When a stray dog was hit by a car in southern Brazil two years ago, no one had any idea that the animal was a unique specimen. But the female quickly attracts attention with her unusual behavior. A genetic test finally provides clarity: it concerns a never-before-discovered mix of fox and dog.
Two years ago, a seriously injured animal was taken to an animal hospital after a traffic accident, but its appearance and behavior confused veterinarians. The pooch barked like a dog – except for his long, pointy ears, he looked like a dog. But the fact that the animal refused dog food and preferred to eat small rats made observers suspicious. He also climbed bushes – a rather atypical behavior for dogs.
Caretaker: “Not as docile as a dog, not as aggressive as a fox”
The first suspicion was that it could be a cross between a domestic dog and a local wild dog. Geneticists Thales Renato Ochotorena de Freitas and Rafael Kretschmer of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul were eventually contacted. They recently published the results of their research: the animal is the first documented foxhound in the world. “He was not as docile as a dog, but he also lacked the aggressiveness you would expect from a wild fox,” a conservationist who helped care for the animal told The Telegraph.
Difference as big as between humans and chimpanzees
Experts are fascinated by the discovery because hybrids between species are known in closely related animals such as dogs and wolves. However, domestic dogs and pampas foxes are “two lineages separated by 6.7 million years,” explains Roland Kays, a biologist at North Carolina State University, according to National Geographic magazine. “This is what you would expect in trees, but not in vertebrates,” marvels Loren Reiseberg, a geneticist at the University of British Columbia. “It’s as if humans and chimpanzees have created a viable hybrid!”
The unusual mixed breed was named “Dogxim” – a combination of the English word for dog and “graxaim do campo”, the Portuguese name for pampas fox. Unfortunately, the female fox did not live long. She died in March this year for reasons that are still unclear. Authorities want to investigate why the unusual mixed breed died.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
