The Cryptozoologist's Dictionary of Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Other North American Ape-Men
This dictionary provides a comprehensive overview of the terminology used in the study of Bigfoot and other related cryptids.
Primary Names
Bigfoot: The most common name for a large, hairy, ape-like creature said to inhabit forests, primarily in the Pacific Northwest of North America. The name originated from the large footprints found in 1958 in Bluff Creek, California.
Sasquatch: A term for Bigfoot, derived from the Halkomelem word "sásq'ets," meaning "wild man" or "hairy man." This name is often preferred by researchers and enthusiasts who believe it to be more respectful of the creature's indigenous roots.
Regional Variants & Other Names
Almas: A purported hominid said to inhabit the Caucasus and Pamir Mountains of central Asia. Often compared to the Yeti and Sasquatch.
Booger: A colloquial name for Bigfoot-like creatures, common in the Southern United States.
Bukwus (or Bakwas): A figure in the mythology of the Kwakwaka'wakw people of the Pacific Northwest, known as the "Wild Man of the Woods," who is associated with forests and the spirits of the drowned.
Fouke Monster: A Bigfoot-like creature from Fouke, Arkansas, which inspired the 1972 film The Legend of Boggy Creek.
Grassman: A variety of Bigfoot reported in Ohio, known for its alleged habit of building nests or structures out of tall grass.
Honey Island Swamp Monster: A cryptid reported from the Honey Island Swamp in Louisiana, often described as bipedal, with gray hair and yellow eyes.
Mogollon Monster: A bipedal, nocturnal, hairy creature reportedly living in the Mogollon Rim area of Arizona.
Momo (Missouri Monster): A large, hairy, bipedal creature reported in Missouri, known for its pumpkin-shaped head.
Skunk Ape: A Bigfoot-like creature reported in the swamps of Florida, named for its unpleasant odor.
Wendigo: A mythological creature from the folklore of the First Nations Algonquian tribes. While often depicted as a malevolent spirit, some descriptions overlap with Bigfoot-like creatures.
Wood Booger: A name for Bigfoot used in the Appalachian Mountains, particularly in Virginia and West Virginia.
Wood Devil: A name for a Bigfoot-like creature reported in the forests of New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Yeti (Abominable Snowman): A large, ape-like creature said to inhabit the Himalayan mountain range of Asia. While not a direct synonym for Bigfoot, the Yeti is often considered a related creature.
Yowie: A hairy, ape-like creature in Australian folklore.
Key People, Places & Events
Albert Ostman: A Canadian prospector who claimed to have been abducted and held captive by a family of Sasquatch in 1924 near Toba Inlet, British Columbia.
Ape Canyon: A gorge on the east side of Mount St. Helens in Washington, site of a famous 1924 alleged encounter between a group of miners and several "ape-men."
Bluff Creek, California: The location of the Patterson-Gimlin film and the 1958 footprint discovery that popularized the name "Bigfoot."
Dr. Grover Krantz: A physical anthropologist and one of the few scientists to publicly support the existence of Bigfoot. He analyzed the Patterson-Gimlin film and various footprint casts.
Dr. Jeff Meldrum: An anatomist and anthropologist at Idaho State University, known for his research on Bigfoot footprints and his collection of over 300 track casts.
Ivan T. Sanderson: A biologist and writer who was one of the first to seriously investigate Bigfoot sightings in the 1950s and 60s, bringing the topic to a wider audience.
John Green: A Canadian journalist and one of the most influential Bigfoot researchers of his time, known for his extensive database of sighting reports.
Patterson-Gimlin Film: A famous 1967 film shot in Bluff Creek, California, by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin, which purports to show a female Bigfoot. It is one of the most well-known and debated pieces of Bigfoot evidence.
Peter Byrne: A former big-game hunter and early Bigfoot researcher who has led numerous expeditions in the Pacific Northwest.
René Dahinden: A prominent and often controversial Swiss-born Bigfoot researcher who dedicated his life to proving the creature's existence.
Roger Patterson & Bob Gimlin: The two men who shot the famous 1967 film of a purported Bigfoot.
Anatomical & Physical Descriptions
Bipedal: Walking on two legs, a key characteristic of Bigfoot.
Conical Head: A pointed or cone-shaped head, often described in sighting reports, lacking the sagittal crest of a gorilla.
Dermal Ridges: The fine lines and patterns on the soles of feet, similar to fingerprints. Some alleged Bigfoot tracks claim to show evidence of dermal ridges, which would be difficult to fake.
Mid-tarsal Break: A feature of ape feet, but not human feet, where the foot can flex in the middle. Some alleged Bigfoot tracks show evidence of a mid-tarsal break.
Eyeshine: The glowing effect seen in the eyes of some animals at night. Witnesses often report seeing red, yellow, or green eyeshine from alleged Sasquatch.
Evidence & Phenomena
eDNA (Environmental DNA): A modern research technique where water or soil samples are collected from an area of a reported sighting to test for unknown primate DNA.
Footprints/Tracks: The most common form of Bigfoot evidence, typically large, human-like footprints left in soil or snow.
Hair Samples: Unidentified hairs found at sighting locations, which are sometimes analyzed to determine their origin.
Infrasound: A low-frequency sound below the range of human hearing, which some researchers believe Bigfoot may use to communicate or to disorient humans.
MIBs (Men in Black): In Bigfoot lore, mysterious figures who are said to intimidate and silence witnesses of Bigfoot encounters.
Nests/Shelters: Structures made of woven branches, grass, and leaves, which are sometimes found in areas with Bigfoot sightings and are believed to be the creature's resting places.
The "Ohio Howl": A distinctive, siren-like howl recorded in Ohio in the 1990s, which is believed by some to be a Bigfoot vocalization.
Vocalizations: A wide range of sounds attributed to Bigfoot, including howls, screams, whistles, and "Samurai chatter"—a complex series of mumbles and grunts.
Wood Knocks: A form of communication believed to be used by Bigfoot, involving striking trees with rocks or other pieces of wood to create loud knocking sounds.
Behavioral Terminology
Gifting: The act of leaving objects (like woven branches, stones, or small animals) in a specific location, which some researchers believe is a way for Sasquatch to interact with humans.
Rock Throwing: An aggressive or warning behavior where large rocks are reportedly thrown at witnesses or their property.
Samurai Chatter: A term for the complex, language-like vocalizations heard in the Sierra Sounds recordings.
Tree Peeking: A commonly reported behavior where a Sasquatch is seen cautiously peering from behind a tree.
Tree Structures: Arrangements of bent, broken, or woven trees (like arches or X-shapes) that some researchers believe are territorial markers or shelters made by Sasquatch.
Zapping: A colloquial term used by some witnesses to describe a feeling of being hit with a wave of infrasound, causing nausea, confusion, and fear.
Theories & Concepts
Misidentification Theory: The skeptical view that Bigfoot sightings are misidentifications of known animals, such as bears, deer, or even humans.
Paranormal/Interdimensional Theory: A fringe theory suggesting that Bigfoot is not a biological creature, but rather a supernatural or interdimensional being, which would explain its elusive nature.
Relict Hominoid Hypothesis: The formal scientific term for the theory that Bigfoot and other related cryptids are surviving populations of extinct hominids.
Undiscovered Primate Theory: The most common hypothesis, which posits that Bigfoot is a surviving species of great ape, possibly a descendant of Gigantopithecus.
Hoaxes & Debunked Evidence
Georgia Bigfoot Body Hoax: A 2008 incident where two men claimed to have the body of a Bigfoot, which turned out to be a rubber ape costume.
Jacko: The name given to a supposed ape-like creature captured in British Columbia in 1884, a story now widely considered a newspaper hoax.
Minnesota Iceman: A creature exhibited at carnivals in the 1960s, frozen in a block of ice. It was promoted as a genuine cryptid but later revealed to be a latex model.
Ray Wallace: The man whose family claimed he started the "Bigfoot" phenomenon in 1958 using carved wooden feet to create fake tracks around logging sites.
Organizations & Research Projects
OBRC (Ohio Bigfoot Research & Investigation Center) This website bigfootohio, OBRC Facebook, Youtube & Podcast formed in 2000
BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization): One of the oldest and largest Bigfoot research organizations, known for its extensive online database of sighting reports.
NAWAC (North American Wood Ape Conservancy): A research group that takes a scientific approach to studying the "wood ape," focusing on long-term field research.
The Olympic Project: A research group focused on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, using scientific methods to study Bigfoot evidence.
Cultural Impact
Harry and the Hendersons: The popular 1987 film that portrayed a friendly, family-oriented version of Bigfoot, significantly shaping its public image.
The Legend of Boggy Creek: The influential 1972 docudrama about the Fouke Monster, which popularized Bigfoot lore across the United States.
Finding Bigfoot: A popular reality television series on Animal Planet that followed a team of BFRO researchers as they investigated Bigfoot sightings across North America.
Expedition Bigfoot: A popular reality Television Series. The new #1 tv show about Bigfoot.
General Cryptozoology Terms
Cryptid: An animal whose existence is unproven, such as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster.
Cryptozoology: The study of and search for cryptids.
Gigantopithecus: An extinct genus of giant ape that lived in Asia, which some researchers believe could be a possible ancestor of Bigfoot.
Hominid: A member of the family Hominidae, which includes humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. Bigfoot is often described as an unknown hominid.