The world is full of mysteries, things that have yet to be discovered, and creatures that exist on the fringes of reality. Sometimes people are able to catch a glimpse of these animals, even managing to bring back proof of their existence, but most of the time these beings stay out of sight. We’re talking about cryptids, of course! Monsters that you’d think only exist in movies, and yet people claim them to be real. So do they actually exist or not? Who knows? But here are 10 of the creepiest cryptids that we know of.
10. The Loch Ness Monster
Large creatures lurking within any kind of body of water are pretty creepy, but the thought of an ancient dinosaur existing within the Loch Ness in Scotland is pretty terrifying. The legend of Nessie began in the early 1930’s with a few eyewitness accounts, but the most substantial piece of evidence for the aquatic monster’s existence has to be the famous photo taken in 1934, which really kickstarted the myth. Unlike a lot of others on this list, there’s no proof that the Loch Ness Monster has ever killed anyone, but that doesn’t mean I’m about to dive into the water with it any time soon!
9. Chupacabra
This little hellspawn deserves to be inaugurated into the cryptid hall of fame, if it hasn’t already. Although the legend may not be as old as some of the others on this list, El Chupacabra has made it big, appearing in movies and on shirts and mugs. The name literally translates to “Goat Sucker” because the monster specifically targets goats to drain them of their blood. The monster has been spotted mostly in South America with Puerto Rican farmers reporting a bunch of sightings in the 80’s and 90’s.
8. Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as the “Sasquatch” or “yeti,” is well known amongst cryptid enthusiasts. In fact, this creature is probably the first monster you think of when the topic of cryptids comes up, as he is often the subject of films and TV shows. Of course, just because Bigfoot is well-known in pop culture doesn’t make the beast any less scary. Imagine walking alone in the woods and you come across an eight-foot bipedal ape capable of crushing you with its bare hands—that would be pretty terrifying, to say the least. Bigfoot is said to inhabit the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and at one point, rumors of their existence even led the FBI to investigate.
7. Skinwalker
Let’s face it, out of all the cryptids out there, this has got to be one of the creepiest ones. What’s more horrifying than a creature capable of wearing the skin of other animals—even humans—and mimicking them almost perfectly? Not only is the skinwalker a cold-blooded killer, but the creature also has an uncanny valley quality to it. The idea that this being can mimic human cries to lure people into its domain is enough to make your hair stand on end.
These monsters originate from Navajo culture, and they aren’t typically discussed outside of the culture. As such, details regarding this creature are a little thin, with pop culture often embellishing the urban legend.
6. Barghest
A creature from the United Kingdom’s folklore, the Barghest is a large black dog with large fangs and claws. The cryptid is said to be an omen of death to whoever sees it, and it supposedly roams the moors and open country of Northern England, particularly Yorkshire, although the black dog has appeared all over the country, and there are different names for it in each area. The Barghest has often appeared in pop culture, be it the Grim in Harry Potter, or The Hound of the Baskervilles from the Sherlock Holmes stories.
5. Orang Bati
The Orang Bati originates from Indonesian folklore and is supposedly a large monkey-like creature with bat wings. The creepiest thing about this cryptid is its diet, according to legend the beast terrorizes local villages in the middle of the night and will swoop down and snatch unsuspecting infants to devour. Orang Bati lives in the caves and mountains of Indonesia, and there have been multiple eyewitness reports of the creature throughout the years, although we’ve yet to see any convincing photographic proof.
4. Goatman
Half-man, half-goat, this entity from Maryland is said to hunt unsuspecting teenagers and dogs in the surrounding area. It’s not entirely clear where the creature came from, but some theories claim that he is the result of an experiment that went horribly wrong. Others believe him to be an insane hermit who has been exacting revenge on the people who killed his goats. The rumors of the Goatman mostly stem from a series of canine deaths in Prince George’s county in the 70’s. Thankfully there isn’t much more evidence for his existence aside from that.
3. Jersey Devil
This thing literally has “devil” in its name, and it doesn’t get much more creepy than that. The Jersey Devil is a winged creature that is said to inhabit the forests of, you guessed it, Jersey. Descriptions state that it is a bipedal animal with hooves for feet, leathery bat wings, a forked tail, and a goat-like head with horns. It’s basically just a real-life Picasso painting of several different animals.
There was a spat of sightings in the early 1900’s and it was taken pretty seriously, with people staying home from work and schools shutting down due to the threat the creature posed. Legend has it that the Jersey Devil was the 13th child of an 18th-century woman known as Mother Leeds. The story goes that Mother Leeds cursed her unborn child after learning she was pregnant for the 13th time; when the baby was born it transformed into the monster and began terrorizing the local area.
2. Mongolian Death Worm
A creature resides in the most desolate parts of the Gobi desert, and its skin is so poisonous that a mere touch can kill instantly. This is the Mongolian death worm, a two- to four-foot-long creature, although sometimes they’re depicted as being much larger. It is bright red and apparently resembles a cow’s intestines (yuck).
These worms travel underneath the sand like something out of Dune, and are also capable of spraying venom from a distance as well as releasing an electronic discharge. Basically, if you ever find yourself in the Gobi desert for whatever reason, just hope you don’t disturb one of these legendary worms, because you likely won’t survive the encounter.
1. Kraken
The truth is, we just don’t know what’s lurking in the depths of the ocean. The creatures we do know about are scary enough as it is, but legends tell of a giant cephalopod creature known as the Kraken that’s large enough to destroy ships. Sightings of the cryptid date back to the early 18th century and became a part of Norwegian folklore as it was said to occupy the waters between Norway and Iceland.
