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Subject: The Falkland island fox
From: Panthera posted Tue, Dec 30 2003, 8:01pm 
There was a discussion earlier about the Falkland island fox, and I found a site that has some info on it. There's a picture of it somewere that I've seen but I couln't find it.

Falkland island fox or wolf
Subject: Re: The Falkland island fox
From: pathfinder posted Tue, Dec 30 2003, 11:27pm 
I found the picture and some more info on the Falkland Island fox/wolf known locally as a warrah.

Picture of Falkland Island fox/wolf

Pathfinder
Subject: Re: The Falkland island fox
From: (profile name not found) posted Wed, Dec 31 2003, 6:34am 
Should be called the Falkland Island Dog, iffen you ask me. Looked kinda like a dingo, and lived on an island. Betcha some hunting dogs were brought there at some point by Amerindians. Some ran off and went feral. Lived on penguins and stuff 'til Europeans got there and killed 'em off. Dog, which is why they were so tame and easy to kill.

McCall - who thinks the critters oughta be called Canis familiaris australis, or something like that
Subject: Re: The Falkland island fox
From: pathfinder posted Wed, Dec 31 2003, 9:38am 
One article I found referred to it as all three - fox, wolf, and dog. They said the taxonomy was in question and as there are no living ones left and few stuffed they cannot determine the true name.

Pathfinder
Subject: Re: The Falkland island fox
From: Panthera posted Wed, Dec 31 2003, 10:09am 
Yea, that's the one! It does look like a fox, more than a wolf, at least.
Subject: Re: The Falkland island fox
From: Tallie posted Fri, Jan 21 2005, 7:12pm 
I dunno looks kind of weird to me. I mean the ears are small and body is kind of long like a weasel. Not sure if there are any still alive. I haven't researched the Dusicyon much but the genus name is kind of funny. Dusicyon means "foolish dog" in Greek. I wonder why?
Subject: Re: The Falkland island fox
From: pmaas posted Tue, Sep 13 2005, 6:05am 
Its current scientific name is Dusicyon australis, meaning foolish dog of the south, alluding to its lack of fear of man. They came to the hunters with no fear and were than killed. Many island animals are, or better were, like this!

Darwin commented on the tameness of the animals and feared that this might eventually lead to their extinction. He was right! Shortly after the Falkland Islands Wolf was discovered by fur traders from the United States. Trappers holding a piece of meat in one hand and a knife in the other lured the extremely tame animals.

Taxonomy:
The Falkland Island Wolf is probably the most enigmatic member of the dog family. The Falkland Islands Wolf no doubt belongs with the other South American canids, but it nearest relative has not been identified with certainty and may be extinct.

In 1880, zoologist Thomas Huxley concluded from skull comparisons that it was related to coyote. Later studies indicated it was closer to a fox rather than a wolf. In 1914, Oldfield Thomas moved it into the genus Dusicyon, with the culpeo (Dusicyon culpaeus is nowadays seen as a synonym of Pseudalopex culpaeus) and South American foxes. Its exact taxonomy is still debated. DNA studies of remains are inconclusive.


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