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Oct. 29, 2010
An Answer to the Chupacabra Legend?
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| The mysterious animals, the legends say, come to drink the blood of livestock -- sometimes sucking their victims dry. The chupacabra has been described as a scaly creature with a long rodent-like snout, spines, and a shape somewhat like a dog. Now, a biologist says that coyotes suffering from severe mange could be the origin of the 'chupacabra' legends. Mites living under the skin of the coyote could cause a skin condition producing a scaly appearance - and secondary infections could produce the foul odor sometimes attributed to the legendary chupacabra. We'll talk about the idea and evidence for it. |
Produced by Aleszu Bajak
Guests
-
Barry OConnor
Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Curator, Museum of Zoology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
FEATURED READING
Brilliant Blunders
by Mario Livio
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