Dahu
The Dahu (Swiss. Also the Dahu, also Dahut , Däjü or Dairi in the canton of Jura ) is a mythical creature and a Swiss-French equivalent of the Bavarian Wolpertinger or the Hanghuhn .
Appearance
Characteristic of the dahu are the runs that are shorter on one side than on the other in order to be able to stand and walk better on the mountain slope. A distinction is made between the "left-hand Dahu" (French dahu lévogyre ) and the "right- hand dahu " (French dahu dextrogyre ), but they only rarely mix with each other, as there are technical difficulties during the act of mating. But there should also be Dahus in which the hind or front legs are shorter so that the face can look down or uphill.
The dahu is sometimes described as a chamois-like animal, sometimes a hybrid of weasels, rabbits, squirrels, birds and goats. The most important features of a dahu are the horns and its unevenly long legs.
species
- Dahu dextrogyrus
- Dahu ascendus
- Dahu descendus
- Dahutus montanus
The hunt
If you want to catch a dahu, you have to approach it from below and give a lure call. The dahu will turn around and, because of the asymmetry of its legs, tip over and roll down the slope. You just have to hold up a sack to catch it. This method was originally described for hunting the hillside chicken and was later extended to include other species with similar adaptations of the body to the topography of the preferred habitat.
Reproduction
Opinions differ here. Some sources claim that the males have their left flank facing the slope and the females with their right flank, whereas others refer to these as two different subspecies. In any case, the dahu builds a nest where mating takes place. The young hatch from eggs and are raised in the nest.
Web links
Footnotes
- ↑ A look at the German-speaking zoos: New species of wild animals in the Goldau nature and animal park. (No longer available online.) In: Der Beutelwolf-Blog. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016 ; Retrieved April 25, 2016 .