Scientists have found a new cat in the Mediterranean with a strange name

Although the residents of Corse in the Mediterranean have known for years that cats are not like any other cat.

It is said that on the French island of Corse in the middle of the Mediterranean, the inhabitants circulated many anecdotes about a mysterious cat. On the outside it looks quite like wild cats but they are more cunning, aiming at the breasts of goats and sheep to attack, then take down the animal and take away the "booty" from the farmer. These infamous cats are called Ghjattu volpe by the islanders .

Corse Island - where strange cats are found.(Photo: Daily Mail, TravelTourXP)

"We believe fox cats have been seen before, but have never been recognized as a species on a scientific perspective because they are rare and nocturnal," said Pierre Benedetti, ONCFS expert.

Not only is the mysterious move, strange cats are very talented in camouflage. They put on the plaited fur from the front legs to the tail, black hind legs and lower abdomen red. Their feathers are thick to resist ticks and fleas.

Mysterious cat breed in Corse island legend.

The zoology industry wanted to learn about the island cat Corse for a decade but there was no one to study. It was not until 2008, they were happy to catch a strange cat guy . broke into the chicken coop of the people!

The mystery of Corse island cats began to be screened in 2012, four years after the first individual was arrested and taken for DNA testing. Researcher Benedetti said: "Corse Island cats are completely different from European wild cats (scientific name: Felissilvestrissilvestris) . In fact, they have relatives closer to African wild cats (Felissilvestrislybica ) but this is 1 separate species ".

The supernatural charism is not a joke of fox cats, although they have not been able to "preserve" their mysteries forever.

In 2016, science caught the first cat, then found 16 more cats. They attach positioning chips to them to track behavior, schedules and habits. The results showed that the cat's activity range was very wide, covering an area of ​​up to 3000ha and a height of up to 2,500m.

Early investigations showed that cats had lived in Corsica for over 6,500 years, since the second time humans had conquered the island. If this result is correct, it is likely that their origin is from the Middle East.

Despite the "hybrid" name , this cat has nothing to do with foxes, nor is it a hybrid between two species because they are completely different (fox belongs to the dog family). Just that, they have many differences compared to ordinary domestic cats . Fox cats are larger in size - can be nearly 1m long (domestic cats are only about 76cm long), broad ears, shorter whiskers and longer fangs.

From now on call them fox cats (or other names called cat cats).

However, it is currently not possible to conclude that this is a new species. Just like in the case of the mysterious dog in Montana in 2018 turned out to be a cross between a dog and a wolf, the fox cat could very well be crossed between two cats. If that is the case, it cannot be considered a new species.

Conclusion how, let science continue to find out.