Big foot

Bigfoot

Frame 352 from 1967 Patterson–Gimlin film; some claim it shows a Bigfoot, and others a man in a gorilla suit.
Grouping	Cryptids, Folklore of the United States, Kwakwaka'wakw mythology, Salishan oral narratives
Similar creatures	Skunk Ape, Yeren, Yowie, Mande Barung, Orang Pendek, Yeti, Barmanou
Other name(s)	Sasquatch
Country	United States, Canada
Region	Pacific Northwest
Habitat	Mountains, forest

Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch) is a cryptid in American folklore, supposedly a simian-like creature that inhabits forests, especially those of the Pacific Northwest. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid. The term sasquatch is an Anglicized derivative of the Halkomelem word sásq'ets.

Scientists discount the existence of Bigfoot and consider it to be a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax, rather than a living animal. They note the lack of physical evidence after centuries of investigation, despite the fact that numerous creatures would have to exist in order to maintain a breeding population. A small group of investigators are sustained in their interest by occasional new reports of sightings. Such reports are attributed to persons seeing various animals, particularly black bears.

Individuals claim to have seen Bigfoot, describing it as a large, hairy, muscular, bipedal ape-like creature, roughly 6–9 feet (1.8–2.7 m), covered in hair described as black, dark brown, or dark reddish. Some descriptions include details such as large eyes, a pronounced brow ridge, and a large, low-set forehead. The top of the head has been described as rounded and crested, similar to the sagittal crest of the male gorilla. The creature has been reported as having a strong, unpleasant smell.

The enormous footprints for which the creature is named are claimed to be as large as 24 inches (60 cm) long and 8 inches (20 cm) wide. Some footprint casts have also contained claw marks, making it likely that they came from known animals such as bears, which have five toes and claws.

Proponents of Bigfoot's existence claim that the creature is omnivorous and mainly nocturnal.

Wild men stories are found among the Pacific Northwest coastal Indian tribes. Anthropologist and cryptozoologist Grover Krantz has written that stories of the Indians which can be confidently related to the Sasquatch correspond to the areas where white Americans have reported similar sightings. According to David Daegling, the legends existed before there was a single name for the creature. They differed in their details both regionally and between families in the same community. Similar accounts and legends of wild men are found on every continent except Antarctica.