Maybe they’re legends, memories of long-extinct species, or don’t exist at all except in our imaginations. Or perhaps they’re real, but science hasn’t yet confirmed their existence or persistence in the modern era.

But we all know the big-name cryptids. The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot (and its many relatives like the Sasquatch and the Yeti), the Chupacabra, the Jersey Devil, and the Mothman. The Thunderbird and the Mongolian Death Worm are also popular mentions.

However, while most are already familiar with these famous cryptids, few know about some of the more obscure ones from other parts of the world.

Just about every place on the planet has stories of mysterious beings, often monstrous, sometimes benign, that may live among us or inhabit the lands outside of human settlements.

They live in lakes, mountains, forests, and jungles. They fly over us, hide in the depths of the sea, or burrow far underground.

For example, in Australia, the Bunyip is believed to lurk in swamps, billabongs, and riverbeds. In Papua New Guinea, tales speak of the Ropen, a giant flying creature with a wingspan that rivals a small airplane.

In the Philippines, there’s the Manananggal, a horrifying vampire-like being that separates its upper torso to fly in search of prey at night. And in the vast Siberian wilderness, people whisper about the Almas, a mysterious hominid similar to Bigfoot but much lesser-known.

Let’s explore together some of these lesser-known world cryptids, which add a fascinating dimension to our understanding of folklore and the unexplained. They remind us that every culture has its own tales of the unknown, creatures that capture the imagination and hint at mysteries beyond our current scientific knowledge.