Man-eating Tree

A man-eating tree seen here with a man trapped in its snake like branches

A man-eating tree is a carnivorous tree (or plant) that allegedly captures, ingests, and digests humans (or large animals) for its nutritional needs. Botanists have documented more than 600 carnivorous plant species that can capture and digest animal tissues, but no plant species ingest humans or large animals. However, folklore, legends, and myths from many … Read more

Marozi

The marozi seen in closeup on the savanna. WIth yellow fire spotted with black.

The marozi, or spotted lion, is an alleged variety of lions native to the Aberdare mountain (Kikuyu language: Nyandarua) range of west-central Kenya, north of Nairobi. The region, with an average elevation of 11,500 feet (3500 meters), is an example of a mountain ecosystem. Reports of marozi-like felids also come from the Mau escarpment in … Read more

Ozark Howler

The Ozark Howler with a lion-like body and a goat-like head is seen in a forest with a red sunset in the mist

The Ozark Howler is a cryptid from the folklore of the Ozarks, a mountainous region covering parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Natives claim the Ozark Howler is a vicious bear or cat-like creature that prowls the remote mountainous woods of the region. It has a terrifying howl and is thought to be extremely … Read more

Maero

a blue-skinned Maero overlooks a mountain range

The Maero (Maeroero or Mairoero) are a race of forest beings or wild men from the folklore of the Maori of New Zealand. The Maori describe the Maero as a humanoid race native to the mountainous forests of the Tararua Ranges on the North Island of New Zealand. They also lived in the Fiordland National … Read more

Eastern Cougar

The eastern cougar is seen here on a branch with the sculptures behind it

The eastern cougar was a population of the North American cougar (Puma concolor couguar) that inhabited Eastern North America. Some wildlife experts consider the eastern cougar a distinct subspecies from the western population. However, other experts believe that eastern and western cougars belong to the North American subspecies Puma concolor couguar. European settlers extirpated the cougar … Read more

Goatman

A Goatman seen with a human body but a large goat's head. In a misty forest at night.

Goatman is half-man, half-goat, and has been terrorizing Maryland since the 1950s. The Goatman is believed to have attacked teenage lovers and even beheaded a dog in 1971. This cryptid could be the result of a genetic experiment that went horribly wrong. Description The Goatman legend inhabits, for the most part, Prince George’s County, which … Read more

Melon Heads

Three Melon Heads pictured in a tunnel, with pale skin and large dome-shaped heads.

Melon Heads are allegedly small-sized humanoid cryptids with large heads native to remote forested parts of Ohio, Michigan, and Connecticut. According to folklore, the creatures live hidden in caves and underground tunnels in the woods but come out at night to attack people and terrorize neighboring communities. Description Melon Head origin stories The description and … Read more

Michigan Dogman

The Michigan Dogman seen here with greyish skin and naked torso sanding near a misty lake

The Michigan Dogman is an alleged human-dog cryptid from the folklore of Northern Michigan. The dogman legend may have roots in the legends of the Odawa (Ottawa) tribes of the Manistee River area in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. However, the first alleged sighting of the creature in recent history occurred in Wexford County, … Read more

Elwetritsch

Elwetritsch standing with feathers and arms up in a forest.

The Elwetritsch is a bird- or fowl-like cryptid from German folklore. The creature is supposedly native to the forests of the Palatinate region of southwest Germany. However, the folklore occurs in various locales spread over a wide area of southern Germany. The Elwetritsch is only one of several mythical birds from German folklore. Other regions … Read more

Mapinguari

The Mapinguari is seen here in a green-tinged forest. The creature is a large and squat ape-like creature.

The Mapinguari is a legendary ground-dwelling sloth-like creature resembling an ape which is reported to still roam the jungles of Brazil and Bolivia. Description The Mapinguari is thought to be a relative of a type of giant ground sloth (possibly a Megatherium) that is generally believed to have died out some 10,000 years ago. However, … Read more