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Old November 25, 2005, 10:18 PM   #1
MeekAndMild
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aonther odd critter

Spending a lot of time in the woods and going back and forth from my hunting sites I've seen another odd critter crossing the road twice this year. Mrs. Meek saw the second one so I'm not totally hallucinating.

It is about 14 inches high and maybe 20 inches long, sandy or light brown in color. Its hair is short and ears are rounded like a cat or possum. It has a long face like a possum, but it's head is smaller in proportion to its body, more like a weiner dog without the long ears. The back is sraight and the nose points downward at a right angle to the neck like that of a goat or deer and not forward like a pig's. It trots like a small deer, indeed it could be a deer if it weren't so small.

Fox? Nope, no bushy tail, no prominent ears and no long hair.
Coyote? Nope, too small, no long hair, no prominent ears.
Deer? Nope, too small and head too small in proportion to the body?
Bobcat? Nope, more straight back, gait is like a trot and not a bounce.
Coon? Nope, color wrong, gait wrong, straignt and shoulders as high as butt.
Mink? Nope, trots instead of scurrying, head is wrong shape and back is more straight.
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Old November 25, 2005, 10:40 PM   #2
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If you were in south east China I would say it sounds like a Muntjac. Not too likely here though.
Muntjac.jpg

Where did you see this? Are you in the North? South?
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Old November 25, 2005, 11:59 PM   #3
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Without more detail and without knowing your location. My SWAG is possibly a cotamundi.

Either that or somebodys pet Dik Dik got lose.
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Old November 26, 2005, 05:57 AM   #4
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The critters were sighted deep in the heart of Dixie a few miles off the Nachez trace.

Not quite as heavy bodied as a Muntjac and back legs are less prominent than a dik dik, but close to either. Really weird.
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Old November 26, 2005, 08:11 AM   #5
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That sounds kind of like a fox squirrle. We have many of them around here, you just have to know where to look. All the ones I know of live in clumps of oak trees in small groups or families. If that's what they are don't kill them because it's illegal but more importantly they mate for life
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Old November 26, 2005, 05:33 PM   #6
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Ya know, it almost sounds like a ring tailed cat, or miner's cat. They're all over the desert SW, but I've never heard of them being that far east. Their real name is a cacomistle. They got the name "miner's cat" because they're really bold and friendly, and miners kept them as mascots and to get rid of mice and rats in the mines. Here's a pic of one, but the one's I've seen didn't have that boldly striped of a tail; more like a raccoon.

Attached Images
File Type: jpg ring tail cat.jpg (42.5 KB, 945 views)
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Old November 26, 2005, 05:44 PM   #7
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could it be a Coati But the book says their more prone to be in texas and the southeast
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Old November 26, 2005, 07:10 PM   #8
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Next time I see one I'm going to look closer at its tail. This looks like what I saw except for the back legs and hair didn't look quite so long. They say it is masked and the tail is striped but except for the color pattern this was the critter. That pointed nose is the same!


http://www.whozoo.org/AnlifeSS2001/b...s/BS_Coati.htm

I never thought I'd see a coati mundi east of the Mississippi, but then 30 years ago armadillos weren't here either.
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Old November 26, 2005, 07:29 PM   #9
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I wonder if it was a young one that hadn't reached maturity yet. Would have been cool to see one in the wild though.
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Old November 26, 2005, 09:25 PM   #10
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Sounds like a chupacabra to me...

Didn't know they roamed that far east, though. If it is, don't make it mad.
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Old November 27, 2005, 01:22 AM   #11
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It sounds too small for a chupacabra to me... maybe a young one though. But arn't chupacabras nocturnal? And in any case, it shouldn't be that lightly colored.
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Old November 27, 2005, 05:01 AM   #12
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Chupacabra!!!!!!
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Old November 27, 2005, 08:16 AM   #13
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Could be one of those Nutrias.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/F...20/nutria.html
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Old November 28, 2005, 09:00 PM   #14
MeekAndMild
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No, a nute has yellow teeth and waddles when it walks on land.


Chupacabra is bigger and has porcelain teeth and makes people crazy when they get too close.
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Old November 28, 2005, 10:39 PM   #15
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Quote:
Chupacabra is bigger and has porcelain teeth and makes people crazy when they get too close.
Of Course, you know, M&M, that's not a chupacabra! NO self-respecting Chupacabra would look or act like, or get anywhere near anything that vicious or ugly!
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Old November 29, 2005, 03:41 PM   #16
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M&M, you knock me out!

And to think, we may have one for president!:barf:
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Old November 29, 2005, 05:56 PM   #17
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That thing with the porcelain teeth would eat a chupacabra for breakfast.
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Old November 29, 2005, 07:33 PM   #18
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Old November 30, 2005, 01:07 AM   #19
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how'bout a mist-placed Badger...?
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Old November 30, 2005, 02:33 PM   #20
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M&M, you should bring a flashless camera with you in the woods in case you run across it again. It may be something exotic that someone had as a pet and turned loose, or got away. A long time ago I had a nile moniter lizard that got away . By the time it turned up in the woods near where I used to live it was over 6 feet in length and had scared the crap out of kids who would ride thier 4-wheelers in the woods.
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Old November 30, 2005, 06:29 PM   #21
rapier144
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No Name

we already had one picture of hillary we didn't need another one Jeez.
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Old November 30, 2005, 11:49 PM   #22
No Name XII
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Sorry. I will try to be more thoughtful next time.

Hey, 100 posts, and it only took 10 1/2 months.
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Old December 1, 2005, 10:05 AM   #23
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The 'trotting' thing really has me thrown. A coati, beaver, nutria, or other rodent-type animal is not going to trot.

Was it more of a 'hop' or a 'trot'?
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Old December 1, 2005, 05:35 PM   #24
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My guess is that "trotting" probably is not an accurate description of the locomotion. Beaver and nutria don't trot, as noted and really are not great on land runners for very far. Coatis and other carnivores do have a trot, gallop, or jog, whatever you want to call it. I bet few of us here who don't raise and show horses could actually define each of these off the tops of our heads and the terms often get used in interchanged contexts.

However, there is a rodent that might fit the description. It is herded like smaller artiodactyls, has a sort of small deer-like gait, at times, long face, rounded smaller ears, white teeth, correct coloring, rear haunch high, and about the right size and color. It is the capibara of Central and South America. They love the water. It would have to be an introduced one, such as an escaped pet or zoo animal as you are a couple thousand miles by land from the nearest sources and while they like to swim, there are no records of them crossing the Gulf via swimming.

I don't think it is likely to be a Capibara, but that is the best suggestion I could come up with from the limited description and the fact that all the other good indiginous choices were already taken.
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Old December 1, 2005, 07:01 PM   #25
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Muskrat....
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