15 September 2023 , 11:14
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An "amazing" first ever cross between a dog and a fox has been found in Brazil.
The animal, which was given the name 'dogxim', was taken to the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul veterinary hospital in 2021 after it was hit by a car... but staff were unable to work out whether it was a dog or a fox. It led to genetic tests being carried out by scientists with results now published suggesting the animal is the first-ever hybrid dog-fox.
The dogxim, which shared characteristics of both animals, with large pointy ears, thick wiry fur and a long pointed snout, died earlier this year of unknown causes. and it is only now following the results of the test that it has emerged how significant she was.
Vets noted how the animal showed characteristics of both a domesticated and wild species - having preferred to eat live rodents - and it was initially wary of people. At the same time, it was not as aggressive as would have been expected of a wild animal.
The animal had characteristics of both dogs and foxes (Flávia Ferrari)Flavia Ferrari, a conservationist who worked with the hybrid animal said how over time she became more comfortable being around people. "She was an amazing animal, really a hybrid between a pampas fox and a dog," she told the Telegraph.
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"It was not as docile as a dog, but it also lacked the aggressiveness of a wild canid when handled. She had a shy and cautious personality, generally preferring to stay away from people. Over the time she was hospitalised for treatment, I believe she started to feel safer."
The animal was taken to a veterinary hospital after being hit by a car (Flávia Ferrari)Tests determined the animal, that had a bark like a dog and liked to play with toys, had 76 chromosomes - which were a mixture of those found in foxes and dogs. Researchers believe the animal's mum was a pampas fox and her dad is a domestic dog - but they are not sure what breed he was.
The animal was initially wary of humans (Flávia Ferrari)The animal was neutered as part of her treatment - but scientists believed she may have been able to reproduce and there are more dog-fox crossbreeds in the wild. Bruna Elenara Szynwelski of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, which did tests on the animal, said: "In our study we recorded the first case of hybridisation between one species of wild canid and the domestic dog."
The findings were published in the journal Animals and scientists believe there may be more dogxims in the wild. It is not the first time that domestic dogs have interbred with wild species before including coyotes, wolves and dingos, but these have been within the same genus, or biological group.