Corsican wildcat - a new breed discovered on Corsica

When a myth becomes reality: that's how the discovery of the new species of cat that has only been considered to be a legend for centuries could be described.

Stories were told about the mythical "cat fox" on the French island of Corsica for generations. It was part of many myths and fairy tales. People even attributed magical powers to it. The animal looked like a big cat. It had a bushy tail, long canines and the color of a fox. For a long time they were considered to be a mere myth, until a few were caught in a remote part of the island.

The newly discovered cat is truly big (about 90 cm in length) and more powerful than European cats, and it has longer fangs in proportion to its body. Its extremely thick coat, which protects it from fleas and ticks, is indeed similar to that of a fox in color and patterns. It prefers a nocturnal life, which is why it was only discovered recently. According to initial DNA research, it does not have much in common with European wild cats. It has been found to be more closely related to the African wildcat, which raised many other questions. How did it get across the sea from the African continent to the European island? 

The very first individual was caught quite randomly in a chicken coop in 2008. 4 years later researchers placed wooden sticks around the island, which the cats like to smell and rub against. This is how they first received the DNA and fur samples from the animal. Since 2016, more than 10 specimens have been captured, studied and released again. 

 Experts from the French National Office for Hunting and Wildlife continue to observe and study this gold-striped cat to determine its identity, identify its origins and learn about the animal's eating and other habits. Scientists also advocate the protection and recognition of the Corsican wildcat as a new species of wild cat.

Have you seen the "fox cat"? If not, you can take a look at it here. I'm curious what other facts scientists will discover about it.

Related articles

Which cat breed is the right one for you?

If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...

Ili pika - the magical rabbit

Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...

When the dog has itchy paws

If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...

First aid for poisoning I - Chocolate

No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...

Dogtrekking

Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.