Catch Strange Animal
Hopping Along Highway
Washington, Pa., Aug. 22 (AP) – An “animal without a name,” which goes for vegetables and nuts in a big way, had the townsfolk puzzled today. No one could identify it.
The “watcha-call-it” has been viewed by hundreds since Saturday, when, hopping along the road like a kangaroo, it was corralled by a group of men and boys.
Its rear legs are like a kangaroo’s, its head and ears resemble those of a squirrel, and the eyes and nose bring to mind a rabbit. Its hair varies from brown to green.
Game Protector Carl Stainbrook is investigating whether the animal escaped from a carnival sideshow.
“I never saw anythink (sic) like it,” he said. “I searched through a book on the mammals of America and can’t find anything like it.”
Source: Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading Eagle
August 22, 1939
Without knowing the size of the animal or much else, it's hard to speculate on what it could have been. My top contenders, however would be: Ornate Tree Kangaroos, Wallabies, and Pademelons.Of these, a Pademelon is the most squirrel-like.
4 comments:
Looks like a squirrel and rat mated and somehow made it take.
Looks like a Musky Rat Kangaroo to me. They're native to Australia (not PA), so this one was either a pet or escaped from a zoo.
It also looks like a Madagascar Giant Jumping Rat - which can be found in the Philadelphia Zoo, coincidentally.
I have to agree with Autumnforest.
I'm positive that's one of our Australian marsupials. Probably a rat kangaroo, or wallaby. We've got critters like that hopping all over our country. Haha!
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