The okapi was once considered a cryptid and now stands as the mascot for the International Society for Cryptozoology. The Okapi ( Okapia johnstoni) is a Mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The term mascot – defined as a term for any person animal or object thought to bring Luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common The International Society of Cryptozoology (ISC was founded in 1982 to serve as a scholarly center for documenting and evaluating evidence of unverified Animals that is animal

In the study of cryptozoology, a cryptid (also known as a UMA or unidentified mysterious animal) is any animal or creature whose existence has been reported but not proven. Cryptozoology (from Greek κρυπτός kruptos, "hidden" + Zoology; literally "study of hidden animals" is the study of and search Their presumed existence is often derived from anecdotal evidence and/or other evidence insufficient to prove their existence according to normal scientific standards. The term was coined by John E. Wall in 1983. ^[1] Cryptids are also known by the term Unidentified Mysterious Animals or UMA, an intended variation on the popular term UFO.

The term cryptid applies to creatures such as the Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Mokele-mbembe. The Loch Ness Monster ( Nessiteras rhombopteryx) is an alleged animal family and upward Incertae sedis, purportedly inhabiting Scotland 's Loch Ness For information on the African political theorist see Achille Mbembe Mokèlé-mbèmbé: meaning "one who stops the flow of rivers" It is also applied by cryptozoologists to animals whose existence is accepted by the scientific community, but which are considered of interest to cryptozoology, such as the coelacanth, which was once presumed extinct, and the okapi, once thought to be a fictional animal. Coelacanth (ˈsiːləkænθ adaptation of Modern Latin Cœlacanthus > cœl-us + acanth-us from Greek κοῖλ-ος + ἄκανθ-α) is the common name for In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. The Okapi ( Okapia johnstoni) is a Mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Additionally, mythical creatures such as the griffin, the unicorn, the dragon, and the Kraken, which are now regarded as entirely fictious entities and/or exaggerated sightings of creatures unknown in earlier times, may be described as cryptids. This is a list of Legendary creatures Creatures of modern invention are not included The griffin is a Legendary creature with the body of a Lion and the head and often wings of an Eagle. A unicorn (from Latin unus 'one' and cornu 'horn' is a Mythological creature. The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide Kraken ( kra’ ken ˈkrɑːkɘn or ˈkreɪkɘn) are legendary Sea monsters of gargantuan size said Other cryptids include animals which were known to man but have since become extinct, and which are claimed to be living today, such as the moa and thylacine. The Moa were ten species (in six genera of flightless Birds endemic to New Zealand. The Thylacine (ˈθaɪləsaɪn -iːn ( Thylacinus cynocephalus Latin wolf-headed pouched dog was the largest known carnivorous Marsupial of modern

Despite the large number of reported cryptids, most have not been proven, and many have been debunked through thorough scientific investigation.

See also

• Cryptozoology
• List of cryptids
• List of legendary creatures
• List of U.S. paranormal guides
• Living dinosaurs

Footnotes

References

• Cohen, Daniel (1970). A Modern Look At Monsters. Cornwall, New York: The Cornwall Press, Inc. ISBN 0-396-06200-8.  
• Cohen, Daniel (1989). Encylopedia of Monsters: Bigfoot, Chinese Wildman, Nessie, Sea Ape, Werewolf and many more. . . . London: Michael O'Mara Books Ltd. ISBN 0-948397-94-2.  
• Mackal, Roy P. (1980). Searching For Hidden Animals: An Inquiry into Zoological Mysteries. USA: Self published. ISBN 0-385-14897-6.