I don't take this as seriously as David...I think this kind of story is fun and interesting. However, anyone who takes "dead animal that looks like a dog" and winds up with "chupacabra" is not only jumping to a conclusion, but taking it clear over the Snake River Canyon. It's important not to get carried away.

I'm sure a few genetic tests will answer a lot of questions. It would be really cool to discover a large, previously-unknown animal, though. It doesn't happen very often.

Interestingly, brand-new invertebrates and small ocean animals seem to turn up on an almost daily basis.

This was in my paper recently. Cool!