2026 sticker club: Jackalope
A North American folk creature with its origins in hares infected with papilloma virus. I'll mail these out to everyone who're signed up this week 🙂↕️
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JUNE 2026 sticker club: Jackalope
A North American folk creature with its origins in hares infected with papilloma virus. I'll mail these out to everyone who're signed up this week 🙂↕️
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The dozens of "field guides", "encyclopedias", and "dictionaries" of #cryptids flooding Amazon are low-effort junk. Do not buy them. They are likely AI generated (going by the cover art and no-name authors).
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The dozens of "field guides", "encyclopedias", and "dictionaries" of #cryptids flooding Amazon are low-effort junk. Do not buy them. They are likely AI generated (going by the cover art and no-name authors).
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Current hyper focus? Tiny paintings of oddities, cryptids or possibly demon possessed critters. I’ve run out of canvases so I’m making a shopping run today. #Art #Handmade #AcrylicPainting #Cryptids #Oddities #FolkHorror
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Current hyper focus? Tiny paintings of oddities, cryptids or possibly demon possessed critters. I’ve run out of canvases so I’m making a shopping run today. #Art #Handmade #AcrylicPainting #Cryptids #Oddities #FolkHorror
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Changed my mind on the centipede thing... it's now become a cat-erpillar I guess.
Music by @kurodama
#Illustration #Drawing #TraditionalMedia #ink #InkDrawing #Krita #MastoArt #Creatures #CryptoZoology #CryptoFauna #Cryptid #Cryptids #Nature
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Book Promotion: Get original and unique Mermaid wallpapers for desktop, tablet and phone. More being added... #mermaid #reading #magic #noai #art #oc #readers #humanmade #cryptids #merfolk #mermaids #boost #amreading #mermay #goodbooks #fedibookfair (e4e6) https://ko-fi.com/adaddinsane/shop/mermaid?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
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Jump into Wendy M. Barnhart's award-winning fantasy series with Rampart Guards. "Twisty ending. Non-stop-action. Highly recommend!"
#YA #fantasy #cryptids #books
https://www.amazon.com/Rampart-Guards-Chronicle-Adventures-Jason-ebook/dp/B0734B2JTC/ -
Book Promotion: Get original and unique Mermaid wallpapers for desktop, tablet and phone. More being added... #oc #mermay #humanmade #readers #mermaids #goodbooks #merfolk #magic #art #noai #reading #cryptids #fedibookfair #mermaid #amreading #boost (1963) https://ko-fi.com/adaddinsane/shop/mermaid?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
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Bestiarium is a collection of drawings from my sketchbook revolving around imaginary creatures and cryptofauna. Most of them I did in 2024 during Inktober.
I've collected them in a little book. Should have some online for sale in the next couple of weeks.
#Illustration #Drawing #SketchBook #TraditionalMedia #ink #InkDrawing #MastoArt #Creatures #CryptoZoology #CryptoFauna #Cryptid #Cryptids #inktober2024 #inktober
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Book Promotion: Get original and unique Mermaid wallpapers for desktop, tablet and phone. More being added... #art #cryptids #magic #mermaid #oc #mermay #readers #merfolk #humanmade #fedibookfair #noai #boost #mermaids #amreading #goodbooks #reading (e255) https://ko-fi.com/adaddinsane/shop/mermaid?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
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#ScribesAndMakers May 23: If you were going to tell a story about a cryptid, which would you choose?
I am actually working on a story about a cryptid. But to avoid spoilers, I won’t be revealing any details just yet.
Ever since I was a child, however, I’ve found the legends surrounding the Mothman fascinating. So I could well imagine writing a story inspired by this creature.
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#ScribesAndMakers May 23: If you were going to tell a story about a cryptid, which would you choose?
I am actually working on a story about a cryptid. But to avoid spoilers, I won’t be revealing any details just yet.
Ever since I was a child, however, I’ve found the legends surrounding the Mothman fascinating. So I could well imagine writing a story inspired by this creature.
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My original artwork featuring the mysterious Flatwoods Monster, now available as a personally signed 11x17" print for only $15 at shawnlangley.myshopify.com .
This piece was originally created by hand using a combination of Pentel brush pens, Posca paint pens and Sakura Microns. I experimented with my own take on this creepy beastie, combining equal parts alien and organic. With just a dash of barn owl tossed in. ;)#cryptid #cryptids #WestVirginia #flatwoodsmonster #fallout76
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My original artwork featuring the mysterious Flatwoods Monster, now available as a personally signed 11x17" print for only $15 at shawnlangley.myshopify.com .
This piece was originally created by hand using a combination of Pentel brush pens, Posca paint pens and Sakura Microns. I experimented with my own take on this creepy beastie, combining equal parts alien and organic. With just a dash of barn owl tossed in. ;)#cryptid #cryptids #WestVirginia #flatwoodsmonster #fallout76
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Book Promotion: Get original and unique Mermaid wallpapers for desktop, tablet and phone. More being added... #noai #oc #boost #merfolk #humanmade #fedibookfair #mermaids #art #cryptids #mermaid #magic #readers #goodbooks #reading #amreading #mermay (b013) https://ko-fi.com/adaddinsane/shop/mermaid?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
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#gamemastersbookclub Explores the Genres! Paranormal - #cryptids #paranormal #paranormalstories #paranormalbooks #ParanormalSeries #books #bookstagram #booktok #booksky
Discount Armageddon - Seanan McGuire
Kaiju Preservation Society - John Scalzi
Someone to Build a Nest In - John Wiswell
Lumberjanes - Grace Ellis & ND Stevenson
Ring Shout - P. Djeli Clark -
The Kushtaka, or “land otter man,” is a complex supernatural figure in Tlingit and Tsimshian mythology. It embodies moral ambiguity, sometimes luring victims to spiritual corruption while occasionally acting as a savior. #Kushtaka #cryptids https://connectparanormal.net/2026/05/01/exploring-the-kushtaka-legends-of-the-tlingit-and-tsimshian/
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@eugeneparnell
Great work capturing these images Eugene.
Propz!
Can you assure us, though, that what you saw and photograpged is not a guy in a costume -- like Bigfoot -- or 3 hamsters in a beaver skin coat?
#Cryptids #Bigfoot -
What’s lurking in the woods of Brooklyn, Schuyler County, Illinois? In this fascinating 2021 interview, Russ Wagner sits down with Dr. Michael Lorenzen, University Archivist at Western Illinois University, to share his Dogman encounters. #dogmen #cryptids https://youtu.be/dflhxMJ8R48?si=_C8QFFNQHSaAWZHN
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Love #cryptids? You're going to want to pick up ENCOUNTERS WITH CRYPTIDS, edited by Andrew Cull and Trevor Henderson. Check out Tony's review to read why! #books #amreading #horror #anthology
https://www.horrordna.com/books/encounters-with-cryptids-andrew-cull-trevor-henderson-book-review
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Mason recounts investigating alleged “dogmen” near a rural trailer, describing strange tracks, a single large toe print, trail camera images, frightened residents, and efforts to deter the creatures. #dogmen #cryptids https://connectparanormal.net/2026/04/11/dogman-encounter-illinois-evidence-of-bigfoot-cryptid-family
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ICYMI:Aftermarket Afterlife by Seanan McGuire
#BookReview #3Hearts #cryptids #magic #newworld
https://booksofmyheart.net/2024/03/04/aftermarket-afterlife-by-seanan-mcguire/?fsp_sid=12192
