Dr. Dominique de Caprona: Indigenous Lop-Eared Sighthounds from Central Africa to China

2011-05-02

These breeds have evolved during centuries in very different geographical, social and cultural contexts. Their superficial resemblance does not in any way imply a common origin.

The short haired individuals of a breed do not have the same DNS as the short haired individuals of another breed. On the contrary, the short haired individuals of a breed which exists with long hair, have the same DNA as the long haired individuals of that breed.

Genetic research shows already that the most stable and ancient parts of DNA are different for some of these breeds, indicating a different origin thousands of years ago. Example: Sloughi of the Maghreb and Saluki.

The preservation of these indigenous breeds will therefore have to be carried out locally without the addition of foreign blood which ever it might be.

AFRICA

Sloughis © de Caprona

Azawakh © Lundqvist

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Azawakh Sighthound of Central Africa (Niger – Azawakh valley, Mali, Burkina Faso). A single variety: short haired. Hunt: gazelles, jackal, hyena, squirrel, hare, rodents.

Azawakh © Lundqvist

Expedition 2007 Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso

Niger © Thier Rostaing

Expedition 2007 Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso © Lundqvist

Sloughi, Sighthound of the Maghreb/North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya). A single variety: short haired. Variable size: desert Sloughi is smaller. Hunt: hare, jackal, gazelle, wild boar, desert fox (fennec), rodents.

Algeria © Mangelsdorf

Tunisia © de Caprona

Morocco © de Caprona

Algeria © Mangelsdorf

Desert Sloughi, Tunisia © de Caprona

ASIA

Saluki, Sighthound of the Middle East. Two varieties: long haired on tail and ears and short haired in the same litter. The short haired variety can produce long haired puppies, the long haired variety short haired puppies.

Saluki or Sighthound of Arabia (sloughi omani (Oman), yamani (Yemen), shami (Syria), nedji (Central Saudi Arabia) etc.; Saluki or Tazi, Sighthound of Persia (Turkey, Iraq, Iran).

Saluki of Arabia: short haired variety, bloodline Qatar © Fisher

Long haired variety, bloodline Bahrain © Fisher

Bloodline Saudi Arabia © Fisher

Saluki of Persia: long haired variety, Iran (left) Iraq (right) © McGuffin

Long haired, bloodline Iran © Dahnke

Long haired, bloodline Iran © Rübesam

Afghan, Sighthound of Afghanistan. Three varieties in Afghanistan: Tazi Bakhmull long haired on body and ears, always light fawn, Tazi Luchak short haired, Tazi Khalag moderate long hair on body and ears. Individuals with long or short hair in the same litter. Hunt: deer, antelope, hare, wolf, jackal, marmot, partridge, quail, and other game.

Bakhmull Tazi (long haired) © Gherasiova

Luchak Tazi (short haired) Afghanistan © Casimir

Khalag Tazi (moderate long hair) Afghanistan © Casimir

Show Afghan © Gross von Hübbenet

Show Afghan © Schwab

Taigan, sighthound of Kyrgyzstan. A single variety: long haired, hair of variable length. Hunt: hare, marmot, fox, roe deer, wild goat, wolf.

Kyrgyzstan © Blaszkowski

Kazakh Tazi, Sighthound of Kazakhstan. Two varieties: with long hair on tail and ears (Kumai Tazi) and short haired (Dzhorghak Tazi). Hunt: wild goat, hare, wolf, fox, pheasant.

Kazakhstan © Cruz

Stepnaya Borzaya, Sighthound of Russian Steppe. Hunt: hare.

Russia © Fiodorenko

Pashmi and Caravan (Mudhol), Sighthounds of Southern India (Deccan Plateau). It seems that the Pashmi is the long haired variety of the Caravan. Hunt: various game from hare to Blackbuck.

Caravan, India © Shetty

Caravan, India © Prasad Raghu Mayekar

Chippiparai (fawn, white, grey, solid colors) and Kanni (black mantle) Sighthounds of Southern India (Deep south, Periyar Lake). Sometimes prick eared. One single variety: short haired. Hunt: hare, deer, wild boar.

India © Shetty

Rampur, Sighthound of Northern India (originated at Rampur, district of the state of Uttar Pradesh, between Delhi and Bareilly). One single variety: short haired. Hunt: hare, wild boar, Blue Bull.

Menggu Xigou, Mongolian Sighthounds from Manchuria, North Eastern China, the tallest and most powerful of Chinese Sighthounds. One single variety: short haired. Hunt: hare, as well as more substantial game, such wolf but there is none left.

China, courtesy of Chaoxian Chen

Hebei, Sighthound of Northern China, Hebei province, located between Shanxi and Shandong. One single variety: short haired. Hunt: hare.

China, courtesy of Chaoxian Chen

Shaanxi Xigou, Sighthound of Central China, Shaanxi province. It is said that two varieties existed: long haired and short haired, only the long haired variety on tail and ears seems to exist today. Roman nose. Hunt: hare.

Shandong Xigou, Sighthound of Central China, Shandong province, Central Eastern coast. Two varieties: long haired and short haired. Hunt: hare.

China, courtesy of Chaoxian Chen

Acknowledgements

I thank all the people who have contributed to this page with documentation and photos: Prem Antony, Rehan Baber, Marcin Blaszkowski, Dr. Michael Casimir, Chaoxian Chen, Carla Cruz, Helene Duncan, Dr. Monika Dahncke, Natalia Gherasiova, Liz Gross von Hübbenet, Karel Fisher, Corine Lundqvist, Joseph Mangelsdorf, Prasad Raghu Mayekar, Jack McGuffin, Venkata Ramana Pasila, Jutta Rübesam, Brigitte Schwab, Yajnesh Shetty, Christiane Thier Rostaing, Philippe Touret.

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The article of Dr. Dominique de Caprona was first published at the Sloughi World web pages. Other interesting links recommended by the author for sighthound breeds lovers:

www.sloughi.net

www.lgra.us

Preserving the Sloughi

http://sloughi.tripod.com/sloughiworld/preserving.html

Sloughi Books

http://sloughi.tripod.com/sloughinet/sloughibook.html

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