Truth behind image of ‘snake-cat’ that baffled the internet
A photo of a bizarre black and yellow cat has been making its rounds on the internet for the past two weeks.
Referred to as a 'snake-cat' - yes, you heard that right - the freaky feline has sent social media into a complete spiral.
Claiming that it hailed from the depths of the Amazon rainforest, the man responsible for the viral post has since come clean and revealed the truth behind the mysterious creature.
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Much to nearly the whole internet's surprise, the 'Amazon snake-cat' also known as 'serpens catus', is not at all what we were led to believe it was.
Earlier this month (8 March), Russian Facebook user, Alex Vasilev, uploaded it to the site alongside a caption which explained the supposed origins of this snake-cat.
"Serpens catus (snake-cat) is the rarest species of feline on Earth," the post began.
"These animals live in hard to reach regions of the Amazon rainforest, and therefore they are relatively poorly studied.
"The first images capturing the snake cat appeared only in the 2020. A mammal weighs up to 4 kilograms and reaches 50 centimetres in length.
"The animal is virtually untamed, although some Amazonian tribes use snake cats to protect their homes from rodents," it concluded.
Vasilev then cited 'TGC Unknown Planet' as the image's source.
And the post has since gone viral across Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
However, Vasilev has now opened up some more about the actual origins behind the viral post.
Far from being an incredible discovery in the Amazon - the cat in question was merely a product of AI technology.
"As far as I understand, an artificial intelligence system was used to create it, which one I don't know, because I could not find the author of the drawing," Vasilev revealed to MailOnline.
He continued: "Apparently, an ordinary cat and an image of a mangrove snake were used to create the Amazonian cat."
So there you have it.
And if Vasilev's testimony wasn't enough, Dr Andrew Kitchener, the Principal Curator of Vertebrates at National Museums Scotland also offered his expertise on the viral phenomenon.
He told the news outlet: "The snake cat does not exist and has not been described scientifically.
"Of course there may be new species of cat that await discovery in South America, but this is not one of them."
Knew it was too good to be true.
Rhiannon Ingle