For My Foxy Friends

[the_gneech]

From yerf: A couple of up-close-and-personal domesticated fox clips [1], highlighting their distinctive "Yerf!" cry and somewhat high-strung behavior.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Enjoy!

-The Gneech

[1] In as much as foxes can be domesticated. EDIT: soappuppy says that "tame" is a better term. :)

Comments

[spikedpunch.livejournal.com]

Why would you want to domesticate them? They seem to be a whinny bunch.

[sirfox.livejournal.com]

it hasn't stopped people from having kids.

just sayin'...

:D

[spikedpunch.livejournal.com]

Touche.

[rhanlav.livejournal.com]

Yerf yerf yerf!

--Rhan & Lav

[jamesbarrett.livejournal.com]

So cute, Belly rub anyone? -Frisk

[soappuppy.livejournal.com]

Bad, bad Gneech -- knowing I'm on your mailing list and saying "domesticated foxes". ;) Tsk! :)

Those are *tame* foxes -- genetically identical to wild foxes, but with their flight distances from humans reduced to zero (and damned happy about it, I see! :) They're NOT domesticated -- if they had offspring, those offspring would not be born tame, they'd have to be tamed as well.

There *are* domesticated foxes -- a guy named Dmitri Belyaev famously bred silver foxes solely for the quality of tameness and, within 18 generations, got foxes who fall all over themselves to be near people. When these foxes' offspring are born, they are just as affectionate, no effort involved! That's domesticated! :) They are also spotted, with underbites and overbites, floppy ears, curly tails, and two heat cycles a year -- sound like any other domesticated canid you know? ;) (Look up "Belyaev fox project", "silver fox domestication" or "Lyudmila Trut" on Google :) Amusing videos are involved!

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Well, I did put a footnote in specifically for that reason. :) I was using "domesticated" in the sense of "brought into a home."

I'm not sure of the exact distinction of what makes an animal domesticated or not; I do know that raising a lion cub doesn't make it a good pet!

-The Gneech

[theodwulf.livejournal.com]

So foxes do wag their tails. I had been wondering about that for some time.

[sirfox.livejournal.com]

They actually use their tails quite a lot in communication among themselves. A fox showing submission to another will crouch down and flag their tailtip all over the place.

[kylet.livejournal.com]

somewhat high-strung behavior.

Are you still doubting my update in avatar? ;-)

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

You've never struck me as having ADD. ;P

-TG

[underwolf.livejournal.com]

Tey are absolutely cute!! Thank you for sharing. :)

I thought we can keep fox.

[hbar98.livejournal.com]

How cute!

But, as a general reminder, many wild animals (even foxes) do not take to living with humans all too well. When I was in Minnesota, I learned first hand what happened with some of the animals that people thought were cute and took into their homes.

The most notable ones were a white fox, and a coyote that a young woman tried to raise in her dorm room at college.

It takes a special person with lots of time to be able to manage non domesticated animals.

Have a great day!

[raishi-fox.livejournal.com]

I love all the comments the Russian silver foxes always get, every time they're mentioned or posted on Youtube. "How dare anyone do this to a fox! They're meant to be wild! It's wrong for humans to domesticate a wild animal, why don't you just get a dog in the first place!?"

I wonder where they think dogs originally came from?

[the-mcp.livejournal.com]

They think dogs come from the pet store, just like they think their food comes from the grocery store. :)

[bigtig.livejournal.com]

The cuteness... IT BURNS!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Those are wonderful!!