There’s no denying the similarity in appearance and behavior between dogs and foxes, but does that mean it’s possible for them to interbreed?
Can dogs and foxes interbreed?
It’s widely been deemed impossible for dogs and foxes to interbreed due to the large genetic diversity between the two species.
However, a landmark discovery in 2023 left scientists scratching their heads after an animal was taken to a veterinary hospital after being hit by a car in Brazil.
The breed of the female was unable to be identified by staff as she appeared to have the physical characteristics of both a dog and a fox. She had dark fur and large pointed ears that you’d expect to see on a fox, and preferred to eat live rodents. However she had a bark like a dog and liked to play with toys. While not as docile as a dog, she also lacked the aggressiveness of a wild canid when handled. With this jumbling of dog and fox characteristics, she was dubbed a ‘dogxim’.
What happened to the dogxim?
Sadly the animal died last year of unknown causes, but the results of her genetic tests have revealed that she is the first documented case of a dog-fox hybrid. Hybridisation is when two species mate and produce offspring with mixed genetic ancestry.
Researchers believe the animal’s mother was a pampas fox and her father was a domestic dog. The pampas fox species is very different to the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) seen in the UK. Due to the large genetic distance between red foxes and domestic dogs, we probably don’t need to worry too much about creating our very own dog-fox hybrids when we let our dogs off their leads.
But the remarkable hybrid discovery in Brazil does give us some food for thought when it comes to the increase in contact between wild and domestic species, and the impact this might have.
More of your wildlife questions answered
Main image: a West Siberian laika and a pampas fox. Credit: Getty
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