Encounter Atlas
A bear standing up
Bears stand on their hind legs for a few seconds to sniff or look, then drop back down. Look for rounded ears, a long snout and short back legs. A standing black bear is 5 to 6 ft; a grizzly can top 8 ft.
Tools / What did I see?
What did I see?
Seven quick questions about your sighting. We'll show which of the 206 creatures and phenomena in our files sound most like it, and the everyday things people most often mistake for them.
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Question 1 of 7
Where were you?
Pick the place that fits best.
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Question 2 of 7
How big was it, next to a person?
Your best guess is fine. Things look bigger in the dark.
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Question 3 of 7
How did it move?
If you saw it move more than one way, pick the first.
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Question 4 of 7
Did you see eyes or lights?
Animal eyes reflect a torch or headlights. Lights glow on their own.
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Question 5 of 7
What did you hear?
Sounds carry a long way at night.
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Question 6 of 7
When was it?
Most strange sightings happen in poor light.
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Question 7 of 7
Where in the world?
Many creatures are tied to one place.
Common mix-ups
Most strange sightings turn out to be something ordinary seen in poor light. These are the ones that fool people most, and how to tell.
A person in dark clothes
Hunters in ghillie suits, hikers in ponchos and people walking dogs at night are easy to misjudge. A figure that stops, turns its head and watches you is behaving very much like a person.
Deer eyeshine
Pale green or white eyes about 3 to 4 ft off the ground, often in twos and threes, that blink out when the animal turns. Deer also give a loud, startling snort.
Raccoon, possum, fox or coyote eyes
Small, close-set eyes low to the ground that look orange or red in a torch beam. Coyotes yip and howl in groups; a fox's scream sounds alarmingly human.
A coyote or dog with mange
Mange makes coyotes, foxes and dogs lose their fur, leaving grey, wrinkled skin, a ridge of spine and ears that look far too big. Sick animals often come close to farms to find food.
An owl
Silent wingbeats, a broad pale face that can look human in a light, and eyes that reflect. Barn owls give a long, rasping scream; great horned owls stand nearly 2 ft tall with a 4 to 5 ft wingspan.
A heron or crane
Long legs, a long neck folded back in flight and slow, heavy wingbeats. A great blue heron stands about 4 ft tall with a 6 ft wingspan and gives a harsh croak. Sandhill cranes are just as tall and call loudly in flocks.
A boat wake, log or line of animals
A wake can travel across calm water long after the boat is out of sight. Floating logs roll and seem to surface. Otters, swimming deer, beavers or a row of diving ducks can look like a string of humps.
A big fish or seal
Sturgeon can pass 6 ft and leap clear of the water. Seals and sea lions travel far up rivers and lakes. A dark head that rises, looks around and sinks is often a seal.
A Starlink satellite train
A straight line of evenly spaced lights moving together across the sky, usually an hour or two after sunset or before sunrise. They fade out one by one as they leave sunlight.
A satellite or the space station
A steady point of light, no blinking, gliding smoothly across the sky in a few minutes. It can fade or vanish mid-sky when it passes into Earth's shadow. The space station is brighter than any star.
Venus, Jupiter or a bright star
Very bright and steady, low in the west after sunset or in the east before dawn. It seems to follow your car and can flicker red and green near the horizon. It's in the same place the next night.
A plane or helicopter heading toward you
Landing lights pointed straight at you seem to hang still for minutes. Look for a red or green light on the sides, a flashing white strobe, and a sound that arrives late.
A drone
Red, green and white lights, sharp stops, sudden direction changes and a thin, high whine when it comes close. Drones often fly in the evening near towns, farms and parks.
Sky lanterns or flares
Orange, flickering lights drifting together on the wind, rising slowly and then winking out. Parachute flares from military ranges hang in a row and sink slowly for several minutes.
How the matching works
Each answer adds points to creatures whose descriptions fit: where they are reported, how big witnesses say they are, how they move, what people hear and see. Region counts most, because many creatures belong to one lake, swamp or county. The result is a list of reports that sound like yours, not proof of anything. We don't claim any of these creatures are real, and we don't claim they're not.
Browse the full creature index, or compare sizes with the size comparison.