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The Squonk is a creature from Appalachian folklore who cries a lot because it feels so ugly [1]

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Date: 2025-11-06  

The Squonk is a creature from Appalachian folklore that can't stand the sight of its own appearance. It feels so ashamed of its looks that it avoids its reflection at all costs and lives in isolation. The alleged danger of a Squonk is its contagious misery.

From Cryptid Wiki: "The legend holds that the creature's skin is ill-fitting, covered with warts and that, because it is ashamed of its appearance, it hides from plain sight, and spends most of its time weeping. Hunters who have tried catching squonks have found out that the creature is capable of dissolving completely into a pool of tears and bubbles when cornered. A man named J. P. Wentling is supposed to have coaxed the creature into a bag, which when he carried it home suddenly lightened. Upon further inspection, he found that all that remained was the liquid remains of the sad animal."

The Squonk is said to live in the Pennsylvania mountains (so beware). Illustrations of the Squonk make me feel sorry for the poor critter, because it's actually quite adorable looking, and doesn't know it. I want to wipe Squonk's little tears away and give it a pat on its wart-covered head.

See also: Cryptid is a fun tabletop game of 'honest misdirection'

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