French scientists have found that cat-foxes mentioned in Corsican legends are a separate species, reports Naked Science, citing the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB).
Previously, shepherds spoke of elusive cats, calling them fox cats. The animals supposedly hid during the day and went hunting at night to attack the lambs. Scientists considered such stories to be fantasies, and the described cats were feral domestic animals.
However, in 2008, a fox cat was caught for the first time in a chicken coop. Since then, the characteristics of these animals have been studied. Scientists recently announced that DNA studies have shown that Corsican cats have a unique genetic lineage, whose origin and exact taxonomic status have yet to be clarified. In addition, they are much larger than domestic ones: their length reaches 90 cm. The reddish coat of the cat-fox is dense and silky, and the tip of the tail is always black.
Captured animals will be equipped with GPS collars to study their behavior and migratory behavior.
Source: Rosbalt
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