Thursday, October 25, 2012

A domestic fox as a pet!!!

Years ago I had read an article in Smithsonian Magazine about a research project in Russia where they raised foxes, and selectively bred them to bring out the friendliest characteristics. In each round they would take the kits that are most compatible with humans and mate them together to bring out those characteristics.

It was interesting that those foxes soon took on the characteristics we associate with domesticated dogs, such as being fertile only at certain times of the year, instead of all the time, like the dogs' wolf forebears were. 

I just found at www.domesticfox.com  that you can now adopt these foxes to the U.S. (probably from the same research facility). And they are soo cute!

3 comments:

  1. I think that foxes are restricted in California as are ferrets by the way. Something about protecting native species.

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  2. Cool pet idea. It brings up another question; is there any mammal that is unable to be domesticated?

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  3. Yep, right now you cannot have a fox as a pet in California, but since foxes are native to the California, and since these foxes are domesticated, maybe someone just has to push for a change in the laws.

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