Scientists Discovered A New Cat-Fox Species Which Was Previously Believed To Be A Myth

For centuries, stories recounted by shepherds living in Corsica about meter-long cats with long sharp teeth that would attack ewes and goats at night were dismissed as a myth. However, in 2008 one such cat was accidentally caught in a chicken coop which encouraged scientists to extend their research of the new cat species.

Known as cat-fox in English or as the ghjattu volpe in Corsican and the chat renard in French, this cat may look similar to domestic cats but is quite different in some ways. While the domestic cats are 46cm (18inches) in length on average, the discovered cat-fox measures 90cm (35inches) from head to tail.