So, Just What Color is the Yeti?
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on February 18th, 2006
In a previous post here on Cryptomundo about the Disney attraction Expedition Everest’s Yeti, a commenter stated that they thought that the Yeti was white. The Yeti in that attraction is obviously not sporting white hair…
Yet, all of the souvenirs and promotional items and appearances show the Yeti sporting white hair.
There is the white abominable snowman that is part of the Disneyland Matterhorn attraction. Speculation is that the same souvenirs will be used for both attractions, hence the white yeti/abominable snowman items.
In a future post here on Cryptomundo we will go back in time to explore the history of the yeti and the abominable snowman and explore the misconceptions of these mysterious creatures.
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
It’s still more believable than Disneyland’s Yeti, though. Besides, it’s probably only white in witness descriptions because it was collecting snow in it’s fur from being outside. This Yeti is inside, from the looks of it, and you can notice some hints of snow left in various areas.
I’m trying to remember one sighting of the yeti in which the creature was descibed as white. It’s been a few years since I’ve read much of the literature but I can’t think of any examples. I’m pretty sure that the white yeti is purely a movie creation. It’s a fairly logical one – a white monster blends into the snow better than a brown one.
Actually the only place I’ve ever seen a yeti as white is an old Scooby Doo cartoon! Still An old original Johny Quest episode had yetis that were dark colored. As I understand the current thinking/understanding yetis travel across snow but live in wooded valleys. So -presuming it real, it is a mammal so I don’t see why seasonal color variations could not exist.
Besides I only remember reports noting dark color animals.
There have been reports of white Squatches. Wasn’t the Lake Worth Monster supposed to be white, or light-colored?
One of my friends has seen a white, 5’6″ to 6′ tall Bigfoot while hunting for turkey, so a seasonal color difference is very possible.
Say….isn’t the second white yeti a character I saw on “Space Ghost” as a child? As for the colors of yetis I have heard only of brown or a blue-ish black.
I dont think I have read many reports of a white Yeti for some time-on another note the Disney Yeti seems to remind me of a darker coloured ‘Hoth Wampa’ from Empire Strikes Fame-It even looks like the ‘Bigfoot’ in the old movie ‘Snowbeast’.So much for Disney originality.
I’d say a white Yeti is just about as plausible as any other natural color (I’d be very suspicious of a plaid Yeti!). Polar bears have yellowish or white, hollow hair but black skin to absorb the sun’s heat. Presumably the Yeti might follow suit.
I think the yeti is actually more of an ice blue/white almost metallic shimmering…but the closest recognizable color to the eye witness is white.
Yetis are not white, except in myth, mostly Western myth. Traditionally, in Nepal, Sikkim, and Tibet, close up sightings of Yeti describe their color as the basic primate blacks to brownish reds. It seems that as soon as the mistranslation to “Abominable Snowman” occurred in the West, the notion has been that these cryptids are white. It is an unfortunate mistake that is still being made with Yeti toys and souvenirs. And art.