INDIGENOUS LOP EARED SIGHTHOUNDS FROM CENTRAL AFRICA TO CHINA By Dr. Dominique de Caprona © de Caprona 2011 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 DNA 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 the 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 © Lundqvist Expedition 2007 Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso Niger © Thier Rostaing © Lundqvist Expédition 2007 Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso © Lundqvist Azawakh Sighthound of Central Africa (Niger- Azawakh valley, Mali, Burkina Faso). A single variety: short haired. Hunt: gazelles, jackal, hyena, squirrel, hare, rodents. Algeria © Mangelsdorf Tunisia © de Caprona Morocco © de Caprona Morocco © de Caprona Algeria © Mangelsdorf Desert Sloughi, Tunisia © de Caprona 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. ASIA Saluki of Arabia short haired variety, bloodline Qatar © Fisher long haired variety, bloodline Bahrain © Fisher and 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 Saluki, Sighthound of the Middle East. Two varieties: long haired on tail and ears and short haired in a 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) 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 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 a same litter. Hunt: deer, antilope, hare, wolf, jackal, marmot, partridge, quail, and other game. Kyrgyzstan © Blaszkowski Kyrgyzstan © Blaszkowski Kyrgyzstan © Blaszkowski Kyrgyzstan © Blaszkowski Kyrgyzstan © Blaszkowski Taigan, sighthound of Kyrgyzstan. A single variety: long haired, hair of variable length. Hunt: hare, marmot, fox, roe deer, wild goat, wolf. Kazakhstan © Cruz Kazakhstan © Cruz Kazakhstan © Cruz Kazakhstan © Cruz Kazakhstan © Cruz Kazakhstan © Cruz 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. Russia © Fiodorenko Russia © Fiodorenko Russia © Fiodorenko Russia © Fiodorenko Stepnaya Borzaya ,Sighthound of the Russian Steppe. Hunt: hare Caravan, India © Shetty Caravan, India © Prasad Raghu Mayekar Caravan, India © Shetty Pashmi, India © Prasad Raghu Mayekar Pashmi, India © Shetty 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. India © Venkata Ramana Pasila & Prem Antony India © Venkata Ramana Pasila & Prem Antony India © Shetty 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. Rampuri and Nomads, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India © Rehan Baber India © Rehan Baber India © Rehan Baber Rampur, Sighthound of Northern India (originated at Rampur, district of the state of Uttar Pradesh, between Dehli and Bareilly). One single variety: short haired. Hunt: hare, wild boar, Blue Bull. China, courtesy Chaoxian Chen Menggu Xigou, Mongolian Sighthound from Manchuria, North Eastern China, the tallest and most powerful of the Chinese Sighthounds. One single variety: short haired. Hunt: hare, as well as more substantial game, such a wolf but there is none left. China, Courtesy Chaoxian Chen Hebei , Sighthound of Northern China, Hebei province, located between Shanxi and Shandong. One single variety: short haired. Hunt: hare China © Chaoxian Chen China© Chaoxian Chen China © Chaoxian Chen China © 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 China, Courtesy Chaoxian Chen Shandong Xigou Sighthound of Central China, Shandong Province, Central Eastern coast. Two varieties: long haired and short haired. Hunt: hare 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, Karen Fisher, Corine Lundqvist, Joseph Mangelsdorf, Prasad Raghu Mayekar, Jack McGuffin, Venkata Ramana Pasila, , Jutta Rübesam, Brigitte Schwab, Yajnesh Shetty, Christiane Thier Rostaing, Philippe Touret. ABOUT THE AUTHOR .