About Types of aliens
The kinds of extraterrestrial beings described in UFO reports and lore: greys, Nordics, reptilians and more.
- Also known as
- Alien types, kinds of aliens
- Most reported
- Greys
- Other common types
- Nordics, reptilians, "little men", insect-like beings
- Evidence
- Witness accounts only
The full story, section by section
The story of Types of aliens in 6 parts. Tap any part to read it in full.
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GreysGreys are described as about a metre tall, with grey skin, large hairless heads, and large black almond-shaped eyes.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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NordicsNordics are tall, fair-haired and human-looking, often said to come from the Pleiades.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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ReptiliansReptilians are scaly, human-sized beings.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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"Little men" and monstersEarlier reports described small, goblin-like figures, as in the 1955 Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter, or tall monsters such as the 1952 Flatwoods monster.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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Other descriptionsAbduction literature also mentions tall "insect-like" or mantis-like beings, and "tall whites", described by Charles Hall, a former Air Force weather observer who said he met them near Nellis Air Force Base in the 1960s.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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Where the descriptions come fromFolklorists and psychologists point out that alien types change with the times: human-like visitors warning about nuclear war in the 1950s, greys after science-fiction films and television of the 1960s–70s, and reptilian conspiracies in the internet age.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
Key people
The people at the centre of the story — witnesses, investigators, officials and sceptics:
- Whitley StrieberLouis Whitley Strieber is an American writer known for his horror and speculative fiction, as well as his 1987 best-selling non-fiction book, Communion. In the book, he described being taken from his…
- George AdamskiGeorge Adamski was a Prussian-born American writer, lecturer, and occult teacher who became the most famous 1950s UFO contactee. During the 1940s and 1950s, he claimed to photograph alien spacecraft …
- Charles HallCharles Hall is a former U.S. Air Force weather observer who was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada from 1965 to 1967.
Related cases & events
Events and sightings linked to Types of aliens:
🛸 Case · 7 min readKelly–Hopkinsville encounterOn the night of August 21 to 22, 1955, at a farmhouse near Kelly, Kentucky, two families claimed they were attacked by small, strange creatures that they fought off with gunfire. Law enforcement and military personnel who responded to the scene found no evide…
🛸 Case · 9 min readFlatwoods monsterThe Flatwoods monster case is a well-known 1950s close encounter story involving a tall humanoid figure. It occurred on the evening of September 12, 1952, at a farm in Flatwoods, West Virginia, after a group of residents went to look for a bright light that h…
🛸 Case · 16 min readBetty and Barney Hill incidentThe Betty and Barney Hill incident occurred on the night of September 19–20, 1961, along U.S. Route 3 in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.Related topics & places
Ideas, terms and places that come up in the story:
📖 Term · 6 min readGrey alienGrey aliens are purported extraterrestrial beings depicted as small, hairless humanoids with large heads and black eyes, becoming popular cultural icons through modern abduction reports and media. The image spread significantly following the 1961 Betty and Ba…
📖 Term · 3 min readNordic aliensNordic aliens are described in UFO literature as tall, human-like extraterrestrials with blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin who are said to originate from the Pleiades star cluster. These benevolent figures were prominent in 1950s contact claims, particular…
📖 Term · 4 min readReptiliansReptilians are reptile-like humanoids that feature in fantasy, science fiction, ufology, and conspiracy theories. The idea that shape-shifting reptilian aliens secretly control the Earth was popularized by British conspiracy theorist David Icke. The concept t…
📖 Term · 10 min readAlien abductionAlien abduction is the claim that individuals are taken against their will by non-human beings aboard a spacecraft to undergo physical and psychological procedures. Reports of these events occurred worldwide between 1952 and 1995, with the first widely public…
📖 Term · 4 min readContacteeA contactee is a person who claims to have ongoing, generally positive contact with friendly, human-like extraterrestrials who deliver messages of peace and warnings against nuclear weapons. This cultural phenomenon began in the late 1940s and peaked during t…
🧭 Topic overview · 2 min readAre aliens real?What science and the official investigations say about whether extraterrestrial life exists and whether it has visited Earth.🗓️ Types of aliens on the UAP timeline
- A writer using a pseudonym publishes books claiming 'grey aliens' are involved in human affairs. Read the article →
🛸 UFO sightings about Types of aliens
Sightings that mention Types of aliens
More in the encyclopedia
Other articles that link to or mention Types of aliens:
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Questions & answers
What is Types of aliens?
Types of aliens: The kinds of extraterrestrial beings described in UFO reports and lore: greys, Nordics, reptilians and more. Read: Types of aliens →
What else is Types of aliens called?
Types of aliens is also known as Alien types, kinds of aliens.
Who is Whitley Strieber?
Whitley Strieber: Louis Whitley Strieber is an American writer known for his horror and speculative fiction, as well as his 1987 best-selling non-fiction book, Communion. In the book, he described being taken from his upstate New York cabin by non-human beings on December 26, 1985. His accounts of these encounters sparked widespread public interest in UFO stories, though skeptics have attributed his experiences to phenomena such as sleep paralysis and hallucinations. Read: Whitley Strieber →
Who is George Adamski?
George Adamski was a Prussian-born American writer, lecturer, and occult teacher who became the most famous 1950s UFO contactee. During the 1940s and 1950s, he claimed to photograph alien spacecraft and meet friendly human-like beings called Space Brothers, whom he said took him on flights to the Moon and other planets. While his widely read books and lectures gained a large following and inspired post-war UFO culture, most researchers and scientists dismissed his claims as an elaborate hoax and scientifically impossible. Read: George Adamski →
Who is Charles Hall?
Charles Hall is a former U.S. Air Force weather observer who was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada from 1965 to 1967. Read: Charles Hall →
What was Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter?
Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter: On the night of August 21 to 22, 1955, at a farmhouse near Kelly, Kentucky, two families claimed they were attacked by small, strange creatures that they fought off with gunfire. Law enforcement and military personnel who responded to the scene found no evidence of the creatures. The U. Read: Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter →
What was Flatwoods monster?
Flatwoods monster: The Flatwoods monster case is a well-known 1950s close encounter story involving a tall humanoid figure. It occurred on the evening of September 12, 1952, at a farm in Flatwoods, West Virginia, after a group of residents went to look for a bright light that had streaked across the sky. While investigators originally claimed the group met an alien, a later skeptical investigation concluded the light was a meteor, a pulsing red light was an aircraft beacon, and the "monster" was a barn owl. Read: Flatwoods monster →
What is Grey alien?
Grey aliens are purported extraterrestrial beings depicted as small, hairless humanoids with large heads and black eyes, becoming popular cultural icons through modern abduction reports and media. The image spread significantly following the 1961 Betty and Barney Hill case and later appeared in various books, films, and conspiracy theories. Psychologists and skeptics view the appearance as a cultural product shaped by science fiction, early literature, and human associations with intelligence. Read: Grey alien →
What is Nordic aliens?
Nordic aliens are described in UFO literature as tall, human-like extraterrestrials with blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin who are said to originate from the Pleiades star cluster. These benevolent figures were prominent in 1950s contact claims, particularly through figures like George Adamski, before being largely replaced by grey aliens in later decades. Believers view these beings as telepathic protectors concerned with Earth's peace and ecology, though most UFO investigators regarded early claimants as charlatans. Read: Nordic aliens →