Ever seen a chupacabra?

[sourland]

OT. SuziQ991, are you treating the coyote pup with Ivermectin for the mange? It works well for Demodectic- not sure about Sarcoptic. Just curious.

 

[SuziQ991]

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Yes that is what we use. She has had her second dose, so she should start getting better now. So far we have only come across Demodectic. It usually takes a couple months to get their coat back.

 

[Ariel301]

Several of those "chupacabras" you see in news/internet photos have been professionally necropsied and DNA tested. One I believe was a mangy Chow that had been hit by a car, and others have all been deformed coyotes. There is evidence that there is a mutated line of coyotes in some areas, particularly Texas/Oklahoma that have thin to no hair, strange muzzles and teeth, and move with an abnormal gait. Do a little internet research and you'll find some information on that, I don't have it on hand right now. The one in the link shown on the original post is a coyote, no doubt about that. It's even fully furred and looks normal to me. Just jumping up/running in an awkward way. If it took more than a couple of steps on the hind feet like that, perhaps it has a brain or front-limb injury that is causing it to move oddly.

I don't believe these coyotes are responsible for the strange deaths of goats or other animals that are blamed on the chupacabra, though I do think there is legitimately something going on there that we don't fully understand.

 

[sandiatonimarie]

SuziQ991 wrote:
Caution- Graphic Pic

Ok I took a pic today of my coyote with mange. Keep in mind that she has already had her second dose of meds for mange, two weeks
apart. I didn't want to stress her out, so I left her in the cage, but you get the idea. There are many photos of chupacabra, but I think this matches one of them that is going around.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/39403_dsc00683.jpg
Also this is a young coyote, about three months, so it is smaller. Here is a pic of a healthy coyote the same age to compare.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/39403_dsc00686.jpg
Again, I don't want to cause debates about rehabbers, so please be nice to me

I have chickens -- in their own chicken fortress because there are coyotes around here, too. I think what you do with the rehabbing is totally wonderful! Keep on!​

 

[SuziQ991]

Thanks all for your positive replies! BYC is the best!

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

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I still think it has something to do with natural selection. A coyote mutation being passed on and on until there's a new species.

I hope the chupacabra exists. Through all the gross scary stuff, they're kinda cute...

 

[StormyMoon]

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My husband is from mexico he was told the Lechuza was a witch that transforms into an owl , she makes a noise in the night and if you answer it or go looking for it she will get the person, child or adult.

The cucuy is just the boogy man not really mythical but a lot like my american parents told me that the boogy man only got children who got out of bed at night.
In mexico they make up a lot of things for publicity thinking they can make money off it which one man did make money off it for about a yr in mexico selling t shirts and hats with the chupacabra images and logo all over them.

A few yrs ago someone was filming out in the mountains in mexico a fly crossed over the camera they blurred the image and said they saw a real live witch flying in the sky. Its on youtube look it up, then they show it being debunked its pretty funny actually.

 

[noodleroo]

StormyMoon wrote: "My husband is from mexico he was told the Lechuza was a witch that transforms into an owl , she makes a noise in the night and if you answer it or go looking for it she will get the person, child or adult."
The first time I heard of the Lechuza was from my Spanish teacher in high school (MANY years ago) and I got the feeling that he had been tortured with the fear of it when he was a child.

 

[Chickiemama1010]

look up "sampson fox" online. Its a RARE genetic mutation(like birth defect) that sometimes affects normal red foxes. It is very uncommon, but the genetic flaw prevents the fox from being able to grow fur. Sometimes they are completely furless, and sometimes they just have fur patches or a ridge down the back etc. Due to their furless condition, they are forced to hunt during the day to keep warm, which is uncharacteristic of foxes. The sampson fox usually spends its evenings sleeping underground or even under buildings since it has no thick fur to keep it warm at night when "normal" foxes are out and about. We are so used to the image of a fluffy tailed fox, we get freaked out by a naked one, with a long skinny tail, and big pointed ears etc. and "chupacabra" comes to mind.

That said, I DO believe in breeding and species evolution. I have no doubt certain genes get passed on, especially in smaller gene pools, and recessive genes become more dominant due to inbreeding or just plain small genetic diversity of certain species populations. Therefore I dont discount the possibility of the ""chupacabra"" being a type of coyote, fox or whatever, that has evolved through limited genetic population into a sub-species of a more common animal, especially considering the hard times predator animals face with hunting, farming, trapping, and the development of land. Creation of a new subspecies can take several generations of offspring to be consistent. Maybe thats why so many versions of "chupas" are described. If you think about your chickens, there were probably only a few breeds of them a few hundred years ago, but through breeding, small gene pools, and likely a little inbreeding, there are literally hundreds of breeds of chickens, that are all different in there own rights. And 2 barred rocks make another barred rock. And 2 buff orps make another buff orp. But many generations of breeding buff orp/barred rock cross into each other over and over could possibly produce a whole new species, that always produces the same type of offspring (shall we call them barred orps?) And this is because of dominant and recessive genes, and natural selection. It is the same reason Swedish people are known for their blonde hair and blue eyes, and Italians are known for their olive toned skin and dark hair. Of course they are all HUMANS. But they have different genetic backgrounds. Recessive genes in a localized gene pool have the ability to become the norm - the dominant gene-when they are given opportunity to mingle with other recessive genes. And likewise, dominant genes have the ability to overpower recessives and eliminate them altogether in the same fashion. If it can be so obvious in humans, chickens, cats(ever notice how all the stray cats in a certain neighborhood kinda all look the same?)...why not coyotes? or foxes?

Thats my take on it, for what its worth. Evolution at work.
Thats not meant to offend anyone with different beliefs than I have. We should celebrate diversity in ALL aspects, whether its genetic, or otherwise.

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

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Very good point. I agree with you, it's all evolution. One coyote had a mutation, it lived and passed on that mutation in a recessive gene. Meanwhile, another coyote had the same mutation and passed it on as a recessive gene. Eventually the two recessive genes come together and a chupacabra is born!


You see? That's why they have coyote DNA- they are coyotes with special mutations