Boingboing has picked up on this story of a "hybrid mutant of something" found dead in Maine. Apparenty locals have, over the past few years, been "seeing and hearing a mysterious animal with chilling monstrous cries and eyes that glow in the night." The above photo makes the animal look a litte weirder than it was. The one below is better:
My gut feeling - having worked on the morphoogy of wolf/dog hybrids - is that, if it's anything out of the ordinary, it's a cross of a dog and perhaps a wolf or coyote. As the original story notes, one has turned up before in northern Maine. It's definitely not a hyena, dingo or fisher, Nor is is "half-rodent, half-dog" or "a pig/hyena hybrid"
Apparently, no tissue sample was taken and local wildlife officials didn't check it out. If there's a skull somewhere, I bet that would yield an answer very quickly.
Comments
Posted by: somnilista, FCD | August 16, 2006 4:02 PM
We have our own local strange beastie described here and shown here.
Posted by: Julia | August 16, 2006 4:12 PM
I know this one! It's the missing link between Dog and Cat!
Posted by: mark | August 16, 2006 4:22 PM
I believe that a cross of a fox and a dog gives us a "Fog"
If it is in France, it is a "Frog."
Posted by: J-Dog | August 16, 2006 4:29 PM
What features make it look unlike a feral dog? My first guess would be some mix with a black chow -- and the mix only because of the relatively short hair.
Posted by: Craig Pennington | August 16, 2006 5:14 PM
If I didn't know better, I say closet Braminologist.
Posted by: Bruce Thompson | August 16, 2006 6:19 PM
There's no way that's the thing that killed a doberman and a rottweiler, unless they were still puppies at the time. Methinks the red-eyed devil-beast is still on the loose.
Posted by: Kevin | August 16, 2006 9:34 PM
I've seen 'weirder' looking dogs in both animal shelters and in pure-bred dog shows. I think a few people were either too desperate to get their town in the news, or need to get out more and possibly subscribe to Animal Planet.
Looks like dog/coyote or dog/wolf type to me, or even just REALLY inbred chow+something else mix.
Posted by: neintales | August 17, 2006 12:38 AM
IT LOOKS LIKE A BLUE CHOW...I HAD ONE SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT LOOKED JUST LIKE THE PHOTO
Posted by: CLIFF | August 17, 2006 10:58 AM
Yes, I had a half lab half chow that looked exactly like this. Sheesh. Give me a break. Although my chow WAS pretty evil.
Posted by: ralph@rs-media.org | August 17, 2006 1:51 PM
It looks like my ex
Posted by: Dan B | August 17, 2006 4:09 PM
I think my fellow Mainers get a little bored from time to time and like to get all X Files and stuff. It's a dog. I'll go with the blue chow theory. Totally looks like one. Mystery beast! Ha! At least it got us in the news!
Posted by: caroline | August 17, 2006 4:34 PM
p.s.
speculation is that this thing got killed by a car, so if that's true, of COURSE it's gonna look weird!
Posted by: caroline | August 17, 2006 4:36 PM
OMG Julia! The Charleston "monster" is MY DOG! Okay, not likely, since she lives in Texas. But even so, that little foxlike thing is strangely reminiscent of the darling whippet type mutt that my family found a few years ago. We actually think she is the result of a greyhound breaking free of the local racetrack.
Posted by: Patrick | August 17, 2006 6:48 PM
Quoting Ralph@rs-media.org:
"...my chow WAS pretty evil."
I've never owned a Chow or Chow mix, but I can certainly attest to Ralph's statement. I was pushing my wheelchair to a friend's house one evening when I heard an odd scraping noise. It was a Chow in attack mode scrabbling up a rather tall cinder block wall. Luckily, soon after this particular beastie bounded over the wall, it got distracted and I was able to make my escape.
Posted by: Sean | August 18, 2006 3:13 AM
Whats wrong with people these days. Do they not ever go outside...ever?
Poor dog. They take photos of him/her and then call them a freak of nature.
I've never heard of such inconsiderate lunacy! I can only imagine what their howl really sounded like... By the looks of their "hideous beast", I'd say it may have sounded like sweet music.
What a bunch of ASSHOLES.
Posted by: Ryan | August 18, 2006 3:35 AM
OMG, just had to add...
"Eyes that glow in the night..." have these people been body snatched or something? What galaxy are these idiots from. Their as stupid as Sally, Dick, Tommy, and Hairy. Oh, and don't forget The Big Giant Head. The above comment is likely his.
Posted by: Ryan | August 18, 2006 3:40 AM
I am in two minds as to whether this is a hoax. But...
WHY do people behave so stupidly? They're ANIMALS not monsters! The 'locals' talk like inbred idiots. There must be any number of rare and wonderful mutant animals out there and species as yet undiscovered and we're still teaching people to view everything as weird, ghastly and monstrous. It's sad.
Posted by: perry como | August 18, 2006 2:44 PM
As an anthropologist and a Mainer, I am fascinated by this case. It has a larger spin to it that plays into the typical Mainer mistrust of government ("state officials" refused to "do anything"---since they saw this as an ordinary roadkill situation). It also reflects the fascination people have with what scares them, along with the desire to make their fears bigger in order to justify them. I love that someone thought to call in a cryptozoologist! In today's newspaper story (the third in as many days), a state biologist and the cryptozoologist agreed they think it's a plain old dog and the genetic evidence confirms this. So, let it rest folks! (though one of my fellow anthropologists was quoted as remarking that "it will take more than this to kill the legend"). I guess you could add, "especially when the press has wrung so much out of it."
Posted by: Teresa | August 19, 2006 8:23 PM
When I look at those pictures, the most unsettling aspect is the blue colouration. The eyes, lips and tongue are all unnaturally blue. The discolouration of the grass is also blue. If this were converted to black and white, I would assume that the stains on the grass were blood.
My conclusion is that the images were colour distorted in a way that left the grass and weeds green but shifted reds to blues. Incompetance or deliberate, I couldn't say.
A legend is being constructed as we watch. The AP article shows evidence of lots of magical thinking and anecdotes.
Posted by: JohnnieCanuck | August 20, 2006 2:41 AM
Hi folks, I am a Mainer, and the newspaper from the area, The Sun Journal, took a paw from the carcass with the idea of a DNA check, as did an independant biologist. No word as yet, but I agree, this is a feral chow mix with mangled ears. And I do believe that the doberman killed was reported in Maine newspapers to be 16 years old. As for the rottweiler? My guess is a hungry chow mix is likely able to kill a fat house dog easily.
Posted by: Doug Alley | August 22, 2006 10:34 PM
it looks like a dog hyena hybrid, it has a shot tail and its back legs a smaller the its front legs and it generally looks like a baby hyena
Posted by: Anthony | October 2, 2006 4:14 PM
i think that world dog that people are seeing because of whats going on around maine with the woods being cut down u are going to see alot more new animals around.
Posted by: savannah | March 26, 2007 9:41 AM
looks like my ex too...maybe they are twins
Posted by: landry | March 27, 2007 6:38 PM
People these days don't care about animals.It look's like a baby hiena that has been mistreated by it's pack(if it is in one).My cousin think's it look's like a chow and he think's it has been shot.People that do that are cruel.And if you think the same thing write about it.
Posted by: Sasha and Christian | March 30, 2007 10:45 AM
The animal is a mix, possibly wolf and Chow. Chow for sure, since the animal has a black tongue (you can make it out in the first pic if you know what you're looking for, or know about Chow's). The fur also looks consistent with that of a Chow, though a bit shorter but just as thick. A sad thing to see. That's for sure.
Posted by: M | April 3, 2007 9:56 AM
will you people shut your ungly inbred faces, its a dog. Now go home and leave the doggy alone to rest.
Posted by: Purple peter | April 8, 2007 7:52 AM
It's obvious that this is a CHUPACABRA!!!
Posted by: The Science Pundit | April 8, 2007 12:02 PM
It's something out of a Stephen King book.
Posted by: K Leigh | April 9, 2007 7:20 PM
That was in Lisbon Maine... I don't think it's that people wanted their TOWN in the papers... it's just, honestly... what goes on in Maine? We run low on stories to report... Yea that thing is TINY... IF there is a beast killing the dogs THAT's not it...
Posted by: Susan | April 13, 2007 5:03 PM
I agree. It is way to small to go killing rotties and dobermans. And it deffinately has chow in it. That is a fact. The poor thing needs to be left alone. I myself am a Mainer and I think other Mainer's need to shut up and get a life. Now because of your over reacting you have caused the poor thing to have it's paws cut off just so you can have proof that a dog is a dog. Happy now. So everyone shut up. Get off the computer and get outside! THE END!
Posted by: alicia | April 14, 2007 3:07 PM
I agree with the two people above me. It does look like chow. But when you look at the first picture it has a bears face. Except the ears are slightly pointed. i would like to know how it dies so you can know why it's eyes are kind of protruding from it's face.
Posted by: Leigh | April 14, 2007 3:12 PM
It has a bears face and a wolf body. The muscley haunches and straight bushey tail. But the face looks like a bear.
Posted by: Paige | April 14, 2007 3:14 PM
holy shit whats that?
Posted by: andrew | April 18, 2007 3:06 PM
This animal is a warrah, Falk islands wolf, thought to be extinct in the wild. How it ended up there I dont know
Posted by: Robert | April 23, 2007 1:25 AM
I would like to add the words (could be) instead of is because after I posted that comment I had done a more extensive search on extinct canines. This animal looks likes it could actually be canis dirus or in other terms the dire wolf.
Posted by: Robert | April 23, 2007 2:06 AM
It never ceases to amaze me how closed minded people can be especially here in good o'l Maine where nothing out of the ordinary could ever happen (there is a hint of sarcasm here). My opinion if it is worth anything is that this beast as so many people call it is not a chow or any other type of domestic dog. The eyes of this animal are those of a human with whites showing where if you look at any dog's eyes the whites do not show. Also the mouth and teeth are not that of a dog's. There aren't any canine teeth and for you idiots that do not know what these are they are the sharp fang like ones in the front. The teeth also are not as sharp and pointed as a dog's. The body definitely could pass as a dog but there are other features that people are not open minded to such as the ones I have listed. Also to ears of a Chow are not as big and pointed as the one on this animal or beast. Wisen up people and do the math!!!!
Posted by: irrelevant | May 3, 2007 7:37 PM
wat a set ov geeks you can tell it is made up and if it was reall why is no 1 doing any tests on it just proves some sadoos made it up
Posted by: jordan | May 11, 2007 6:05 AM
I think it's mean that people take pictures of something that died and put them on the internet! Its stupid! It's just a poor animal! It is probably just a blue chow like others before me have said and it got hit by a car. God people, it's not a big deal...
Posted by: Sally Joe Bob | May 30, 2007 8:38 AM
I don't know about you kids, but Mark and j-dog no nothing about genetics. Foxes can't breed with dogs, wolves or coyotes. And dog can cat? Are you retarded?!
It's just some cow-mixed with a small dog. But unlike M I don't think it's wolf. It's small. But the BLUE TOUNGE kinda gives it away.
I have come to the conclusion that whoever posted this is just a retard that doesn't know what a mutt is when he sees one.
Hence why the self-proclaimed "expert" didn't do any DNA work. Kudos to somnilista for pointing it out.
Posted by: Arsenic | June 6, 2007 6:54 PM
It's a chow mix. I live in Maine, right near where this happened. They did take a DNA sample that's how they know it was a dog. Then later a lady from Florida who was up visiting Maine claimed it was her dog that got loose during her vacation.
Posted by: Jessica Yergin | June 9, 2007 9:24 PM
A black fox.
Posted by: Janine | June 18, 2007 5:09 PM
I think it looks like a mix between dog and wolf.
Posted by: Robert | July 2, 2007 5:22 PM
I'm from Maine- it really happened- honestly this is the first photo I've seen of it but I'd bet you money its a cross between a Schipperke (pure breed dog that looks a little like a pig/bear cub/ fox- I have one and LOVE HER!)and a chow.
Posted by: Heidi | July 13, 2007 2:03 PM
I think it may be a cross of a wolf,sheppard,and possibly a chow. I think this because my friend has a mix of a sheppard and im pretty shore a wolf or chow and it has some features that look like that.
Posted by: Kalynn | July 15, 2007 11:18 AM
It's a dead dog.......
Posted by: Toxic Jungle | July 17, 2007 4:17 AM
There's no way it could be a wolf cross. Just look at the snout it way to short as well as its head looks way too freaky. I can definately see the warrah possibility but the location makes no sense.
Posted by: Zach | July 17, 2007 6:48 AM
i think its a mythical creature cause it has the short back legs like a hyena and the flat teeth like a human and the two cainine teeth so lets leave it a mystery cause theirs not many mysteries left in the world
Posted by: evileve | July 27, 2007 3:52 AM
Tails can easily be odd looking. I had a lab-mix who was born with half a tail...it was the weirdest thing. As for the face, it looks weird...but has anyone seen that dog that looks like a little teddy bear?? THAT is the mutant dog. jeez.
Posted by: Lark | July 30, 2007 8:05 PM
definately looks like a chow mix - the blue tongue is a giveaway. i'd go for chow/coyote or maybe chow/fox. not hybrid monster.
Posted by: esme | July 31, 2007 12:23 PM
OH come on!! It's a mixed dog!! A two- year old can figure that out!! Gosh- People these days!!
Posted by: Sarah | August 26, 2007 11:56 PM
the heck its a dog leve it alone god how would you like it if you got hit by a car then some one took pictures of you?
Posted by: jo billy jo bob frank | September 5, 2007 3:20 PM
im sewing who ever out this pic on the internet
Posted by: A.L.F. | September 5, 2007 3:24 PM
What a bunch of dumb asses for their information I am a WOLF fanatic
Posted by: Anonomous | September 5, 2007 10:11 PM
Yeah, my first impression was a blue chow mix
Posted by: Joann | September 6, 2007 11:37 AM
omg!!! this thing is messed upp..... amagine seeing that one night in your back yard....i would pee my self...lol..
from;
brooke-kelowna
kennedy-kelowna!!!
p.s. bah ha ha
Posted by: brooke & kennedy | September 8, 2007 3:11 PM
ITS A FREAKIN DOG MIX! Duh! gosh people theses day are so easily amused by a mix, dead on the side of the street..
Posted by: Kayla Mosley | September 11, 2007 6:15 PM
what in the world is that ? it looks like a wolf part dog
Posted by: brittany schmidt | September 19, 2007 12:59 PM
that is just wrong how would you like it if they did that to you.
Posted by: Tiffany Duncan | September 19, 2007 1:04 PM
that is just wrong how would you like it if they did that to you.
Posted by: Tiffany Duncan | September 19, 2007 1:04 PM
well it ha a odd face but its not sum tin 2 freak out about.
Posted by: maggie hunt | September 21, 2007 2:35 AM
aw... it looks so cute! you people are crazy if u think a dog is a mysterious monster! "Apparently, no tissue sample was taken and local wildlife officials didn't check it out. If there's a skull somewhere, I bet that would yield an answer very quickly." that gives u a hint its not a "MUTANT". to me it looks like you people just wanna make somthin up to get some money....
Posted by: imadude | October 10, 2007 8:35 PM
why do u peps want money! thats so selfish. this dog will come and haunt u... u guys are the freaks if u think this poor dog is a freak. seriously
Posted by: imadude | October 10, 2007 8:38 PM
You know what this animal looks like? My Chow black lab mix. Oh my god, would anyone every think it could be a dog that was abounded by it is owner and now it had to offend for itself? Dogs that are alone do howl looking for companionship ah duh people pick up a book and read about pack behavior. It will tell you dogs are very social animal. Oh wait, education is non-existing up there, I forgot reading isn't in your abilities.
You know what is sad my father's side of the family is from Maine the whole damn family, and they are just as weird and crazy as everyone that is trying to say that this DOG is a mutant. Please people mutant animal give it up! The only thing that is mutant and I can say this because 50% of my family is from Maine, is the people from Maine.
(I am please to say my father does not think this dog is a mutant animal. He agrees with me, it looks just like my dog.) I am lucky my father left Maine at the age of 17 and moved to NY when he did, it saved his mentality level.
The New Yorker
Posted by: New York Bitch | November 4, 2007 11:01 PM
its a dog
Posted by: joseph maylay | November 5, 2007 11:28 AM
Man !!! I shouldnt had kicked my husband out of the house !!! NOW HE IS DEAD AND I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO !!! Someone help me !!!!
Posted by: Liz | November 5, 2007 1:26 PM
I dont get it why do people these days fined somthing strange in the woods and if they dont understand what it is they think it must be a beast of somesort and the DNA sample that was lost :) theirs no way it must just be a dead dog with a little computer animation.
Posted by: sean | November 15, 2007 9:44 PM
stop animal creuty please now
Posted by: sarah | November 26, 2007 1:01 PM
It is just a dog. It looks funny in the face because it is dead, any animal looks strange if its bin dead a while.
Posted by: becky | November 28, 2007 6:37 AM
anybody seen Cujo just saw it for the first time
Posted by: muhamad | December 4, 2007 10:17 PM
this issue reminds me of people sueing companies for stupid stuff. For example the mc donalds coffee incident, the old lady spilt it on her and she sued mcdonalds for her coffee for being 2 hot. Well no dip its going to be hot feel the cup with ur hands if its to hot to touch it just might be to hot to drink the old lady should die
Posted by: dr. james hamilton | December 4, 2007 10:21 PM
Why do huntters kill POOR LITTLE ANIMALS
Posted by: kayla | December 6, 2007 7:38 PM
This is weird!! There are mysteries out there and we are just dust compared to the universe
-N.A.
Posted by: Ameris | January 18, 2008 5:35 AM