Maine's mystery Beast: Just a dog?

[guppy]

Link (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208683,00.html)

This just looks like a dog to me. What's the mystery? I could't be more plain to me.

Am I wrong?

[guppy]

Link (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208683,00.html)

This just looks like a dog to me. What's the mystery? I could't be more plain to me.

Am I wrong?


I=It :smack:

[John Mace]

Sure looks like a dog to me. Sometimes a carcass that has begun to decompose starts looking a little weird. I'm gussing that's what the deal is here.

[homeskillet]

Did you not read the rest of the article? It continues to say:
In the end, wildlife officials got a DNA analysis that showed the animal was a rare wolf-dog hybrid, he said.So no mystery there.

[detop]

Naah. It's the rare Maine werewolf :p

[xizor]

Naah. It's the rare Maine werewolf :p

Then Stephen King already has a book about it.

[FormerMarineGuy]

In the end, wildlife officials got a DNA analysis that showed the animal was a rare wolf-dog hybrid, he said.

Damn wolves. Never trusted them, getting in the way of me on the highway.

[detop]

Then Stephen King already has a book about it.
So. its proper scientific name should be Canis lupus rex ?

[guppy]

Did you not read the rest of the article? It continues to say:
So no mystery there.


That was a similar case, wasn't it?

From the Fox News article:

After reviewing photos of the carcass, Coleman said he was bothered by the animal's ears and snout. It reminded him of a case years ago in northern Maine in which an animal shot by a hunter could not be identified.

In the end, wildlife officials got a DNA analysis that showed the animal was a rare wolf-dog hybrid, he said.

I assumed they were talking about the previous case. I could be wrong.

[Loopydude]

This "mystery beast" is news to me, and I'm from not far from there. Coydogs have been running around Maine forever, and it's well known they've got wolves, so I'm kind of surprised people are making up fables about this particular hybrid. This does sound like a Stephen King movie, though, I'm afraid, one where a counry bumpkin with a goofy excuse for a Maine accent starts telling a newcomer stories, like "Folks in these pahts have known forrah hundred yeahs theyahs somethin' unnatural roamin' them woods. Why, it ain't been twenty yeahs since it killed my uncle Lestah when he was out back stackin' cohd wood foah th' wintah..."

[John Mace]

I assumed they were talking about the previous case. I could be wrong.
That's the way I read it, too. I think you're right.

[John Mace]

This "mystery beast" is news to me, and I'm from not far from there. Coydogs have been running around Maine forever, and it's well known they've got wolves, so I'm kind of surprised people are making up fables about this particular hybrid. This does sound like a Stephen King movie, though, I'm afraid, one where a counry bumpkin with a goofy excuse for a Maine accent starts telling a newcomer stories, like "Folks in these pahts have known forrah hundred yeahs theyahs somethin' unnatural roamin' them woods. Why, it ain't been twenty yeahs since it killed my uncle Lestah when he was out back stackin' cohd wood foah th' wintah..."
'Ppears so from this side! :)

The thing is, a coydog or wolf/dog hybrid wouldn't look odd at all.

[simster]

'Ppears so from this side! :)

The thing is, a coydog or wolf/dog hybrid wouldn't look odd at all.

Depends on wich dog it bred with...

A wolf/chihauha mix could be quite hard to figure out...except for the smell of tacos on its breath.

[The Chao Goes Mu]

It certainly looks doglike. I know they said in the previous case that it was a wolf/wild dog hybrid. Or was it wild dog/coyote? I forgot. Anyway, maybe it was some sort of mutt/wolf hybrid. That could account for the bizarre appearance. A wolf/any kind of dog hybrid could produce any sort of bizarre looking results, I suppose. A la Monty Hall.

[badbadrubberpiggy]

Anyway, maybe it was some sort of mutt/wolf hybrid. That could account for the bizarre appearance. <snips>

That's what I thought when I saw it. Mutts can look really odd, depending on what breeds they have in them. To me, the dog-thing looks like it's part Chow (I think it's the fur & short snout, but I'm no breed expert).

While I wouldn't want to run into a live one in the woods, it certainly doesn't look like a "mystery beast" to me.

[Loopydude]

As it has been confirmed to be a wolf-dog hybrid by DNA analysis, whether or not it looks like one is kind of a moot topic at this point.

I'm guessing Fox picked this up because it's got words like "Stephen King", "hybrid mutant" and "evil looking" in he text. It's the product of some backwoods canine luuuv, and while rare, not in any way a "mystery beast". It's a mutt with a foul disposition, and the local yokels are spinning yarns.

[Frylock]

As it has been confirmed to be a wolf-dog hybrid by DNA analysis, whether or not it looks like one is kind of a moot topic at this point.

I'm guessing Fox picked this up because it's got words like "Stephen King", "hybrid mutant" and "evil looking" in he text. It's the product of some backwoods canine luuuv, and while rare, not in any way a "mystery beast". It's a mutt with a foul disposition, and the local yokels are spinning yarns.

The DNA analysis was on another animal, not this one.

-FrL-

[Who_me?]

As it has been confirmed to be a wolf-dog hybrid by DNA analysis, whether or not it looks like one is kind of a moot topic at this point.


As was posted earlier, the previous unidentified animal was confirmed to be a wolf-dog hybrid... not this one.

[Loopydude]

Oops!

[The Chao Goes Mu]

As it has been confirmed to be a wolf-dog hybrid by DNA analysis, whether or not it looks like one is kind of a moot topic at this point.

I'm guessing Fox picked this up because it's got words like "Stephen King", "hybrid mutant" and "evil looking" in he text. It's the product of some backwoods canine luuuv, and while rare, not in any way a "mystery beast". It's a mutt with a foul disposition, and the local yokels are spinning yarns.


I really don't mean to nitpick but I wouldn't consider this odd guy to be an "evil mutant beast" (as proclaimed by the Maine locals) or even an animal of "foul disposition" it was part wolf. Wolves are hunters that have a natural distrust of humans and even though it may have been a domesticated dog hybrid, it was still wild and thus a hunter for the sake of survival.

It appeared to remain pretty elusive until it's violent death so that in of itself kind of lends to the notion that it was not some rabid maniac on a mean streak. The deaths of the doberman and the rottweiler may have been more of a territorial disagreement over some kibble than some ruthless attack.