'Crazy' like a pet fox

[jedi_339]

Unfortunately that means they will revert and adapt to our wild environment just as quickly.

Very true,

Are they the same species as the red fox just different colour morph?

If so it just adds to the breeding pool, I imagine more then one owner would come outside of a night time find their silver fox being mounted.

 

[Serpentess]

Very true,

Are they the same species as the red fox just different colour morph?

If so it just adds to the breeding pool, I imagine more then one owner would come outside of a night time find their silver fox being mounted.

They're a different species, I was led to believe.

 

[jedi_339]

Doing some research and they say that it is a silver morph of the normal Vulpes vulpes, how interesting

 

[RSPcrazy]

My dad used to have a pet (normal) fox, that he raised from a baby. He never fed it meat, he fed it cat/dog food, "weet bix" mixed with milk and even vegetables. He tells me, it was an awesome pet, one of the best pets he's ever had, very calm and always well behaved. But one day he decided to give it some meat, after that, the foxes attitude changed over night and became agro, completely feral and uncontrollable, he was hoping it would get over it, but it didn't, it stayed like that for months and he had to have it put down.

This is what I'm worried about, what if they do bring these new foxes in and they turn out grate, until someone feeds them a peace of meat and it becomes completely feral.

I'm not for them bringing these foxes into Australia, they are a pest here and They always will be.

 

[alrightknight]

If they are going to import any foxes it should be fenec (spelling) foxes.

If you want a fenec fox just get a Chihuahua they are pretty much the same.

 

[KaotikJezta]

If you want a fenec fox just get a Chihuahua they are pretty much the same.

No way, fenec foxes are like pokemon, haha

 

[Snakewoman]

No way, fenec foxes are like pokemon, haha

Lol, they do look like that. When I first saw the picture it reminded me of a bat

 

[crocodile_dan]

This topic was covered in Animal Behaviour (Uni of Qld) looking at heritability, specifically recreating domestication.

The study conducted on these foxes was done by Lyudmila Trut in Southern Siberia. The study was designed to replicate the domestication of dogs through intensive selective breeding, in order to do this study they not only selectively bred the friendliest foxes to domesticate them but they also selectively bred the most aggressive foxes to see inheritance. The study group of animals were from fur farms in Siberia where the original animals were fearful and displayed fear response aggression to the farm workers.

The resulting animals have now entered the pet trade in some countries.

 

[S&M Morelia]

Here's an interesting read if anyone is interested, article is about rats, but does talk about the "domestication" of the grey fox.

Nice Rats, Nasty Rats: Maybe It?s All in the Genes - New York Times

 

[fugawi]

To be honest, if the right checks and balances were set in place and it was HEAVILY regulated and I mean HEAVILY, it could work. To own one as a pet it MUST absolutely be desexed. Breeding is to be done by HEAVILY regulated licensed breeders and ownership of a pet is HEAVILY licensed. If the authorities police them and have massive fines for breaking the laws it could "theoretically" work. Of course living in the real world I would have to doubt that any authority would realistically be able to achieve any real policing.

 

[Fuscus]

Here's an interesting read if anyone is interested, article is about rats, but does talk about the "domestication" of the grey fox.

Nice Rats, Nasty Rats: Maybe It�s All in the Genes - New York Times

Thanks for the link. I read it ages ago and have not been able to find it again

 

[Beard]

Its estimated that foxes kill 190 million native birds annually in Aust, combine the reptile, amphibian and mammal species and the number would be anyones guess. Then there is the impact foxes have on livestock, I often see first hand the damage done during lambing.


Another bright idea.

 

[Beard]

how foxes should be

 

[Laghairt]

I think we are over regulated here as it is and wouldn't want to see any further restrictions placed on what we can and can't do.

Foxes are here in enormous numbers and they're here to stay. I doubt importing these guys would have any measurable impact on native wildlife. I think most people would be amazed to find out how many there are living in urban areas, certainly in Sydney they are extreemly common but rarely seen unless you know how to find them. Sadly, they will just continue to become a part of the landscape. Preveting people from keeping them will achieve very litte IMO.

On the other hand, Fenec Foxes are a different species with different specialisations and would cause a lot of damage if they ever established wild populations.

To be honest, if the right checks and balances were set in place and it was HEAVILY regulated and I mean HEAVILY, it could work. To own one as a pet it MUST absolutely be desexed. Breeding is to be done by HEAVILY regulated licensed breeders and ownership of a pet is HEAVILY licensed. If the authorities police them and have massive fines for breaking the laws it could "theoretically" work. Of course living in the real world I would have to doubt that any authority would realistically be able to achieve any real policing.

 

[Fuscus]

Preveting people from keeping them will achieve very litte IMO....

Unless they found a species specific pathogen to target foxes, in which case having a population of captive foxes would mean political problems for anyone who wanted to release it.
For example, imagine if someone found a myxomatosis for cats. What would be the outcry if a politician advocated releasing it?

 

[Vixen]

I'll be the first to say, i'd love a pet fox! (and yes the silver is just a colour morph of the red, naturally occurring in the wild but also ranched) That being said it would penned at all times though - I also envy that the US and UK can keep skunks!

 

[Enlil]

Cool, I want to import Many eagles, the capyburra, tapir and baboons.

 

[mattyg]

as pet? really? and when it gets out good luck catching them, hard enough with a gun let alone with out one.