Cryptid Quiz
By Mimi Curtis
Who coined the term cryptozoology?
A. Roland Smith
B. Bernard Heuvelmans
C. 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. Sasquatch
B. Yeren
C. 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 shark
B. Coelacanth
C. 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. Kraken
B. Bunyip
C. 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 bear
B. Sasquatch
C. 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. Sauropod
B. Pterosaur
C. 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-ha
B. Fiji Mermaid
C. 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. 2005
B. 1936
C. 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. Himalayas
B. Appalachians
C. 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. Goat
B. Coyote
C. 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. 4
B. 200
C. 53
A. 4
Mokele-mbembe, emela-ntouka, Ngumamonene, 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. Pig
B. Snake
C. 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. Elephant
B. Octopus
C. 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/tiger
B. lion/leopard
C. 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. Crocodiles
B. Snakes
C. 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.com
www.cryptozoology.com
Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization
www.bfro.net
The Cryptid Zoo
www.newanimal.org
Legend of Nessie
www.nessie.co.uk
Mokele-mbembe
www.mokelembembe.com
The Cryptozoologist: Cryptozoology
www.lorencoleman.com
Photo credits
“It’s Him—It’s Bigfoot!” photo by Craig Damlo.
Creative Commons license- attribution, noncommercial, no derivative works.
“Loch Ness Monster” photo by unukorno.
Creative Commons license- attribution.