Cryptids are mythical, legendary creatures that include the likes of unicorns, Bigfoot, Yeti, sea monsters and other beasts not yet proven real.
But now, something that was once classified as a cryptid has come to life, recognized by science.
The first photos of a new primate, the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey -- dubbed Rhinopithecus strykeri -- have been released by researchers.
The unusual animal was first discovered in 2010 by conservationists in the Kachin State of northern Myanmar, also known as Burma, in southeast Asia.
Covered almost entirely in black fur, the monkey has an upturned nose, which causes it to sneeze when rainwater seeps in, making them easy to find in the jungle.
"There are snub-nosed monkeys all over Asia, but they don't quite look like this variety," said Loren Coleman, director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine. "This face has an old-wisdom look to it, like an old, ancient man -- they certainly have a striking face."
While there are other examples of snub-nosed monkeys in Asia, China and Tibet, the new ones are a little different.
"It is the only entirely black snub-nosed monkey -- except for a white chin beard," said Frank Momberg, Myanmar program coordinator for Fauna & Flora International, who led the snub-nosed monkey expeditions.
"The DNA also differs very significantly, and there is only an estimated 250 to 500 individuals in the wild, with their population trend declining," Momberg told The Huffington Post in an email from Myanmar.
Posts
