Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Something interesting about dingoes

Hello gals and guys!    Julia here. I was fascinated by a report in the Sydney Morning Herald  on Monday about dingoes.    Everyone based their description on the drawing of a dingo in the journal of the first Governor, Arthur Phillip and, according to Matthew Crowther, the research leader from Sydney University, the lack of official status has meant that  dingoes are often confused with wild dogs - a pest to farmers.   However, from a mix of skeletons, skins and preserved specimens held mostly in European museums, the team determined the physical characteristics that define a dingo - a longer snout, bushy tail and pointy ears, and a large skull.   Their appearance  was more varied than people assumed, with considerable differences in the colours of their coats.   While dingoes and domestic dogs have a common ancestor, the dingo has lived in isolation for more than 3,000 years, so  it is appropriate  that the dingoes scientific classification is Canis dingo, as they are not descended  from wolves, were distinct from dogs and were not a sub-species.    I am interested in all this because we know one!.  He belongs to our friend Wendy Wouter, fox-terrier breeder and prize winning groomer.  He really is beautiful  with a wonderful expression and huge grey eyes.   He is micro-chipped and, alas, carefully confined because if he goes walk about he will definitely kill smaller farm animals   Nevertheless he really is a gorgeous creature !

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