To Die For? Not!
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 4th, 2009
This was sort of painful to read. Or maybe it was because it was accompanied by more Texas dead dog photos.
The UK’s Telegraph published a thankfully short article, “10 monsters to see before you die.”
Here’s their list:
Chupacabras
Bigfoot
Yeti/Abominable Snowman
Loch Ness Monster
Jersey Devil
Yowie
Yeren
Pukwudgie
Aliens
Swedish Storsjoodjuret
“Aliens”? I chalk that up to laziness. Same goes for Pukwudgies.
For those that need to be reminded, ”More” is the theme song to the 1962 Italian film Mondo Cane (“A Dog’s World”). This video was at 632 views when I posted it. It seems appropriate to go with the continuing Chupacabras theme being promoted by the Texas-Oklahoma news services, and now worldwide media. Heaven help us.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Before we dismiss this as simply a Canine, shouldn’t we wait to get the DNA results if tests are being done? Is it possible that this is an undocumented species of Canine?
In my opinion, finding an undocumented animal that size in the U.S. would be significant, Chup. or not.
This is a Taxidermist that we are talking about. If I read correctly, an Instructer. I’m sure that he has seen many diseased animals. It’s safe for me to assume that he knows a dog when he sees it.
Let’s hold off on the Dog’s World for a bit.
It’s a dog. The dentition and gross morphology are pure canine. Possibly it’s a coyote/dog mix which has thrown up a hybrid that is more susceptible to mange or other skin diseases. Or maybe these hairless dogs are a new hybrid that is naturally hairless.
Either way, though, it’s still a dog. Remember the Maine Mutant? Dog. Some of the earlier Chupacabras sightings and bodies which looked very similar to this one? Dogs.
A lot of people who contribute to this site seem to have an inflated idea of the effectiveness of DNA testing and a very UNDERinflated idea of the price for it. DNA testing can be expensive, folks, and even when it is done properly, it can’t yield results that are all that conclusive, sometimes. Remember all the MonsterQuest DNA test results that came back ‘Inconclusive’? Bummer if you are the one paying for it.
And even if DNA testing is done on the animal, it will come back either ‘DOG’ or ‘Inconclusive’. There is no base line DNA for ‘Chupacabras’ so it cannot be the conclusion of the test
And unless you want to get really expensive in the DNA test category, you’ll never get a rundown of just exactly what kind of dog, coyote, wolf is in the ancestry of the bodies that are coming to light. So who is going to foot the bill that everyone seems ready to demand, but no one seems ready to pay?
Personally, I think that these people that find the Maine Mutants, washed up raccoons, have Chupacabras in the freezer, etc. are fooling themselves out of a need to find that the unusual and exotic is present in their own lives. A lot of people want to have the paranormal and the special close at hand and will twist ordinary reality to have it.
This is not to say that I don’t believe in the unusual, exotic, paranormal and special. I do, to the extent that my own personal beliefs can tolerate. But by definition the unusual, exotic, paranormal and special are RARE. The everyday (which contains an awful lot of the unusual, exotic, etc.) is the norm and always will be, because it IS the everyday. Cryptids are rare or they wouldn’t be cryptids, they’d be pets and barnyard animals. So until someone finds a Chupacabras in their garage or barn, standing on two legs, with red eyes and spines on its back, let’s let the dead dogs rest in peace.
It’s ears look cropped to me. You don’t see triangle ears like that on any canine except ones that have been cropped by people.
I’m pretty sure it’s a Dog, also—
But I agree with Pressure—let’s make sure with DNA testing, Ok?
Like the Telegraph list. Except for the “Aliens”. Ohhhk. 🙂
There have already been DNA tests done on these canids (not this dog in question, but others that have been collected). The results show that these creatures ARE a hybrid of coyotes and other stray pets, which is not to say that these finds aren’t important. They are unusual and as I’ve mentioned in an earlier post the usual “mange” explanation for a lack fur seem ridiculous. One or two cases with such an extreme version of the disease I’ll buy, but so many spread over the entire south (though centered in Texas) seems more than just mange. I think we have a new breed of “coydog”, one that has become rather successful judging by its range. Seeing this new breed emerge and how it has managed to go unnoticed for so long makes them a perfect case study for dealing with other cryptids.
Also, while I don’t believe these hybrids are Chupacabras I believe they have been given the name because the phrase has become so popular lately and is used for ANY unknown animal. Just as any unknown hominid is a “bigfoot” any unknown predator in Texas is a “chupacabra”. The fact that people are recognizing these creatures from past sightings made by their father and grandfather is important because it shows this breed has been around for a long time and has gone unnoticed until now. Regardless of the name given these canids are important and we should regard them as such.
Uriah,
Good point. I don’t see anything that distinguishes this specimen, from a dead Doberman Pinscher. Chupacabra(s)? Please…
It’s funny that you connect this article with the movie Mondo Cane and this song, More. What a contrast. In case there are any dog lovers out there who think a move called “mondo cane” must be about dogs, I warn the would-be movie viewer that by the standards of 1963 it was a shocker, though by today’s standards it would be considered merely “graphic” and has nothing to do with dogs except in the metaphorical sense.
You know, now that I look at it, I’m betting this is a doberman. The snout, cropped ears, apparent lack of a tail-I bet that’s what it turns out to be.
Still, something strange is going on with all these near identical animals. Either a really bad mange epidemic has hit Texas or there is a new species/mutation out there.
Excellent comment graybear and pressure isn’t maintaining it is a chupa but possibly an undocumented species or as graybear suggests a hybrid but certainly not a chupcabras.
Graybear and Sirupapers DO make a point. Thye might be on to something that this may be a HYBRID.
Still a significant discovery. Maybe not for the evening news but still important. Let’s test this.
Had not thought Doberman Pinscher. Good call.
There is an interesting breed of dog that’s becoming more popular that’s almost hairless, the Chinese Crested. These dogs are very prone to running off when loose and getting lost. Our shelter takes in strays pretty regularly. They get badly sunburnt if left outside for long periods causing the skin to become very distorted and scared in extreme cases looking like advanced mange. They are somewhat small dogs, but if crossbred will no doubt pass on the hairless trait in some frequency.
The Texas specimen has bares a close resemblence in general form to a Chinese Crested though somewhat larger. Cresteds can have large canines, too. Just Google “ugliest dog” to see what a badly sunburnt CC looks like. Skin cancers may have killed the dog in the photos, very likely the case.