Cryptid Quiz

By Mimi Curtis

Who coined the term cryptozoology?

A. Roland SmithB. Bernard

HeuvelmansC. Loren Coleman

B. Bernard Heuvelmans

Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans was a zoologist who was interested in animals whose existence had not been scientifically

proven. In 1955, he wrote On the Track of Unknown Animals. He is said

to be the father of cryptozoology.

Which of these is not a name for Bigfoot?

A. SasquatchB. YerenC. Skookum

C. Skookum

In 2000, researchers in the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization claimed to

have captured a cast of Bigfoot’s body in the center of a large mud puddle in Skookum Meadows at Gifford Pinchot

National Forest in Washington.

What is the name of the fish that is considered to be a living

fossil?

A. Basking sharkB. CoelacanthC. Collared peccary

B. Coelacanth

The coelacanth was discovered in South Africa in 1938. In the book, Cryptid Hunters, Wolfe keeps two coelacanth in a tank in his library.

Which cryptid terrorized pirates?

A. KrakenB. BunyipC. Loveland Frog

A. Kraken

Otherwise known as the giant squid, this beast was thought to be a legend until a Japanese research team captured it on film in 2004.

The Florida Skunk Ape is closely related to which

cryptid?

A. Nandi bearB. SasquatchC. Owlman

B. Sasquatch

Sightings of the Florida skunk ape have occurred from the 1970’s up through today. It has mostly been

spotted in central Florida and got its name from its horrible smell.

The Loch Ness monster is supposed to be what kind of

dinosaur?

A. SauropodB. PterosaurC. Plesiosaur

C. Plesiosaur

Plesiosaurs were sea-dwelling dinosaurs that had small heads and long necks. Other cryptids that were thought to be plesiosaurs are Champ

and the Stronsay Beast. The Stronsay Beast, however, displays

characteristics unlike that of a plesiosaur, most notably being made

entirely of cartilage.

Which of these cryptids is a proven hoax?

A. Altamaha-haB. Fiji MermaidC. Beast of Bodmin Moor

B. Fiji Mermaid

This was displayed in New York in 1842 by P.T. Barnum. It was actually made by sewing the mummified body of a

monkey onto that of a dried fish.

When was the last Thylacine supposed to have died?

A. 2005B. 1936C. 1842

B.1936

But, in 2005, a German tourist snapped a photograph of an animal that even

experts agree looks like the Tasmanian tiger when vacationing near Lake St. Clair.In Cryptid Hunters, Blackwood brings a

thylacine to the big game hunter’s meeting.

Which mountain range does the Yeti live in?

A. HimalayasB. AppalachiansC. Cascades

A. Himalayas

The Yeti is also known as the Abominable Snowman, and legends have been told about the yeti since 4th century BC. In 1961, it became

the Tibetan national symbol.

Which of these is an animal that has been mistaken for a

chupacabra?

A. GoatB. CoyoteC. Crocodile

B. Coyote

In four instances where farmers claimed to have killed a chupacabra, it turned

out that the animals were starving coyotes with a skin condition called mange that caused their fur to fall

out.In Cryptid Hunters, Wolfe believes that

the chupacabra was created in a lab.

How many cryptids are said to live in the Republic of Congo?

A. 4B. 200C. 53

A. 4

Mokele-mbembe, emela-ntouka, Nguma-monene, and mbielu-mbielu-mbielu are all cryptids that are said

to live in the Congo in Africa. They all are said to resemble dinosaurs, and may possibly be all the same thing.

What type of animal is a peccary?

A. PigB. SnakeC. Cow

A. pig

A peccary is a wild pig with coarse hair. It was thought to have been extinct

after the ice age, but a small community was found again in South

America in 1975. It is on the endangered species list because of its

limited population.

What animal is often mistaken for a sea monster?

A. ElephantB. OctopusC. Shark

C. Shark

Basking skarks, or the remains of basking sharks are often mistaken for sea monsters. The zuiyo-maru

monster of Japan was found to be the remains of a basking shark.

What two animals is a Marozi a cross between?

A. lion/tigerB. lion/leopardC. lion/jaguar

B. lion/leopard

The Marozi was a spotted lion said to live in the mountains in Kenya. It was

discovered in 1931. However, no sightings of a Marozi have been

reported in the last 60 years.

Which animal does mokele-mbembe not get along with?

A. CrocodilesB. SnakesC. Hippopotami

C. Hippopotami

Mokele-mbembe will kill hippos on sight, but does not eat them. Also, no hippopotami can be found where the

mokele-mbembe lives.

References:Halls, K.M., Spears, R., & Young, R. Tales of the cryptids: mysterious creatures

that may or may not exist. Plain City, OH: Darby Creek Publishing, 2006.

Smith, R. Cryptid hunters. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children, 2005.

Cryptozoology.comwww.cryptozoology.com

Bigfoot Field Researchers Organizationwww.bfro.net

The Cryptid Zoowww.newanimal.org

Legend of Nessiewww.nessie.co.uk

Mokele-mbembewww.mokelembembe.com

The Cryptozoologist: Cryptozoologywww.lorencoleman.com

Photo credits

“It’s Him—It’s Bigfoot!” photo by Craig Damlo.

Creative Commons license- attribution, non-commercial, no derivative works.

“Loch Ness Monster” photo by unukorno.Creative Commons license- attribution.