Can the Xoloitzcuintli Explain Texas Chupacabras Sightings?

I was recently approached by a television producer about doing a cryptid-based show on the “Texas chupacabras.” I agreed to do the show on the condition that I be allowed to share my beliefs on what it was that people were actually seeing. The producers agreed, arrangements for shooting on private land in Texas were made, and a tentative date for the shoot was set. I never mentioned any of this on the blog or my other online outlets as experience had taught me that such plans often fall through. As it turned out, the production company decided that they would not be coming to Texas to film after all. While disappointed – this is a show with which you would all be familiar – I certainly harbor no hard feelings; it’s just the way it goes sometimes. One of my biggest disappointments about not getting to do the program was that I would not be able to give my thoughts on what these “Texas chupacabras” might be. That being the case, I thought a blog post on the topic might be in order. While I won’t reach the number of people I would have on the television show, I am hoping that I can still reach a great many folks this way.

The chupacabras legend is a fairly new addition to the pantheon of cryptid beasts. While the myth may have existed regionally before (For example, residents of the Puerto Rican town of Moca endured the killings of dozens farm animals by a creature dubbed “The Vampire of Moca” in 1975), the possible existence of a blood-sucking creature that attacked livestock on the island of Puerto Rico came to the fore in the early and mid-1990’s. Soon, unusual livestock deaths in the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States were being blamed on chupacabras. The attacks were purported to be similar in that the animals were drained of their blood via two or three puncture marks in the throat or chest, though to my knowledge, this blood-draining has never been confirmed by a necropsy performed by a certified veterinarian. The legend of the chupacabras, however, caught the fancy of the public and spread like wildfire throughout Latin America and north into Texas. 

The original description of the chupacabras – as described by Puerto Ricans in the 1990’s – is of a reptilian-looking creature with a series of long spikes or spines protruding from its back. It had strong back legs on which it stood in a fashion similar to that of a kangaroo. The forelimbs were described as smaller, but ending in “hands” or paws that were tipped with razor sharp talons. The creature’s mode of locomotion was jumping or hopping, again, much like a kangaroo (one must wonder if an imported kangaroo or wallaby might have escaped its enclosure and been wandering around Puerto Rico in the 1990’s). Whatever was hopping around Puerto Rico in the 1990’s seems to have no similarities to the creatures being called chupacabras today. Modern accounts all describe the chupacabras as a canine-like animal, devoid of hair, with grayish-blue to black skin similar to that of an elephant or rhino. The size reported varies from that of a German shepherd to that of a small fox. News outlets seize on every opportunity to publish photos or video of these alleged chupacabras (many Texans refer to them as blue dogs) and have spread this new picture of the creature far and wide. Just this past week, a report of a “chupacabras” wandering about the city of Houston received a lot of attention. In my opinion, the video clearly shows an ill canine of some kind, not a mythical blood-sucking beast. Still, the myth – and this new description – persists.

While I cannot speculate on just what people in Puerto Rico might have seen 20-25 years ago, I do feel that I can offer up a few opinions on what people are seeing here in Texas now. I strongly feel that most “chupacabras” are nothing more than canines suffering from a form of mange. Mange is caused by a parasitic mite that burrows into the skin and kills the hair follicles of the host animal. Sarcoptic mange – also known as canine scabies – causes hair loss, crusting of the skin of the ears and joints, and secondary skin infections. Canines suffering from this form of mange quickly deteriorate into very poor condition if left untreated. The disease is not uncommon among the coyotes and foxes of the Lone Star State. I have seen a mange-ridden coyote myself in the Sam Houston National Forest. It was strange and alien-looking to be sure, but undoubtedly a coyote. It was completely hairless and had the typically described bluish-gray, elephant-like skin. The ribs were protruding and the animal moved slowly and did not appear to be in very good shape at all. I have no doubt that if I had snapped a photo and sent it to the newspaper or local television affiliate, “chupacabras” headlines would have soon followed. I believe strongly, that most sightings of this Texas version of the chupacabras are nothing more than sick, mangy canines.

Having said that, the idea that mangy canines explain ALL chupacabras sightings has never sat particularly well with me. The vast majority of sightings? Absolutely. But, all of them? No. Some of the sightings describe very robust, strong, or fast animals. None of these attributes would be expected from an animal suffering with an advanced case of mange. The famous dashcam footage of what was obviously a very healthy, yet hairless, canine of some kind outside of Cuero, Texas has become the Patterson-Gimlin footage of the chupacabras world. Whatever this creature was, it was clearly healthy. Is there another explanation, another animal that fits the description of the classic Texas chupacabras? As it turns out, yes.

The Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo for short, is a dog breed that fits the classic description of the Texas chupacabras almost perfectly. Also known as the Mexican Hairless, this dog has been around for centuries. Statues resembling the breed have been found in Mayan, Colima, and Aztec ruins and burial sites that date back 3,000 years. Aztec mythology attributed the creation of the breed to Xolotl, the god of lightning and death, who needed the breed to guide souls through the underworld. The tribes of ancient Mexico and Central America believed the Xolo had physical and spiritual healing powers and regarded the breed as sacred. The unusual name of the breed is a combination of Xolotl and itzcuintli, the Aztec word for dog. It is believed that the first European to lay eyes on this hairless breed of canine was none other than Christopher Columbus himself in 1492.* Once the Spanish conquest of the New World began in earnest, the Xolo became more and more rare. The AKC did recognize the breed in 1887 – as the Mexican Hairless – but dropped it from its official registry in 1959 due to extremely low numbers. During this time, British and Mexican authorities worked together to save the Xolo from extinction. The group managed to trap 10-12 wild Xolos in remote Mexican forests and successfully bred them. After the numbers bounced back a bit, the Xolo was eventually named the official dog of Mexico. While well-known south of the Rio Grande, the breed is still rarely seen, and relatively unknown, in the United States.

I was aware of the Mexican Hairless, but mistakenly believed it was a toy-sized dog only. I have since learned that the breed comes in three distinct sizes: Standard, Miniature, and Toy. The breeds range in weight from 10-50 lbs. As the name implies, they are all but completely hairless (there are sometimes tufts of hair on the head, toes, and tail). The skin color of these Xolos is typically black or bluish-gray in color. The allele that causes the breed’s hairlessness is also responsible for abnormalities in the dentition of the breed. Hairless Xolos usually display incomplete or abnormal dentition that can include unusually long canines. The Xolo is very athletic, graceful, and a strong runner with a sturdy build. This vigorous and robust nature is thought to be due to the fact that the breed was never selectively bred historically. While they can make good pets, Xolos are extremely intelligent and have a reputation as escape artists with the ability to climb and/or jump fences.

When the whole picture is put together, the Xolo must be considered a prime suspect in the Texas chupacabras mystery. While not limited to south Texas, the breed is far more common near the Texas-Mexico border. The bulk of chupacabras sightings that are not obviously mange-ridden canines, originate from the southern part of the Lone Star State. The bluish-gray to black skin so commonly reported is a hallmark of the breed. Too, the over-sized ears – sometimes described as resembling those of a mule or donkey – and long canines are common characteristics of the Xolo. The athletic and robust build of the Standard-sized Xolo matches up well to many descriptions given of the chupacabras and the fact that escapees are not uncommon would seem to strengthen the case that the Xolo could be the prime suspect in this mystery. Finally, and maybe the most important fact of all, is that the majority of Texas residents simply are not familiar with the breed. This is not surprising as the breed was right on the brink of extinction as recently as the mid 1950’s. A Texan who is unaware of the existence of the Xolo, but who has been exposed to the media-driven chupacabras legend, is likely to jump to the cryptid creature conclusion. 

To wrap it up, I just do not believe there is much to the Texas chupacabras legend. I have heard stories of there being DNA testing of specimens that indicate some kind of wolf/coyote/dog hybrid, but have not seen any such studies myself. I think chupacabras sightings – at least those in Texas – can be attributed to sick, mangy foxes, coyotes, or domestic/feral dogs nine times out of ten. On the rare occasions when a healthy, strong, and fast “chupacabras” is spotted, in my opinion, it is a very strong possibility that a Xolo was seen. This is another case where I would welcome being wrong – a weird and new hybrid species of blood-sucking creature would be cool – but I do not think I am. 

*Source material claims Columbus mentioned the Xolo in his journal, but I have been unable to corroborate.

Sources:

 http://siggysparadise.com/puppies-for-sale/xoloitzcuintli-breeders/

 https://www.petfinder.com/dog-breeds/xoloitzcuintli-mexican-hairless/

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Hairless_Dog

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/skin/c_dg_sarcoptic_mange

Another Texas "Chupacabras" Tale

I got a reminder about the power of the media this past week. A good friend of mine who lives in SE Texas called me and said that he had been contacted by an acquaintance about a “chupacabras” roaming around near an abandoned house on the Trinity River. The creature was allegedly the size of a large coyote and was wandering about and appearing on the porches of homes up and down the river looking for food. It had been spotted eating out of dog bowls on multiple occasions and the locals were worried it would end up hurting someone or one of their pets. When my friend asked this caller to describe the animal they were seeing he got the classic description of the “new chupacabras” popularized by the media: a hairless, blue-gray skinned canid of some sort. I use the term “new chupacabras” due to the fact that these hairless, mangy canids, or blue dogs as many in Texas are now calling them, do not resemble the original descriptions of the chupacabras in any way.

The chupacabras legend originated in Latin America, specifically in Puerto Rico. Also called the goat sucker, the chupacabras allegedly attacks small domestic animals like chickens, goats and sheep. It is said that it kills by making two vampire-like puncture wounds on its victim through which it drains their blood. Usually, no other marks are present on the body of the unfortunate victim. Immigration has brought the legend of the chupacabras to America and news outlets have jumped at the chance to label any mystery creature or odd-looking animal as a chupacabras. The most annoying aspect of this is that these outlets are latching on to the legend in name only. They are completely ignoring how the chupacabras was originally described. According to early reports out of Puerto Rico, the chupacabras was an upright, alien-looking creature with large glowing eyes, spikes protruding off its back and large claws. The “new chupacabras” look nothing like this; however, that fact has not stopped news outlets and magazine shows from labeling every poor mangy coyote and fox seen roaming about as the dreaded chupacabras.

My friend, knowing full well what he was likely to find on the banks of the Trinity River was nothing more than a mangy dog of some sort, agreed to come out and have a look and make an attempt to rid the area of the creature. Whatever the animal was, he reasoned, if it was coming up on to porches and approaching homes it was likely sick. A sick animal near people, especially children, and pets is often a bad combination. My friend arrived at the home of the man who contacted him and was told he might need something more powerful than the shotgun he was carrying to dispatch the large creature. While my friend was confident he had more than enough firepower to handle whatever this animal might turn out to be, he was intrigued that this man had been so intimidated by the creature.

What followed was as predictable as the sun rising in the east. My friend located the “chupacabras” in the abandoned house on the bank of the river and dispatched it quickly and humanely. As he suspected, the dreaded chupacabras turned out to be nothing more than a very ill fox that was eaten up with a severe case of mange. The allegedly large, coyote-sized beast turned out to weigh between 15-20 lbs.

My friend called me after he had completed his task and we chuckled over the whole incident. The people living in the area had been completely spooked by the prospect of the dreaded goat-sucker roaming about wreaking havoc. The idea of the much feared chupacabras had been firmly implanted in their minds by local and national media.

While there was never any chupacabras on the banks of the Trinity River, it is still a good thing that my friend was called out to investigate and dispatch the animal. Any time wild animals approach humans, it is a sign that animal might be sick. Sick animals can be desperate animals and desperation can lead to dangerous confrontations. In addition, many diseases, the different types of mange among them, can be spread from wild canids like foxes and coyotes to domestic dogs. Finally, this little fox was suffering badly. Judging by how emaciated he was, he would not have lasted too much longer. He was slowly starving to death. While it is sad any time an animal has to be put down, his suffering is now at an end.

One of my goals when I began this blog was to educate people on some of the more odd animal stories out there. I hope I am accomplishing that to some degree with this post. Simply, hairless, mange-ridden canids are not chupacabras. They never have been and never will be. News people are just exhibiting their ignorance on the topic by their continued insistence on labeling these sick creatures as cryptids or something paranormal.

There may be something to the chupacabras legend. I have found that in many cases, if not most, there is at least a grain of truth to myths and legends. Whatever that grain of truth may be when it comes to the chupacabras, it does not involve mangy canids.

Spread the word.

Black Bears, Bigfoot and the Jacobs Creature

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are the most common bear species in the world. In fact, their population is more than twice that of all the other bear species in the world combined. There are many reasons that the black bear has survived in greater numbers than other bears. One such reason is that they are typically not all that aggressive. Most black bears prefer to run away from conflict or climb a tree to avoid a fight. More aggressive bears, like the grizzly, stand their ground and often pay with their lives because of it. Another reason is that black bears are sort of the coyotes of the bruin world. What I mean by that is they have adapted far better to living in close quarters to humans than other bear species have, much as coyotes have thrived while wolves have declined. They are fantastic and fascinating animals but they are causing some problems in the area of wood ape research. Often black bear spoor is mistaken or passed off as ape sign. While problematic, this pales to the issues raised when a trail camera photographs a bear in an awkward position. The cry of “bigfoot” goes up and no amount of reason seems to ever quiet it.

Allow me to illustrate my point just a bit. A few weeks ago, a photograph captured by a NAWAC game camera was circulated among the members by one of our Board of Directors. Little explanation was given as to the what, where and when behind the photo. Opinions as to what the animal in the photo might be were solicited. The photo that was circulated is below:

As you can see, the image is quite startling and different than what we are used to seeing in most game camera photos. Some members became pretty excited at the possibility that one of our cameras had finally captured an image of a wood ape. Other, more conservative members were not so sure and sought other explanations. The only thing we absolutely knew was that the photo showed a large, upright and hairy creature of some kind. Some members saw more detail in the photo than others. The whole thing was discussed for the better part of two days. The consensus was that the photo, while intriguing, was inconclusive and had little to no evidentiary value.

After the membership had their chance to look at and discuss the photo, the Board member who originally circulated the picture provided the next photo, taken only seconds after the first image, to the membership. The identity of the creature in the photo was now quite clear. Our good friend, Ursus americanus, an American black bear.

The point of the exercise is really pretty obvious. It was a reminder to never jump to conclusions. Think with your head and not your heart. Approach everything with a skeptical eye. Know what wildlife is native to the area. I could go on but you get the idea. The membership did take one more thing from this exercise and that is that black bears can contort themselves into some pretty awkward looking positions. When they do this in front of cameras, the result can be a photograph of an animal that few would look at and think, “bear.” This has, in my opinion, led to at least one super-charged controversy. I’m talking about the “Jacobs photo."

In September of 2007, a Pennsylvania hunter named R. Jacobs placed a Bushnell IR game camera on a game trail in order to get an idea of what sort of deer he might encounter during the upcoming hunting season. I don’t know how many shots of deer Mr. Jacobs captured but I do know he got a few really odd looking photos of what looked like a very lean, and somewhat scraggly-looking, primate of some kind. The photos became an internet sensation and were acclaimed by many as hard evidence that an undocumented primate does roam the forests of Pennsylvania. I will admit to being very intrigued and a bit excited when I first viewed the photos. It is a strange and weird looking creature. The more I looked into the photos, however, the stronger my feelings became that these pictures were nothing more than a black bear in an odd pose.

There are several reasons that I feel the way I do about the Jacobs photo. The first reason I feel it is a bear is that bear photos were taken immediately before the odd images. To be clear and fair, these bear photos were not snapped seconds before the shot of the Jacobs creature. Two bear cubs were photographed about 28 minutes before the odd image was captured. This is just a bit too coincidental to be merely brushed aside, in my opinion. In the NAWAC’s main study area, black bears are common. I’ve observed bears myself on more than one occasion there and their sign is not hard to come by. Additionally, our game cameras have captured hundreds of bear photos over the years. I have never observed bears, or seen fresh sign of them, during periods when what I believe to be wood ape activity was taking place. They seem to sort of fade away into the forest when wood-knocking, odd vocalizations, cabin slapping and the like are taking place. I suppose it is possible that I’m reading too much into that but, in my mind, it seems that bears tend to make themselves scarce when wood apes are in the area. IF that is true then an ape being photographed less than half an hour after multiple bears were captured by the same camera seems unlikely.

Another factor that swayed me a bit toward the Jacobs creature being a bear was the relative small size of it. The BFRO did a pretty good job of doing size comparisons between the creature in question, deer and the bear cubs that were all photographed in the same spot by the same game camera. I have not included those images here (a bit wary of copyright issues) but you can view them here. If you scroll down near the bottom of this page you will see quite clearly that the Jacobs creature is not much larger than the small bear cubs and is not even as high at the shoulder as the pretty average looking whitetail deer doe. I realize that if wood apes are real animals they would breed and, thus, produce young. Too, I realize that those who believe the Jacobs creature to be an ape think that it was a juvenile. Again, the presence of bear cubs of similar size in a photo taken just 28 minutes earlier plays into my belief that the Jacobs creature is likely a yearling black bear.

The biggest factor that convinced me that the Jacobs creature was a young black bear was the very thing that intrigued me in the first place, the strange position of the animal. I must admit that it is an awkward looking pose and it doesn’t take too much imagination to start seeing “primate.” After going through many of the NAWAC bear photos, however, I began to realize that the awkward pose of the Jacobs creature might not be so unusual after all. As you can see from the photos below, these bears have been photographed in strikingly similar poses. Admittedly, I don’t have an exact match where the head of the bear is down and out of site as it is in the Jacobs photo but you can clearly see that the position of the body of these bears is all but identical. Even the back paws of these bears appear abnormally elongated, more like a foot than a paw. Imagine if the head of these bears was hung low and tucked out of site. You would have a virtual dead ringer for the Jacobs creature.

Critics of the black bear hypothesis point to the skinny and, seemingly scraggily, appearance of the creature and to the fact that the bear cubs are noticeably darker in color. True, these factors add to the effect. Some have posited that the Jacobs creature was suffering from mange or some other skin problem, which had caused its irregular appearance. Maybe. Certainly the appearance of the Jacobs creature coincides with what has been an explosion of sightings of mange-ridden animals of all types over the last decade. Bears, foxes, raccoons, coyotes… you name it (This also plays into the huge jump in “chupacabras,” or blue dog sightings, in my opinion). I’m not so sure that the Jacobs creature is mangy at all. Is it possible the reason it is of a different tint than the bear cubs is simply because it is a different color? “Black bear” is really a misnomer. While American black bears are predominantly black, reddish-cinnamon, brown and even blonde bears are not uncommon. Maybe this bear is not black at all. Surely, that would make for a different appearance than that of the obviously jet black cubs photographed earlier.

Other critics of the bear theory point to the lean appearance of the creature. A bear would be fatter. Certainly, the cubs photographed 28 minutes before the odd creature were healthier looking animals, much more like the stereotypical picture of a bear we are used to seeing. I think it very possible that this is a sibling of those fat cubs but one from the previous year's litter. A yearling bear is a lot like a preteen human. They are often thin and gangly and have yet to begin “filling out.” Bears do go through a large part of the year where they are relatively thin. They typically don’t get that stereotypical chubby look until they are almost ready to begin hibernating. Would a yearling bear still be hanging around its mother and younger siblings? Maybe. Bear cubs are totally dependent on their mother’s milk for the first 30 weeks of their lives but there is more of a range when it comes to the age when they reach full independence. Typically, black bear cubs leave their mother between the ages of 16-18 months but sometimes linger up until they are 24 months old. IF this is a yearling bear it is very possible that it is simply the “big brother” to the younger cubs photographed a bit earlier that is still not quite ready to leave mom.

I realize this has been a hotly debated topic among researchers. Some have expressed open hostility to anyone that questions the “fact” that the Jacobs creature is a juvenile wood ape. I may be stirring up a bit of a hornet’s nest by bringing it up again here but that is ok. I’ve always been a bit of an outsider when it comes to the bigfoot community anyway. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not trying to provoke anyone or stir up trouble. I also want to stress that I do not feel the Jacobs photo is a hoax; rather, I feel it is a misidentification. Simply, I’m expressing my opinion on what has become a very well known incident in the wood ape world. My belief that the wood ape is a real flesh and blood animal is not dependent upon the Jacobs photo, or any other photograph for that matter. What I know and what I’ve seen doesn’t tumble like a house of cards if the Jacobs creature is just a black bear. I’m not sure that is true for a lot of others out there.

Regardless of my opinions, the debate over the Jacobs creature and exactly what it was will continue to rage. It strengthens my belief that no photograph or video footage will ever be enough to prove the existence of the wood ape to mainstream science. Like it or not, we are going to need more.

The Strange Case of the Copperas Cove Cavy

I’ve heard 3-4 reports of an odd animal being sighted in the Copperas Cove/Kempner area over the last six months. The animal in question has been described to me as looking similar to a jackrabbit but… "different.” Another alleged witness described the creature she saw as looking like a small kangaroo. I was intrigued but with no photos to go on and only the most general idea of where the animal might be lurking, there wasn’t much I could do. Predictably, as more sightings were reported, rumors ranging from the humorous (jackalope) to the fantastic (chupacabras) began to make the rounds. Whatever this mystery animal was, clearly it was something with which most people were not familiar.

Most stories of this sort never come to any sort of definitive conclusion. There is a flap of sightings and then they stop. People are left to wonder exactly what was going on. Fortunately, this time, that is not the case. It appears the identity of the mystery animal of Coryell County has been discovered.

The animal in question? A Patagonian Cavy.

According to a story in this past Sunday’s Temple Daily Telegram, the cavy was captured in late October by a Copperas Cove resident who then turned the out of place rodent over to Mike and Amanda Vaughn who own a pet shot in the area. Vaughn said he received a call from a local who thought she had captured a wallaby. When Vaughn went out to investigate, he discovered she had actually captured a cavy.

The Patagonian Cavy (Dolichotis patagonum) is native to the Patagonian Steppes of Argentina. They are relatives of the common guinea pig and the more well-known capybara. They are classified as near threatened. Hunting, the animals are killed for their meat and skins, and the introduction of domestic sheep within their habitat are the two main factors in the shrinking number of cavies in the wild. The animals gained popularity as exotic pets after being featured on an episode of Sir David Attenborough’s “The Trials of Life.” It was, however, quickly found that these large rodents make poor pets. They tend to panic around people and crash about. Injuries to themselves and owners are common. In addition, most vets have no idea how to treat one of these creatures and their dietary needs are difficult to manage. Many owners quickly gave up on the idea of having a cavy as a pet. As so often happens, irresponsible owners began to turn these creatures loose. I have no doubt that some of the sightings of chupacabras and kangaroos around the country were actually of cavies. The famous “Tulsa Kangaroo Incident” falls into this category.

How this particular cavy wound up in Copperas Cove is still up for speculation. When captured, it had a large boil behind its shoulder blades. When the Vaughns treated the boil they discovered a 4-inch tranquilizer dart embedded in the animal’s flesh. The Vaughns removed the needle and treated the infected area. The cavy, named Pepper, seems to be doing fine now and the Vaughns are seeking a permanent home for her. Just who would be shooting a tranquilizer dart at a South American rodent in Eastern Coryell County is a story I’d like to unravel.

I guess chupacabras fans will be disappointed to learn that the infamous goat-sucker is not responsible for the rash of strange sightings over the last few months. I don’t fall into that group. While the Patagonian Cavy doesn’t qualify as a cryptid in the strictest sense, it is inarguable that it is an out of place animal and the whole incident makes for a very entertaining story. County and wildlife officials, might want to remind themselves that there actually was a real flesh and blood animal behind the strange sightings being reported. Maybe it wasn’t the mysterious animal many assumed but it was a real animal, nonetheless. Hopefully, they will recall the strange case of the Copperas Cove Cavy the next time someone reports something that seems too weird or fantastic to be true.

If they do, there is just no telling what they might find.

Expanded Perspectives Interview

My interview with the guys from Expanded Perspectives is now available. We discussed all manner of things but the bulk of the time was devoted to black panthers and wood apes. I think it went well.

You can hear the interview by visiting www.expandedperspectives.com or by downloading the podcast from the iTunes store.

New Camera Trapping Project Underway in Bell County

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve started a new camera-trapping project right here in my home of Central Texas.

Back in March, Waco television station KXXV aired a video report about a “mystery animal” that was roaming rural SW Bell County and “ravaging livestock.” The video of the story has been removed from the KXXV website but, as of this writing, the printed version of the report is still available. Check it out here.


I kept a close eye on the story as it was taking place practically in my backyard. An article printed in the March 3rd issue of the Killeen Daily Herald suggested there really wasn’t anything mysterious about the predator(s) at all and implied nothing but a pack of coyotes was responsible for the lost livestock. While I agreed that coyotes were likely responsible for most, if not all, of the killings, I did find it very interesting how people who had claimed to have seen the predator could have such differing opinions on what the animal might be.

“No, I don’t think it is a coyote,” said farmer Dale Fisher in March. “It’s either a wolf or a mountain lion.”

In April, a man identified by the Killeen Daily Herald as rancher Jim Bob Fisher said, “I don’t want anyone to think this is different from anyone else’s problem. Someone has claimed it is a wolf or something but I don’t know why.” He added, “It’s a very large coyote we’ve seen or a coyote-cross. There have been coyotes crossed with dogs in this part of the world since forever.”

It is unclear if Dale Fisher and Jim Bob Fisher are related or, possibly, even the same person. What I do know is that Jim Bob Fisher is the son of Bell County Commissioner John Fisher. As such, it isn’t too surprising that his opinion fell in line with that of his father who said, “I saw a coyote. I didn’t see a chupacabras or whatever it’s called. They (KXXV) pumped it up like there’s this mysterious animal.”

I did two separate posts on this story. One in March and one in April and offered the services of my game cameras to any landowners that would like to try and find out, for sure, what is roaming their property at night. I didn’t hear anything from anyone until late last week when I received the following email:

“I found your blog after losing my 8th cat in 2 years to coyotes (well, two of the cats went that way, at least..we saw a coyote last night in our yard.) When this started, I'd had the same 100% outdoor, mouser/snake-repelling cat for over 5 years. I live in the same general area as the Fishers but never heard the news report about the animals. Also within the last year or so, we've seen some large canines that we don't believe to be coyotes & are definitely not dogs. I hesitate to call wolf (pardon the pun, ha), but 3 of them were black, the other was so large that I would be shocked if it were, in fact, a coyote. 3 of these were seen right at dusk, the 1st black one I saw was road-kill, had paws the size of saucers and very thick ears. Like the Fishers, our family goes back generations in southwestern Bell county, we're accustomed to seeing coyote, all kinds of stray dogs & the occasional mountain lion. But I'm pretty sure there's something else out there.”



I replied with an offer to come out and place some cameras on the property to see if we couldn’t get a photo of these canids. My offer was accepted and I was privileged to visit with the family and tour the property last Saturday. As is often the case, I heard much more during my face-to-face visit with the family than was mentioned in the email. The family used to keep goats but was “run out of the goat business” due to the predation taking place. They just couldn’t keep their goats from being taken. Several members of the family have seen large long-tailed cats on the property as well. At least two different cats have been seen; one that was described as “yellow” and one was, you guessed it, black. I told them that the official opinion of biologists is that large black panthers do not exist. The family got a chuckle out of that, kind of shrugged their collective shoulders, and said that they saw what they saw.

I was then taken on a tour of the property by one of the family members and we soon found a clear game trail running through a particularly secluded and wooded area. Cattle are being run on the property and there were cow trails all over the place. This trail, however, was on some steeper terrain than is found on most of the property and wound a narrow path through the mesquite, scrub oak, and cedars in this wooded area. Cows can, and will, get in some pretty surprising places but this trail is narrow and the trees hang low (I did a lot of ducking) which leads me to believe that it is being used by smaller animals that are lower to the ground than cows (at least most of the time). We found a spot where two game trails intersected and decided to put both cameras at this spot. I positioned one camera facing east down the main trail (this is usually not ideal as the rising sun can cause the camera to trigger but the area is wooded enough that I don’t think it will be a problem) and one facing north down the intersecting secondary trail.

I can attest that there is much wildlife on this large piece of property. During my short stay I saw at least half a dozen Eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) along with a Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sign was also seen though I didn’t actually see any myself. There does seem to be a prey base, on the property and in the surrounding area, that could adequately support a large predator at least temporarily. It will be interesting to see what turns up.



I’m particularly excited by this project. Unlike most of the camera projects I’ve undertaken, I will not have to drive 3-6 hours to check memory cards and change batteries. Assuming the landowners remain interested, this project could be a long-term census of the wildlife present in SW Bell County. More than that, however, it is nice to be able to help some of my Central Texas neighbors learn a bit more about what is inhabiting their land.

Hopefully, we’ll find something unusual.

'Chupacabra' Attack in Texas

A woman in Jack County, Texas was bitten by what the local news media have dubbed a 'Chupacabra.' The woman was bitten on the hand after offering the animal a bowl of water. According to the report the woman is now undergoing treatment for rabies. View the news report here.

Jack County is located in North Central Texas and is sparsely populated. According to the U.S. Census Bureau there are only 10 people, on average, per square mile in the county. Jack County's wide open spaces support a lot of wildlife including large predators like cougars and coyotes. Occasionally, rarer species show up. For example, an ocelot was found dead on the side of one of the county's roads last year. There have even been a couple of alleged sasquatch encounters there. Now, it seems, we can add the 'chupacabra' to the list.



The animal was shot and killed in the aftermath of the attack. It fits the description of the 'blue dogs', hairless canines of some sort about the size of coyotes, that are now being seen all over the Lone Star State. The timing of this story is ironic as I posted just today about a sighting of one of these 'blue dogs' or 'chupacabras' here in Central Texas.

The animal was obviously in very poor health and the body was, according to the report, sent to a lab for testing. The woman who was bitten noted the animal's poor appearance and cites it as the reason she offered it water. The creature is gaunt and covered in scabs. The only hair on the body seems to be a wispy strip on top of the head and down the shoulders and back.

I have for years thought that these 'chupacabras' were nothing more than coyotes afflicted with severe cases of mange. While I believe that theory does explain a lot of these cases, I am beginning to wonder if it fits across the board. As I was preparing the post about the 'Chupacabra' sighting in Central Texas I revisited the footage of one of these animals running down a road outside of Cuero, Texas in DeWitt County. The footage, shot from a Deputy Sheriff's dashboard camera shows a very strange looking animal. The head is very big and the snout does not look coyote-lik at all. The animal is sporting a pair of ears that look like they would be more at home on a mule than a canine. Most of the 'blue dogs' or 'chupacabras' that have been killed have smaller heads and ears much more in proportion to their overall size. The animal that bit this lady fits into that category leading me to believe it was a sickly, mangy, dog of some sort. Occasionally, one of these animals exhibiting characteristics more like those seen in the DeWitt County footage surfaces. These are the animals whose DNA I would like to see tested.



Whether these animals are an as yet undocumented species, mutated coyotes, or varied species suffering from what seems to be a sarcoptic mange epidemic remains to be seen. Whatever they are some interesting questions should be addressed. If they are a new species where did they come from? Why are they showing up now? If they are some sort of mutated coyotes what caused the mutation? Why are they hairless? Why are they popping up all over the state? If they are actually several different common species, all suffering from mange, what can be done to stop the spread of the disease? Why is it spreading so quickly? Why now?

All interesting questions to ponder no matter what the 'blue dogs' or 'chupacabras' of Texas turn out to be.

*CORRECTION: The ocelot found road killed last year was actually found in Palo Pinto County, not far from Jack County. I apologize for the error.

"Chupacabra" in Central Texas?

I received the following email from a reader two days ago.

Hello,

My name is XXXX, I live in Kempner,Tx. A few weeks ago I saw a critter of some kind on my property, at first I thought is was a deer but it had a long tail, maybe a fox, no a fox has a bushy tail. I did not have a camera handy but I had my cell phone so I took a picture with it. The phone does not have a zoom lens so the picture is not very good but I got a good look at this thing. It looked like a dog but had large ears and a very long thin tail. After seeing pictures of "Chupra Cabras" on TV and the internet that were killed recently I am almost certain what I saw was the same thing. I am attaching the picture I took in case you have some method of enhancing it and perhaps let me know what you think it is.

Thank you,
XXXX

The reader sent the following two photos.





A relatively small animal of some kind is visible in the photos. As the reader mentioned, the photos were taken with a cell phone that did not have the ability to zoom in on the creature. It is hard to tell much about the animal in the photos other than it appears to be about the size of a medium sized dog. I can't be sure about this as I am unfamiliar with the property and don't have much to use for scale; however, the animal seems to match up well with the description the reader gave in his email.

I attempted to enlarge the photo with mixed results. As would be expected, the more I zoomed in the more pixellated and blurry the image became. What you can see is interesting, however. The animal exhibits what appear to be a pair of pretty large ears and a long whip-like tail.



It is hard to tell if the animal is, indeed, hairless but the tail does not seem at all "bushy" as one would expect to see on a coyote or a fox. The profile seems to match up favorably with what has been seen in the "blue dogs" of south Texas.






Kempner, Texas is located in Coryell County and is not really all that far removed from areas where these animals have been spotted on a fairly regular basis. The owner of the property is going to keep his eyes open. If he catches another glimpse of the animal he is going to let me know. He said he is open to my placing a couple of game cameras on his property.

Is the elusive "chupacabra" haunting Central Texas? I am hoping time will tell.

A Chinese Chupacabra?

An article in the April 5th online edition of the London Daily Telegraph documents the capture of a strange creature that has been dubbed the "Oriental Yeti". The strange hairless creature has eluded classification by the scientists that have been able to examine it to this point. The animal was trapped in a remote area of the Sichuan Province by local villagers.

The article does not give specifics as to the size of the animal but it must have been a fairly large creature based on several statements in the article. For example, a person identified as Hunter Lu Chin is quoted as saying, "It looks a bit like a bear but it doesn't have any fur and it has a tail like a kangaroo." The article also mentions that the creature was caught after locals had reported seeing what they thought was a bear. The article then references a local folkloric tale that tells the story of a bear that once was a man. Apparently, some locals feel this is the animal that has been captured.

The article mentions that the creature has a, "voice like a cat," and that it will soon be sent to Beijing where DNA tests will be performed in an attempt to positively identify the species to which this animal belongs. You can read the London Daily Telegraph article here.

After viewing the photo of this odd looking "Oriental Yeti" I was reminded of the various hairless canid-like animals being seen here in Texas on a regular basis over the last few years. These odd looking creatures are being called "blue dogs" and, ever increasingly, "chupacabras". The chupacabra, of course, is a cryptid whose legend began in Latin America, specifically Puerto Rico. Also called the "goat sucker", the chupacabra supposedly attacks small domestic animals like chickens, goats, and sheep. It is said it kills by making two small puncture wounds on its victim through which it drains its blood. Usually, no other marks are present on the body of the victim. Immigration has brought the legend of the chupacabra to America. It seems any hairless animal that is captured or killed is being categorized as a chupacabra these days.



Strangely, the original descriptions of the chupacabra don't resemble anything close to the strange creatures being seen now. The chupacabra, according to early reports, was an upright alien looking creature with large glowing eyes, spikes protruding off its back, and large claws (see photo below). The blue dogs of Texas, while certainly odd, look nothing like this. That has not stopped the media from dubbing these hairless creatures as chupacabras, however.



I have actually seen one of these blue dogs in the Sam Houston National Forest just outside of Conroe, Texas. A fellow TBRC member and I were returning from a camera maintenance trip in the Big Thicket National Preserve. Our route home took us through the heart of the SHNF. On a whim we decided to drive down a forest service road and take a look around. We had not gone very far when we spotted an animal in the road. As we got closer we were surprised to see a hairless creature somewhere between 18 and 24 inches high. The animal trotted across the road and into the forest. Once in the brush the creature froze. It was difficult to see in the shadows but stayed still for about a minute affording us a good look. The animal had bluish grey skin that resembled that of an elephant. It also had a long whip-like tail. It was a truly strange site. Strange as it was, however, the animal was clearly a canine of some sort. My guess is that it was a coyote with a terrible case of mange. It looked similar to an animal filmed by a police officer near Cuero, Texas a couple of years ago. You can view that video below.



Other animals have also been suffering from this condition (mange) of over the last few years. For example, the photo below is of a raccoon that has lost its fur due to a bad case of mange.



As you can see, it is very difficult to identify an animal that has lost its hair. The photo above does not look like a raccoon at all. Animals tend to look totally alien and more fierce without their fur. I haven't seen any evidence to date that makes me think these animals are the legendary chupacabra or a totally new species.

My best guess is that DNA tests on the "Oriental Yeti" will show the creature is simply an animal common to the region that is suffering from mange or some other skin disease. I do know for sure that it is not a yeti. The media labeling it as such is unfortunate.