Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology is "the study of the lore concerning legendary animals (such as Bigfoot and Sasquatch), especially in order to evaluate the possibility of their existence." Amateur cryptozoologist Chad Arment has compiled an impressive amount of material on the subject, including both original writings and online links, on his Cryptozology Web site. One of the things that turned me on to zoology as a kid was reading Bernard Heuvelman's On the Track of Unknown Animals, so I continue to have a fondness for this type of material. But to guard against being lured too deeply into the pseudoscience of cryptozoology, I suggest that you leaven your reading with items of interest from the Skeptical Inquirer magazine, especially an article in the March-April 2002 issue that evaluates 50-years of evidence about the existence of Bigfoot and concludes that it is merely a self-perpetuating legend.