Skip to main content

Tibetan Mastiff

Tibetan Mastiff
This past March, a red Tibetan Mastiff was purchased for 10,000,000 Chinese Yuan, which is equivalent to about $1.5million dollars! Hong Dong, who was bought by a Chinese coal baron, is one of the most expensive dog in the entire world! But what is it that made that dog so valuable, especially when specimens of the breed typically sell  for far, far less in the western world?

Tibetan Mastiffs are a very old breed, and many in their native lands believe that they are holy creatures. Red is an especially lucky color, which is part of the reason for Hong Dong's extravagant asking price. (The article also states that owning these huge dogs has become a new status symbol for the wealthy elite)

When I say old breed, I mean old breed. Records of large dogs began to appear in the region over 3,000 years ago. Unfortunately, the full details of the breed's history are shrouded in mystery, as they were kept in isolation for so long. Europeans did not stumble upon the breed until the 1800s, and the first standard was adopted in the 1930s.

Tibetan Mastiffs can now be found outside of central Asia, but they remain rare. This intelligent and independent breed was, and still is, used for property and personal guardianship. Not surprising since they can weigh over 150lbs (68kg).
Status : Domesticated
Location : Originally from Central Asia
Size : Height around 28in (72cm), Weight around 160lbs (73kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Canidae -- Genus : Canis -- Species : C. lupus -- Subspecies : C. l. familiaris
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...
59 comments
Read more

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more