correctanimal - Tumblr blog

[correctanimal]

Back when I worked at a humane society as an adoption coordinator, I took advantage of a slow day to look through the shelter archives.

I was curious to find out if my Florida-based shelter had ever taken in a real wolf hybrid. There were likely a few that were surrendered husky mixes mis-labelled by the previous owner, but I did find ONE that actually looked like it could be a low-content wolfdog.

This animal still had a LOT of dog in him and could have been a very wolfy-looking german shepherd mix. There's no way to say for sure without a dna test. But this was still an interesting find!

[correctanimal]

Understandably, some folks might be quite upset if you try to tell them their super special definitely-part-wolf pet dog actually.... isn't. Sometimes it means they made a false assumption, believed a lie, or misunderstood their dog's paperwork. Sometimes it means they spent too much money on what's essentially a mutt. People don't like to feel like they were made to look like a fool. I've met two people who claimed their dog is part wolf. One was a white-freckled blue-eyed husky I met in my neighborhood. The dog's breeder told my neighbor he was part wolf, and I didn't think they would believe me if I told them he definitely wasn't.

The other was a young man at a farmer's market, proudly walking around with a dog that I immediately pegged as a husky/lab mix, that looked something like this:

When I stopped to compliment her and give her pets, I asked 'do you know what she's a mix of?' You can imagine my surprise when he answered with a proud, 'yeah! she's an alaskan wolfdog' and shared that she was training to become his ESA or possibly a service dog.

I paused. I asked where he got her from, and he said from a Florida animal shelter. Pairing this with the odd phrasing of 'Alaskan', I connected the dots and can only assume that the shelter listed her in their database as an Alaskan Husky, and that some assumptions had been made, or someone made an offhand comment about her 'wolfy' features. But instead of calling him a liar or making him feel foolish, I said "Oh, you might want to be careful about who you tell that to."

He was confused and intrigued, and asked me why. Conspiratorially, I continued, "Yeah, especially if she's going to be a service dog. Wolfdogs can't be legally recognized as being vaccinated for rabies, even when they physically receive the shots, so if anything ever happened or if she got out, she'd have to be euthanized instead of returned to you. It's not legal in Florida to own a wolfdog without a wildlife license. I'm only telling you this because I don't want her to be taken away from you!"

Frightened, he asked what he should tell people instead. "You might want to look back at the shelter paperwork and see what they used. I'll bet anything they said she was an Alaskan Husky, so you might want to start calling her that instead, just to be safe."

He thanked me and agreed, deciding then and there to call her an Alaskan Husky and not to mention the wolfdog thing anymore. He may still believe a little bit that she has some wolf in her, but at least he won't advertise that to other people if he's worried about his dog being taken away.

And none of what I said was untrue. The blog yourdogisnotawolf is now gone, but it used to have all kinds of horror stories about dogs being shot because a hunter mistook them for wolves, adoptable dogs in shelters being euthanized because they were improperly labeled as wolfdogs, and real wolfdogs suffering or being placed into wildlife facilities because the people who owned them had no idea what they were getting into due to the misrepresentation of domestic dogs as wolf hybrids.

[correctanimal]

I just went through the entire post archive in order to clean house a little bit! If you're interested in this blog, here's what you can expect:

Here's our masterlist of tags

1. In the past we used to go into animal tags and reblog just about everything that was tagged wrong. But I'm narrowing the focus to JUST things that are misidentified in the actual text of the post. I only kept the older posts that were somewhat informative or pictured lesser-known species. (As much as possible I also hope to avoid reposts so that photographers and bloggers get the credit they deserve for their content.)

2. I'm looking for actual photos, not art or sculptures. I tag it when an animal's appearance has been obviously edited, such as eyes or fur being photoshopped or otherwise altered. But I'm not looking to do art critiques here.

3. I tag for content I think people might find upsetting. You can blacklist terms like taxidermy, animal abuse and animal death to keep those things off of your dash!

4. In general, I want to have an upbeat and educational vibe. I'd rather not attack anyone over simple knowledge gaps that are easy to fill in! Animals are fascinating and it's really interesting to learn about them. Consider me a Snopes.com specifically for animal misinformation.

5. I accept submissions and suggestions! If you see an animal on tumblr and want to know what it is, or if you think it's being misrepresented or misidentified, send it to this blog. If it fits, I'll reblog it with the correct information.

[correctanimal]

They do look very similar but that’s not an otter. I was able to track down a possible origin of this image that isn’t reddit!

[x]

The image is credited to Fur Commission USA and if you look up farm minks you can see that they look just like this critter (maybe a little less chunky).

A white otter, for comparison:

Stoat?

stoats and ermine are actually the same animal! and to top that off, in some places they're also called "short-tailed weasels". but it's all the same critter:

(let's call him "Maurice". hello, Maurice!)

of course, this means that every ermine coat you've ever seen in a fashion magazine or on the rack of a thrift store being fondled by Macklemore has actually been made... out of stoat... this entire time.

that's right,

it's a stoat coat.

[correctanimal]

When I started volunteering with a wolf preserve, something I learned very quickly is that a LOT of people like to think their dog is a wolfdog. This is seriously so so common to hear from people:

“Oh yeah I know how rowdy wolves are; I’ve actually got a husky/Timberwolf mix at home!”

I mean... maybe, but most likely no you do not. Wolves are misrepresented so often in media that it seems many people struggle to identify the features that come from true wolf genetics, as opposed to those from northern dog breeds. Irresponsible breeders know this, and they also know that claiming the malamute puppies they’re selling are 1/4 wolf will make those pups seem interesting and desirable to buyers. As a result, uneducated dog owners label their pet as a “Wolfdog” without knowing the serious consequences of doing so. It may seem like a harmless phenomenon but it really isn’t.

So why should we care if someone mislabels their dog a wolfdog? I feel there are 2 really big reasons why this is so dangerous

1- if you tell people your dog is a Wolfdog, some may believe you. They may think “Luna is just the most beautiful dog, sure she’s energetic but nothing I can’t handle. Maybe I should get a wolfdog too”. This is a problem because that individual could seek out a wolfdog to purchase and end up owning the genuine article, as opposed to your dubious backyard “wolfdog”. Wolves and dogs are SO different, due to the fact that humans spent thousands of years breeding out the traits that make them unsuitable for daily companionship. Wolf dogs will have a lot of those genes! They need a tremendous amount of space and diligent, specialized care from an experienced keeper. A rambunctious husky is not even close to the same level as a high content wolfdog. When unprepared people decide to own a wolfdog, it often ends very poorly. The sanctuary where I volunteered has had to take in several wolfdogs that were surrendered by owners who could not handle them.

2- The laws of ownership regarding wolfdogs are very different from those that govern pet ownership. Each state has varying legislation, with some requiring licenses based on the animal’s wolf content. If you claim that your dog is a wolfdog, they will likely be subject to laws that classify them as captive wildlife rather than a pet. Due to the fact that there is no approved rabies vaccine for wolves/wolfdogs, animal shelters that take these cases are often forced to euthanize any dog that has been classified as a “wolfdog” due to public safety concerns. There have been several tragic cases where dog owners mislabeled their pet as part wolf, and were unable to reclaim them from a shelter when the animal could not be certified rabies free. Telling people (even online) that your malamute a wolfdog can get it killed.

Wolves are great, dogs are great, and wolfdogs are great. We have devoted so much time to the study and care of all these animals that there is really no excuse for misrepresenting them. If you love your dog, love it for what it is! Mislabeling your pet as a wolf is really irresponsible and can cause misery for others that you never even see. For reference:

100% Grey Wolf

LOW content wolfdog

Absolutely 0% wolf 😅

[correctanimal]

Baby crows are so dumb and I love them.

[correctanimal]

Actually this alpaca IS a toy/stuffed animal. Real alpaca babies are about the size of a goat and have awkwardly long necks and legs.

they actually do tho

[correctanimal]

[correctanimal]

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the real horrors of Halloween

[correctanimal]

the end ! this has been a bird psa 

[correctanimal]

The Banded Linsang (Prionodon linsang), or “tiger-civet”, is a carnivorous aboreal mammal and is a member of the Viverridae family and the rarest of all civets. It inhabits Thailand, western Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, and western Java. Its diet consists of squirrels, rats, birds, and lizards. It’s 74cm long (including tail) and 700g (25 oz).

[correctanimal]

if you’ve never seen one before

deer are smaller than you think

raccoons are bigger than you think

bears are smaller than you think but you were pretty close

otters are bigger than you think no even bigger than that

wolves are bigger than you think

wild cats are smaller than you think but hopefully you’ll never see one

chipmunks are smaller than you think

so are mice but you’ve seen a mouse right

you were right about the size of moose, mostly

pigs are bigger than you think

coyotes are that size

so are foxes

woops bears are bigger than you think but only that one type

this is an informational post about mammals if you know more please do tell

[correctanimal]

NO THeY DON’T Oh my GOD no they don’t

There is no such thing as a forever puppy. Please stop misinforming random internet-goers when it’s already so hard to educate people about dogs and dog breeds. I used to work at a shelter and SO MUCH of the job was just gently adjusting people’s expectations for how big a particular puppy might get.

CORGI HUSKY MIXED. THEY STAY THAT LITTLE IM DYINGGGG

[correctanimal]

White tiger fact vs fiction

White tigers can be very beautiful animals.  As a child, I delighted at a rare chance to see some on a family trip to Vegas.  But there’s a lot of incorrect information out there about white tigers.  Let’s take a look at some white tiger facts.

White tigers are not a species nor a breed.  They are a color mutation called leucism which is carried on recessive genes.  While white tigers can occur spontaneously in nature (very rarely, about 1 in 10,000 births), they can only be deliberately created by severe inbreeding - father to daughter, mother to son, brother to sister.  They are not Siberian tigers, or tigers that have adapted to blend into snowy environments.  The gene comes from the Bengal species, which is (sub)tropical.  Naturally occurring white tigers seldom survive long in the wild due to their lack of camouflage.

White tigers are not a conservation concern, and campaigns to ‘preserve the rare Royal White Bengal Tiger’ and the like are a deliberate misrepresentation for the sake of profit.  Almost all white tigers are ‘man-made’ - that is, the result of deliberate breeding by humans, rather than naturally occurring - the existence of white tigers per se does not do anything to maintain genetic diversity among the species.  Furthermore, almost all of the white tigers you see on display are mixed species - for example, half Bengal, half Siberian - making them worthless for conservation purposes. 

White tigers are not healthy animals.  The close and multi-generational inbreeding required to produce white tigers has resulted in a number of genetically driven defects, such as spinal and facial deformities, defective internal organs, immune deficiency, neurological disorders, club feet, cleft palates, hip dysplasia, crossed eyes, and more. 

The breeding of white tigers is not approved by the American Zoological Association (AZA).  The AZA has banned the breeding of white tigers (along with white lions and king cheetahs) by their accredited zoos. Their report reads, “intentional [in]breeding to achieve rare color-morphs […] has been clearly linked with various abnormal, debilitating, and, at times, lethal, external and internal conditions and characteristics.”

Breeders do not always get the animals they want on the first try.  Because the gene is double recessive, attempting to breed for white tigers often results in normal-colored tigers that still have the same genetic health problems.  These and other undesired cubs - those with visible deformities, serious health issues, and/or poor temperament or intellect - may be destroyed at birth, or raised in spartan conditions for their body parts, valuable on the black market.  One estimate calculates that 30-60 cats must be destroyed in order to get one profitable white tiger. It is true that white tigers are beautiful, as are other big cat color variants such as golden tigers, white lions, and king cheetahs.  Cherished because they are so rare, they have been the source of myths and legends.  Let’s keep white tigers as treasured happenstance, beautiful accidents created by mother nature instead of cruelly manufactured genetic ruins.  Don’t support those who inbreed these animals for profit.  As hard as it may be to miss out, you can end the cruelty.  It’s a simple as turning your back.

[correctanimal]

for reference on big cat colouration:

white tigers only exist in captivity, their mutation is terrible for survival and its super recessive, so they are all inbred.

tabby/golden are the same.

there has been no recorded melanism in tigers yet, but technically it’s not impossible.

there has been no recorded melanism in lions either.

white lions can occur and live in the wild.

melanistic jaguars and leopards occur naturally and are successful.

melanistic servals have also been documented.

there are 2 known captive white servals who occurred via inbreeding.

albino individuals are more sensitive to sunburn on their unpigmented skin and usually suffer from photosensitivity, 

genes for melanism in felines may provide resistance to viral infections, meaning the mutation can give them a superior immune system 

[correctanimal]

And we’re back!

Sort of! Just took some time late in the early morning (I really should go to bed now) to go through and edit a few of our posts and clean things up a bit. As much as I consider my fellow admin a dear friend, she went a little off the deep end for a while. Spending too much time in the big cat tags will do that to you.

The idea for this blog came from an experience in high school that stuck with me - a girl from an older class who had undoubtedly gone through the same creation-based earth science class that I had... but was adamant that lions and tigers were one species in which maned lions were the boys and tigers were the girls. It wasn’t until I was googling pictures of tigers with clearly visible testicles that I decided it wasn’t worth it to try to change her mind. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take out that frustration in an educational blog format. If you’re curious about credentials, I actually graduated with a degree in Zoo Science and had to memorize countless species and scientific names and what they were related to. While I’m not working in that field at the moment, it is still one of my favorite topics and areas of expertise. 

I’d like this blog to be active, so when I get some spare time I will be setting up a bit of a queue and organizing a bit. Unfortunately the mass post editor (or at least the bit that adds tags) doesn’t appear to be fully functional right now, and with the way tumblr has editing posts set up (taking me back to the dashboard each time), it’s a bit time consuming. I edited the worst ones, but there are still some inconsistencies.

For the most part, direct misrepresentation of an animal will be tagged as such. Including animals being kept as pets, false information about the care of animals, etc. But that is not the main focus of this blog.

All misidentified animals will continue to be tagged with the phrase, joke posts or friendly reblogs of other animal blogs will not be. 

Most animals can be found through looking for a tag of that particular animal, but try a couple variations to get all versions. (dog, domestic dog, mix breed / cat, tiger, feline, bengal tiger - etc)

I am going to try to avoid drawings, puppets, heavy photo edits, curse words, and repeat images. If you see something that shouldn’t be here, please let me know. 

If you have a post you’d like to me to weigh in on, please tag correctanimal so that I can be notified! Regarding specifically wolf hybrids, I am not an expert on the topic (though I practice phenotyping them whenever I can), so make sure you tag yourdogisnotawolf unless it is painfully obvious that the animal in question is not a wolf. If you tag me, I will give my guess but I will tag yourdogisnotawolf anyway, so you might as well skip the middle man. :)

Feel free to send links, suggestions, corrections, questions and any other messages to this blog! I’d be glad for the company. I know there are a couple of other blogs like this one out there, but hopefully we can dole out some education to those who are curious.

Tah for now!

[correctanimal]

Not a striped hyena, this is actually a baby Aardwolf! They are related to hyenas but are not quite the same thing. The main difference in appearance seems to be size - the average Striped Hyena is the size of a large dog, 75 lbs. An aardwolf actually only weighs about as much as your average chihuahua - 20 lbs. So this pup looks that small because it IS that small.

i love striped hyenas because look at this punk little pup