A few days ago, people found 16 wild "fox cats" on the island of Corsica in southern France. The animal's body shape and tail are characterized by both foxes and cats, and both have great similarities with the latter two, and may become a new species belonging to the cat family.
Recently, staff from the French Office of Hunting and Wildlife (ONCFS) spotted 16 species temporarily known as "fox cats" on a steep mountain ridge in Corsica. Some staff believe that the "fox cat" may be a completely new feline.
The "fox cat" has soft silky hair, well-developed canine teeth, about 70 to 90 cm long from head to tail, a wide distance between ears, and a short beard on the face. The tarsal bones of their hind legs are usually black, and the belly hairs are red rust-colored. The tail has about 2 to 4 rings and is black at the end.
It is reported that this animal has an extremely cautious personality and likes to be active at night. Dna analysis showed that the "fox cat" possessed genes from both European wildcats and African forest cats, but their actual blood maps remained to be confirmed.
Authorities caught the "fox cats" in a forest called the local Asco and released them all into the wild after a quick inspection. The Asco Forest is inaccessible and has water and vegetation as a barrier to protect the "fox cat" from predators.
Benedetti, head of environmental technology at the French Office of Hunting and Wildlife, said: "For us, this is a known but not recorded natural wild species. This is an extraordinary discovery. ”
According to a research plan, the staff hung the chips with identification numbers on the necks of these "fox cats", and after collecting 80 days of data, the chips equipped with the positioning system on their necks were removed.
(Editor: Long Jianwu)