Corsican ‘cat-fox’ confirmed as unique species

Paris: The French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) said the elusive striped “fox”, commonly known as Corsican shepherds, has long been the subject of it. Scientific focusis a distinct species endemic to the French Mediterranean islands.

New genetic analysis has “revealed a Unique genetic strain Wildcats” were found in a remote forest in northern Corsica, he confirmed.

Genetic sampling clearly distinguishes ring-tailed Corsican cat foxes from mainland wild cats and domestic cats, the OFB said in a statement.

Resembling domestic cats in some ways, the cat fox gets its name from its length — measuring 90 cm (35 in) from head to tail — and its distinctive black-tipped, ringed tail. Is.

Other Distinctive features Includes stripes on the front legs, “very dark” hind legs, and a russet belly. The dense, silky coat is a natural repellent for fleas, ticks and lice.

After years of playing a cat-and-mouse game — the obscure feline finally became part of a collaborative research effort when it was unexpectedly captured in a local chicken coop in 2008.

But it has long been part of local folklore.

“The cat-fox is part of our shepherd mythology,” Carlo Anton Cecchini, head of the forest cat mission at the National Hunting and Wildlife Office, told AFP in 2019.

Generation after generation, they told stories of how wild cats attacked the udders of their sheep and goats.

The discovery of a unique genetic lineage is an essential step towards ensuring adequate conservation and protection of endangered species.