A
lake monster (or, in Scotland,
loch monster) is a variety of freshwater-dwelling megafauna that has been claimed to exist by eyewitnesses, and which sometimes appears in
mythology,
rumor, or local
folklore, but whose existence is not currently substantiated by clear physical evidence. Lake monsters are
cryptids (animals whose existence has been proposed based on eyewitness testimony, but has yet to be confirmed). A very well-known example is the
Loch Ness Monster. Lake monsters' depictions are often similar to some
sea monsters. They are principally the subject of investigations by followers of the study of
cryptozoology and
folklore.