Abstract
One of cryptozoology's main concerns is the possible survival of animals thought to be long extinct. Because the geological record is incomplete, the possibility of fossil animals surviving to the present cannot be ruled out. Comparison is made between the objects of study of zoology and the non-animal subjects of other disciplines, including botany, and the conclusion is drawn that the elusiveness of some animals is the main reason for the existence of, and need for, cryptozoology. Given the nature of cryptic animals, cryptozoology has to apply its own methods of research.