Naga

Naga are deeply embedded in South and Southeast Asian mythology, depicted as massive serpents or half-human, half-cobra beings that dwell in rivers, lakes, or subterranean realms. In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, they range from protective deities guarding treasures and holy sites to vengeful spirits that bring floods or droughts. While not cryptids in the Western sense, modern sightings occasionally emerge of enormous snakes in remote jungles or mysterious wakes crossing wide rivers, which locals might interpret as literal nagas. These stories blend spiritual reverence with cryptozoological intrigue, showing how age-old mythic archetypes adapt seamlessly to every unexplained ripple or sudden glimpse of something immense sliding through muddy water.