Gray alien

Grey aliens

A typical depiction of a short Grey.
Grouping	Alleged extraterrestrials
Similar creatures	Bug-eyed monster Reptilians Extraterrestrials in fiction
Other name(s)	Roswell Greys
Country	Many

Grey aliens, also referred to as "Alien Greys", "Greys", "Grays", "Roswell Greys", and "Zeta Reticulans", are extraterrestrial beings whose existence is discussed in ufological, paranormal, and New Age communities, and who are named for their unique skin color. Forty-three percent of all reported alien encounters in the United States describe Grey aliens. Such claims vary in every respect including their nature, origins (ETs, extradimensionals, or machines), moral dispositions, intentions, and physical appearances (even varying in their eponymous skin color). A composite description derived from overlap in claims would have Greys as small-bodied sexless beings with smooth grey-colored skin, enlarged hairless head and large black eyes.

The origin of the idea of the Grey is commonly associated with the Barney and Betty Hill abduction claim which took place in 1961, although skeptics see precursors in science fiction and earlier paranormal claims. The Grey aliens are also famous from earlier depictions of the Roswell UFO incident from 1947.

Greys are typically depicted as dark grey-skinned diminutive humanoid beings that possess reduced forms of, or completely lack, external human organs such as noses, ears or sex organs. Their bodies are usually depicted as being elongated, having a small chest, and lacking in muscular definition and visible skeletal structure. Their legs are shorter and jointed differently from what one would expect in a human. Their limbs are often depicted as proportionally different from a human's; their humerus and thighs are the same lengths as their forearms and shins, respectively.

Greys are depicted as having unusually large heads in proportion to their bodies. They are depicted as having no hair anywhere on the body, including the face, and no noticeable outer ears or noses, but only small openings or orifices for ears and nostrils. They are depicted as having very small mouths, and very large opaque black eyes with no discernible iris or pupil. Reports of alleged encounters state their height to be 2–4 ft tall, but may be human size.