El Chupacabra @ AOP

patooyee · Jul 21, 2015

The last thing we did before we left last weekend was ran over to the sxs track and let my daughter "drive" the Ranger over the whoop dee whoops. (She can't reach the pedal or turn the wheel, but she holds the wheel and pretends.) As we were approaching my wife noticed a small furry creature on the track to the left side on the big jump. As we approached it ran into the woods. We didn't get close enough to figure out what it was. Its been bugging both of us ever since. It was very light brown or gray, about the size of a Pomeranian dog, but its legs were longer than a Pom and it ran like a goat or a dog. Mainly all we saw were its butt and rear legs, which we could obviously tell were not rabbit legs, nor did it have rabbit ears that were visible. Its body was also shorter than a rabbit's. Its didn't hop either, it ran.

I've been racking my mental database trying to figure out what this could have been. The closest match I can come up with is some sort of pigmy / midget baby goat. It was about a foot long from nose to stub-tail and half as wide. Also about a foot tall. I've also thought maybe a stray Pomeranian dog with mange.

Any ideas?

Rokcrler · Jul 21, 2015

Re:

We saw a fury creature that looked and ran like a dog when leaving the track. It was running towards the campers...dunno what it was for sure

Lil ugly · Jul 21, 2015

It is probably a Nutria. a water rodent, they are about the size of Pomeranian maybe a little bigger have fairly long legs and a round tail. They are pretty reclusive so you don't see them real often but they are out there.

ibrokeit · Jul 21, 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coypu

pholmann · Jul 21, 2015

A nutria in Tennessee? :rolf:

patooyee · Jul 21, 2015

Lil ugly said:
It is probably a Nutria. a water rodent, they are about the size of Pomeranian maybe a little bigger have fairly long legs and a round tail. They are pretty reclusive so you don't see them real often but they are out there.

I considered that as well. I've seen Nutria. It wasn't a Nutria. Unless it was a Nutria with a bleached stubby furry tail. Plus, Nutrias general stick to areas with water. This thing was dry and out on a dusty dry race track in 92* dry heat and no shade.

ibrokeit · Jul 21, 2015

pholmann said:
A nutria in Tennessee?

Yes.

joho75287 · Jul 21, 2015

It was probably what you think - an incredibly ugly dog... LOL

patooyee · Jul 21, 2015

joho75287 said:
It was probably what you think - an incredibly ugly dog... LOL

If it weren't for the long legs I would say 100% mangy Pomeranian. But I can't imagine a Pom surviving in the wild long enough to exhibit symptoms of mange. I would think a Coyote would get your average Pom in about 1.5 hours of becoming a stray.

creepycrawly · Jul 21, 2015

Sounds like a possum...or a mangey coon.

Neal3000 · Jul 21, 2015

Grey fox with a shitty tail?

patooyee · Jul 21, 2015

From the back this is about what it looked like. Except it was just pure gray / light brown, no black feet:

If someone says there are goats in the area I'm going with this.

jeeptj99 · Jul 21, 2015

patooyee said:
From the back this is about what it looked like. Except it was just pure gray / light brown, no black feet:

If someone says there are goats in the area I'm going with this.

doesn't the dude up the road have goats there? On the right as youre going in? I know he has animals but hell I never really paid any attention to what they were. Wasn't a deer fawn was it?

patooyee · Jul 21, 2015

jeeptj99 said:
doesn't the dude up the road have goats there? On the right as youre going in? I know he has animals but hell I never really paid any attention to what they were. Wasn't a deer fawn was it?

Yes, I noticed goats on the way in. That's another reason I am leaning that direction. Too small to be a fawn and its legs weren't THAT long.

Jwhite76 · Jul 21, 2015

It was a dog I don't know what kind it is but the people that own it live on the
other side of the creek . He said it was missing for two days & he found it at AOP .

infamous1 · Jul 21, 2015

Re: Re: El Chupacabra @ AOP

patooyee said:
From the back this is about what it looked like. Except it was just pure gray / light brown, no black feet:

If someone says there are goats in the area I'm going with this.

Damn El Chupacabre is cute!!

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patooyee · Jul 21, 2015

Jwhite76 said:
It was a dog I don't know what kind it is but the people that own it live on the
other side of the creek . He said it was missing for two days & he found it at AOP .

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!