On the Mediterranean island of Corsica, scientists have made a lovely discovery: a brand new special of cat that appears to be a cat-fox mix, which is the official classification.
The animal itself has been known to be on the island for some time, but only recently got its own recognition separate from the typical domestic cat. Researchers warn that there are only 16 of these felines on the island, so they are attempting to protect them as best they can.
Right now, that involves classifying them as a protected species and adding trackers on each cat they can capture to follow its movement.
The new species looks a lot like your typical housecat, but it is a little longer, averaging about 35 inches from nose to tail. The whiskers are shorter and stubbier, and the ears appear to be wider.
Their teeth are “highly developed”, presumably to fit their diet, and their fur is much denser than the average housecats, helping protect it from fleas and ticks.
Scientists think the cat was probably brought to the island around 6,500 BC by farmers, meaning it would have genetic roots to the middle east and plenty of time to evolve into a new species.
The cat-fox has been part of island lore for hundreds of years, and stories of how the forest cats would attack udders of goats were told to new farmers often.
