Let’s start by saying: I adore cryptids. I made my first cryptid quiz after debating them with a friend over dinner. Recently I stumbled on an excellent cryptic resource: The Cryptozoologicon.

In this intriguing tome, a well-respected paleontologist and two science artists illustrate what these bizarre creatures might look like. This made me think of another quiz. For this, I’ll show you one of their illustrations. Then give you a clue or two. Your goal is to guess the cryptid. Scroll to the bottom to find the answer. Be warned, there were several that I hadn’t heard of.

Cryptid 1

This creature feeds of goats. In fact it’s known as the “goat sucker.” It’s probably the most well known of all the cryptids (minus our bigfooted friend). It lives in Latin America. Any guesses?

Cryptid 2

This tree hugger is a native to Australia. It’s described as a dark-haired “seal dog.” I love this illustration because it theorizes that this cryptid might be a giant otter.

Cryptid 3

I have to put some easy ones in here. If you’ve every watched any sort of Syfy made movie, you’ve probably seen or heard of this giant shark. It’s a creature that did exist long ago. The jury is out if it’s still swimming the waters today.

Cryptid 4

This bizarre turtle from New Guinea was a new one for me. I’d never heard of it. Now I’ll never forget it. Want an idea of scale? Look at the croc swimming in the water beside it. Crazy. It looks like a leftover from the Cretaceous period.

Cryptid 5

This giant primate is related to the American cryptid with a large shoe size. My guess is the authors have this creature change it’s fur color in the same way a snowshoe rabbit does.

Cryptid 6

This bug has been seen all over Mexico and the United States. They zip through the sky, even though they don’t have wings.

The Answers

Before we delve into the cryptid answers, here’s another plug for the Cryptozoologicon.

This excellent book even has diagrams that show cryptid development along with human evolution.

Now, here are the answers to the cryptid quiz:

1. Chupacabra
2. Bunyip
3. Megalodon
4. The Row
5. Yeti
6. Flying Rods

How did you do?

Tim Kane