Chupacabra Mystery Solved

http://news.discovery.com/animals/pets/chupacabra-mystery-solved.htm

Old news by now but worth repeating

Chupacabra Mystery Solved

Oct 22, 2010 02:05 PM ET // by Jennifer Viegas

Halloween stories about the ghostly "chupacabra" circulate every year, but now scientists have solved the mystery surrounding this legendary animal.

Instead of being vicious, fanged creatures that supposedly drink the blood of livestock, chupacabras turn out to be wild dogs inflicted with a deadly form of mange, according to University of Michigan biologist Barry OConnor.

(Scientists believe legendary chupacabras monsters are actually coyotes with severe cases of mange, like the animal pictured here. Credit: Dan Pence)

 

The myth about chupacabras, also known as goatsuckers, started after reports of livestock attacks in Puerto Rico and Mexico, where dead sheep were discovered with puncture wounds, completely drained of blood. Similar reports began accumulating from other locations in Latin America and the U.S. Then came sightings of evil-looking animals, variously described as dog-like, rodent-like or reptile-like, with long snouts, large fangs, leathery or scaly greenish-gray skin and a nasty odor. Locals put two and two together and assumed the ugly varmints were responsible for the killings.

OConnor, however, and other scientists conclude that an 8-legged mite that burrows under the skin of coyotes can give these animals the "chupacabra" look.

He explains that the mite responsible for the extreme hair loss seen in "chupacabras syndrome" is Sarcoptes scabiei, which also causes the itchy rash known as scabies in people. Human scabies is an annoyance, but not usually a serious health or appearance problem, partly because our bodies are already virtually hairless and partly because the population of mites on a given person usually is relatively small—only 20 or 30 mites.

Humans have likely evolved natural defenses for this mite over the years. When we began to domesticate dogs, we likely spread the mites to them. When the mites then transfer to wild dogs, such as foxes, wolves and coyotes, the victims appear to be less able to fight them off.

"Whenever you have a new host-parasite association, it's pretty nasty," said OConnor, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and a curator in the U-M Museum of Zoology. "It does a lot of damage, and mortality can be relatively high because that host species has not had any evolutionary history with the parasite, so it has not been able to evolve any defenses like we have."

In these unfortunate animals, large numbers of mites burrowing under the skin cause inflammation, which results in thickening of the skin. Blood supply to hair follicles is cut off, so the fur falls out. In especially bad cases, the animal's weakened condition opens the door to bacteria that cause secondary skin infections, sometimes producing a foul odor. Put it all together, and you've got an ugly, naked, leathery, smelly monstrosity: the chupacabras.

But what then explains the "goatsucker" livestock attacks?

"Because these animals are greatly weakened, they're going to have a hard time hunting," OConnor said. "So they may be forced into attacking livestock because it's easier than running down a rabbit or a deer."

Wild dogs aren't the only ones to suffer from deadly mites. Mite-infected squirrels often become roadkill because they are weak and less able to scurry away from cars. In Australia, the "chupacabra" mite is killing off wombats.

"(Wombats) presumably got the mites from dingoes, which got them from domestic dogs, which got them from us," he explained.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcoptic_mange

 

Itch Mite

Street Dog infected  with Sarcoptic Mange, Bali

 

Sarcoptic mange

See also: Scabies

Sarcoptic mange, also known as canine scabies, is a highly contagious infestation of Sarcoptes scabiei canis, a burrowing mite. The canine sarcoptic mite can also infest cats, pigs, horses, sheep and various other species. The human analog of burrowing mite infection, due to a closely related species, is called scabies (the "seven year itch").

All these burrowing mites are in the family Sarcoptidae. They dig into and through the skin, causing intense itching from an allergic reaction to the mite, and crusting that can quickly become infected. Hair loss and crusting frequently appear first on elbows and ears. Skin damage can occur from the dog's intense scratching and biting. Secondary skin infection is also common. Dogs with chronic sarcoptic mange are often in poor condition, and in both animals and humans, immune suppression from starvation or any other disease causes this type of mange to develop into a highly crusted form in which the burden of mites is far higher than in healthy specimens.

A Vark Hond, or a Namibian Hogzilla?

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/244107/82/Hybrid-Dog-Headed-Pig-Terrorizes-Africa

Hybrid Dog Headed Pig Terrorizes Africa

NAMIBIA -- Residents in northern Namibia, on the southwest coast of Africa, have reported being terrorized by a bizarre dog-pig hybrid creature.
The animal is said to be mostly white and unlike anything the villagers have ever seen, with a doglike head and the broad, round, nearly hairless back and shoulders of a giant pig.
The beast was spotted chasing and attacking dogs, goats and other domestic animals in this arid region not far from the Kalahari desert.
As often happens when rumors of monsters spread in rural areas around the world, some locals have taken extra safety precautions, such as traveling in groups and arming themselves with weapons.
In 1995 and 1996, some Puerto Ricans armed themselves against the vampire beast el chupacabra; last year, Malaysian residents patrolled the streets searching for the mysterious orang minyak, or "oily man" creature that had recently terrorized them.
What could this monster be? One Namibian official, regional councilor Andreas Mundjindi, was quoted in Informante newspaper as saying, "This is an alien animal that the people have not seen before. We don't have a forest here, only bushes. So, this must be black magic at play."

Some people in the area trace the beast to one old man rumored to be a warlock or witch doctor, suggesting it's his pet (or, what witch-hunters hundreds of years ago would have called a "familiar").
The assumption that the beast has magical origins is not surprising. A 2010 Gallup poll found belief in magic widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with more than half of respondents saying they personally believe in witchcraft and sorcery.
This is not the first time that unusual animals have been spotted in rural areas of Namibia; several other monsters have been reported over the years, including in July 2009, when unknown creatures reportedly sucked the blood out of livestock, including nearly two dozen goats.
Though no one saw the monsters, they were said to have left footprints similar to those of a dog, but much larger. Police followed the footprints, but they mysteriously stopped in an open field, as if the creature suddenly took flight or vanished.
At that time, locals were also convinced that the strange beast was the product of black magic - going so far as to accuse an old man and his sister of conjuring the creature.
It's not clear whether locals believe that the current dog-headed, pig-bodied animal is the same mystery creature that terrorized the region three years ago.
Whether the reports are real or rumor, hopefully belief in these creatures won't be used as an excuse for mob attacks on elderly men and women suspected of witchcraft.

--In this case it seems quite obvious to me that what we have is a quite ordinary feral hog with mixed pig-boar characteristics, a round body short on hair that looks like a domesticated pig and a long-snouted head with large fangs like a wild boar's head that reminds local people of a dog's head. Please bear in mind most of the locals would only have SEEN domesticated swine and the sight of a wild boar's head would probably come as a shock to most of them.

At left, Wild boar cross with "Doglike" fangs: at right, wild boar cross with thinner hair on body.


And the 2009 "Apparition" (if it should be called such) was once again a case of feral dogs at work and leaving recognizable dog tracks. Calling it a "Chupacabras attack" would be as wrong as any other time such feral dog attacks would be called "Chupacabras", but at least it would be consistent.

Best Wishes, Dale D.

Mangy Mutt Chupacabras

As far as evidence put forth to support the notion of Chupacabras goes, nearly all of the domesticated animal killings and the second largest category of "Creature" sightings are due to canids, including foxes and coyotes but mostly feral dogs-and nearly all of them suffering from poor treatment, malnutrition and a skin disease (mange). Several of the affected dogs are largely to completely hairless, and the ones that still have any hair left have it mostly on their heads, necks, and spines.

This is not any really new news. There are sites around with such names as "Chupacabras, the Blood-Sucking Dog"

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7129413-mystery-story-about-the-devil-dog-blood-sucking-chupacabra-solved-by-one-or-a-scientist

http://www.nanlimo.com/2010/07/el-chupacabra-blood-sucking-dog.html

http://www.nanlimo.com/2010/07/legend-of-el-chupacabra-dog-vacuum.html


http://travelerhubs.hubpages.com/slide/Chupacabra-Pictures/2452422

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101126141747AAcys6J

Was it really a chupacabra the blood sucking dog I saw this evening, when driving home from work?

I live in Tuscola Texas, just off highway 83. I work as a state ranger, which I do a 2 day shift, as we rarely get any trouble around there. I was driving home from work this evening, between rows of trees, no more than a mile from my house. My radio was buzzing as it usually does. My marshal calling into me now and then, and the beating of my wind screen wipers, which were wiping the dust which was blasting up onto my wind screen. My gun was holstered, a Glock 21, 9mm. All I could remember was that I was hot, and tired. I turned into a slight bend when I saw this black object cross my path, I stopped the car, turned on the wipers once more to wipe the dust from the wind screen, and I saw a dog. A hairless dog. I don't know whether it was a trick of the mind, but it's eyes were glowing mild red, not a strong red, a mild cinnamon brownish red color. I took out my pistol, as we're all told to shoot wild dogs, as most of the people in this area keep chickens and poultry. I opened the door of my car, and as the top of the door blocked my view, I couldn't see for a split second, when I stand up fully, the dog is no more than a few feet away. It's eyes are not glowing now, but it looks more like a hairless greyhound. It stand on it's rear legs, and hisses. I pull the trigger 8 times into it's chest. All I could remember then was blood which seemed to flow endlessly under my car. The dogs head was facing towards my right, I ducked under the roof of my car to tell my marshal I'd killed some sort of wild dog, when I stood up again, it's head was facing left. I slammed the door so hard, locked them, and sped off down that road, I didn't stop till I got home, my wife is worried about me, as I'm very shaken up recently, I've taken a few sleeping pills to keep me sleeping. I don't want to tell her what I saw, as I do not want to worry her, we all have heard of chupacabras around Texas, they're a famous blood sucking dog to remind you again, please, any answers would be great, just take the stress off my mind.

Additional Details

I'll probably go back tomorrow, with my buddy Dave Newman.

1 year ago

by Stephani... Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

The chupacabra is mainly described, as a hairless dog. it is a mutated animal between a dog and somehow a kangaroo. its hind leg are slightly longer, thats why they stand on their legs wen in defense , so it could run as fast as a fast moving car. it has teeth sharper than dogs. i got all this info on the history channel on YouTube.

One of the more succinct summaries of the matter:
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0901-chupacabra.html


Photos of alleged blood-sucking chupacabra found in Texas
mongabay.com
September 1, 2007
[update: probably a xolo dog]

Legendary blood-sucking beast found in Texas? Or is it just a dog gone wild?

Phylis Canion, a woman in Texas, believes she may have found the mythical blood-sucking chupacabra as roadkill near her ranch, reports the Associated Press.
The animal, described by Canion as "a cross between two or three different things", was discovered last month. The beast resembles a dog but is mostly hairless with big ears and large fanged teeth.
"It is one ugly creature," Canion told the Associated Press, "I've seen a lot of nasty stuff. I've never seen anything like this."

Frozen head of a so-called Chupacabra in Cuero, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Phylis Canion examines the head (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Canion believes the animal is the chupacabra, a cryptid beast known in rural folklore in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the United States. Its name translates to "goat sucker" from its alleged penchant of drinking the blood of livestock like a vampire. The Chupacabra is sometimes blamed for the disappearance and loss of goats, chickens and other farm animals.
Frozen head of a so-called Chupacabra in Cuero, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Canion says she has lost up to 26 chickens in recent years, possibly as the result of the chupacabra.
After finding the roadkill, she put the beast's head in her freezer for later DNA testing.

At least one local veterinarian is skeptical that the beast in Canion's freezer is the so-called chupacabra.
"I'm not going to tell you that's not a chupacabra. I just think in my opinion a chupacabra is a dog," Travis Schaar of the Main Street Animal Hospital in nearby Victoria, who has seen Canion's find, was quoted as saying. He believes it may just be an unusual breed of dog that prefers to let its prey blood out before feeding.
[Emphasis added by DD]

Nevertheless the sighting has spurred brisk sales in chupacabra apparel in the small Texas town of Cuero.
"If everyone has a fun time with it, we'll keep doing it," she told the AP. "It's good for Cuero."
Not the first chupacabra frenzy

Phylis Canion showing a photo of what she is calling a Chupacabra at her home in Cuero, Texas, Friday, Aug. 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Canion's find is not the first time the carcass of a strange animal has stirred up a chupacabra frenzy. According to Wikipedia, in July 2004, a rancher near San Antonio killed a hairless dog-like creature, which was attacking his livestock. This creature was later determined to be a malformed coyote. Similarly in 2006 an apparent feral dog was killed in Maine. At the time it was reputed to be a "killer mutant beast."
The legend of the chupacabra dates back to 1987 when Puerto Rican newspapers El Vocero and El Nuevo Dia reported on mysterious deaths of animals. Puerto Rican comedian Silverio Pérez is credited with coining the term "chupacabra."

Species Identified: Xoloitzcuintle breed of dog

Regarding the "chupacabra" story: I believe I can clarify the identity of this animal, and some research on the internet would do the same for anyone. It is a Xoloitzcuintle, Xolo for short, otherwise known as a Mexican Hairless dog. They are an unusual and rare breed, but a DOG nevertheless. I own a lovely one, and assure you he doesn't suck the blood of anything. Ludicrous.
What may be most disturbing is that three of these xolos were found as "roadkill", and xolos are very, very uncommon - and not feral in the US! This suggests to me that someone is breeding xolos and dumping "undesirable" dogs.
Finally, Phylis Canion may claim she knows exotic animals, but it appears what she really knows is marketing. [The press is] helping her make a bundle off a dead xolo that appears to have been malnourished and parasite-filled before it died.
For dog lovers like me, [the story is] truly vile.
Thanks for your time.
Best regards,
Claire
Related articles

Chupacabra story is a hoax; likely a Xolo dog breed
(9/4/2007) An alleged chupacabra carcass found in Texas is likely a hoax to sell T-shirts say dog experts. The animal, described in an Associated Press report last week as "a cross between two or three different things", was found as road kill last month near the Texas town of Cuero. The woman who discovered the carcass has been using it to market chupacabra T-shirts. In lively Internet discussions dog breeders say the carcass appears to be that of a Xoloitzcuintle or Xolo, otherwise known as a Mexican Hairless dog, rather than the blood-sucking creature of legend.
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[Travis Schaar's statement made in the article above (which I have highlighted to give it emphasis) sums up the official point of view that many of us agree with. Chupacabras killings and animal mutilations are mostly the work of sickly wild dogs that may feel the need to drink blood to regain their strength, an thus go through the peculiar act of letting their prey drain out so that they can lap the blood up before eating the rest. This is most possible although it is also true that the blood will settle in the body in a short time and leave an apparently "Bloodless" corpse. In this case, the "Chupa" was almost definitely a Xolo or Mexican Hairless dog.-DD]

So what evidence do we have that Chupacabras are due to mangy wild dogs of different sorts?

Well, for one thing, Witnesses have caught them in the act (reconstruction in the artwork at the top of this posting), for another thing, these Chupacabras leave dog tracks (as above) Furthermore, the prey is commonly killed the way a dog would kill it, toothmarks correspond to the pattern of dog teeth left in a standard dog's bite mark, and we continue to find the dead bodies of Mangy Dog Chupacabras (below)

Several photos taken from the previously-noted Chupacabras article by "Cryptozoologist" and showing what looks to be fairly typical damage as done by dogs. The "Cryptozoologist" article notes different types of "Chupacabras", as does the Wikipedia, but the type that is most like a mangy dog is usually the second most numerous kind as far as sightings go. On the other hand, the feral-dog or Canid sightings are noted over a much larger area geographically speaking and probably should be simply stated to be worldwide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra

"Another description of chupacabras, although not as common, describes a strange breed of wild dog. This form is mostly hairless and has a pronounced spinal ridge, unusually pronounced eye sockets, fangs, and claws... Unlike conventional predators, the chupacabras is said to drain all of the animal's blood (and sometimes organs) usually through three holes in the shape of an upside-down triangle or through one or two holes"

Actually the tooth marks reported in Chupacabras cases conform to the shape of dog's teeth and this has been confirmed in official statements made after scientific investigations on Chupacabras attacks. The shape of the holes in the dog's leg below are also consistent with the toothrow of a large dog the concave sides of the toothrow shown in the bitemark on the smaller dog's leg acn be seen in the typical dog's tooth pattern of this dead "Chupacabras".

As far as photos go, I can well believe this is a porcupine up a tree, retouched to add fangs to it.

This is the "Chupacabras" photo suggested by twasbrillig in response to the last Chupacabras posting on this blog, together with the fuller version of the original. It has also been retouched, to my eye by taking out some of the "dark" area in a process of reverse-painting using some appropriate chemical. I have painted "Devils" in the background of pictures for my own amusement before using the process. The original image could very well have been a black bear from the looks of it. The "head" and "tail" are the most-modified.

Below, an impression of Chupacabras variant reports from DeviantArt and posted by kjmarch.

The first is based on a large-bat sighting and the second and fourth are based on dog sightings.

Best Wishes, Dale D.