British newspaper Daily Mail reported on September 14 that the first fox hybrid dog has been confirmed, called “dogxim” or “graxorra”. The fox hybrid dog was found in the Brazilian wilderness.
The fox hybrid dog was discovered after being hit by a car and was taken to a veterinarian in 2021. However, at that time, medical staff could not determine whether it was a dog or a fox due to its physical characteristics. abnormal.
Scientists from many local universities performed genetic analyzes and determined the animal had half dog and fox blood. Mother is a prairie fox, father is a domestic dog of unknown breed.
According to researchers, the fox hybrid dog is female, shaped like a medium-sized dog. The animal has an unusual mixture of dog and fox features, with large pointed ears, a long muzzle, and thick dark brown fur with white and gray spots.
Although very wary of humans, the fox-dog hybrid is very warm, even allowing scientists to pet him.
The fox hybrid has the behaviors and characteristics of both a dog and a fox, such as eating live rodents, barking like a dog, and occasionally playing with toys, but moves like a fox.
At the beginning of this year, the fox hybrid dog died of unknown causes. Scientists are not sure whether the animal can reproduce, but they believe it can.
Flávia Ferrari, an animal conservationist who came into contact with the fox dog, told The Telegraph : “It’s a wonderful animal, actually a cross between a prairie fox and a dog. . It is not docile like a domestic dog but also not too aggressive like a wild dog. It is shy and cautious, usually likes to stay away from people. After being hospitalized for treatment, I thought that the dog was a hybrid. The fox begins to feel safer.”
According to the Daily Mail , this is believed to be the first recorded case of fox and dog breeding. Genetic tests showed that the fox hybrid had 76 chromosomes – a combination of the fox’s 74 chromosomes and the dog’s 78 chromosomes.
The team published their findings in the journal Animals and believe there may be more fox-dog hybrids (dogxim) in the wild. In the past, domestic dogs have interbred with wild species including coyotes (North America), wolves and dingoes.