Mexican Hairless Dog

The Xoloitzcuintli (/zoʊloʊ.iːtsˈkwiːntli/ show-loh-eets-KWEENT-lee; Nahuatl pronunciation: /ʃoʊloʊ-/), or Xolo for short, is a hairless breed of dog, found in toy, miniature, and standard sizes. The Xolo also comes in a coated variety and coated and hairless can be born in the same litter. It is also known as Mexican hairless dog in English-speaking countries, and is one of several breeds of hairless dog.
In Nahuatl, from which its English name originates, its name is xōlōitzcuintli [ʃoːloːit͡sˈkʷint͡ɬi] (singular)[1] and xōlōitzcuintin [ʃoːloːit͡sˈkʷintin] (plural).[1] The name xōlōitzcuintli comes from the god Xolotl and itzcuīntli [it͡skʷiːnt͡ɬi], meaning dog in Nahuatl.[1]
A genetic study was recently conducted in order to determine the origin of the Xoloitzcuintle breed. The study did not find a close genetic relationship between Xoloitzcuintle and the Chinese Crested Dog, another hairless breed that is cited by the American Kennel Club as an ancestor to the Xoloitzcuintle. The modern Xoloitzcuintle appears to be a result of a mixture of the aboriginal, pre-Columbian Xoloitzcuintle, itself a descendant of a domesticated dog that came with the ancestors of indigenous Americans from Asia, with one or more southern European herding dog breeds during the Columbian Exchange.[2][3]
Category:Animals
Category:Creatures