this is a canine

[scruffy]

It's a gray fox. The only canine known to regularly climb trees.

As you can see, it's tiny. About the size of a large cat. Kind of looks like a cat too, yes?

Meet the Only Tree-Climbing Canine in North America—and Delaware's Official Symbol

How Delaware schoolkids turned the agile gray fox into a symbol of history, resilience, and year‑round wildness.

a-z-animals.com

Gray foxes are the oldest living canine lineage. They evolved in North America some 5 to 10 million years ago.

 

[Gabe Lackmann]

It's cute. I wanna pet it.

 

[sparky]

fwiw.....they love chicken! ~S~

 

[1srelluc]

I have a gray hanging around the house....We just stay in our lanes.....I like them around.

It's funny though. I put scraps out for my possum and sometimes I will see the gray and the possum eating on them together.

Of course the possum just feeds in-place but the gray will grab a bit and run off a ways next to some cover and eat it then come back and grab another.

A red fox can't climb like a gray.

Climbing: One of the most notable differences is that gray foxes are adept climbers, thanks to their partially retractable claws and flexible ankles. They can climb trees to escape predators or hunt for food, a skill that red foxes do not possess.

 

[petro]

Had one visiting our campsite.

 

[1srelluc]

Fox fur prices (all colors) look to be up this year ($26.00 average) but that a far cry from the hey-day of the early-mid 1980s when most any prime Fox would bring you $50+.

That was real money back then too.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

Fox fur prices (all colors) look to be up this year ($26.00 average) but that a far cry from the hey-day of the early-mid 1980s when most any prime Fox would bring you $50+.

That was real money back then too.

.

When is coyote fur going to come into style? We've got plenty of coyote.

.

 

[1srelluc]

.

When is coyote fur going to come into style? We've got plenty of coyote.

.

Terrible.

 

[Zincwarrior]

I had a pit bull that could climb trees. Black bears will also.

 

[MisterBeale]

It's cute. I wanna pet it.

We're told that domesticated foxes act more like cats than the ancestors of wolves. . . dogs.

How Siberian geneticists domesticated the FOX

Science & Tech Aug 20 2020 Anna Sorokina Tame foxes are seen

www.bignewsnetwork.com

We met the world’s first domesticated foxes​

15M views 7 years ago

 

[1srelluc]

We're told that domesticated foxes act more like cats than the ancestors of wolves. . . dogs.

How Siberian geneticists domesticated the FOX

Science & Tech Aug 20 2020 Anna Sorokina Tame foxes are seen

www.bignewsnetwork.com

We met the world’s first domesticated foxes​

15M views 7 years ago

I wonder what she did about the smell?

Foxes are known for their distinctive and strong odor, often described as musky, skunky, or even sulphurous. This odor is primarily due to the secretion of specialized glands, particularly the anal glands and urine, which contain sulfur-rich compounds. The scent serves multiple purposes, including territory marking, communication, and attracting mates. Factors such as diet and season can influence the intensity and character of the odor, making it a unique aspect of fox behavior and ecology.

 

[Gabe Lackmann]

We're told that domesticated foxes act more like cats than the ancestors of wolves. . . dogs.

How Siberian geneticists domesticated the FOX

Science & Tech Aug 20 2020 Anna Sorokina Tame foxes are seen

www.bignewsnetwork.com

We met the world’s first domesticated foxes​

15M views 7 years ago

We had Arctic Foxes in Greenland. Little jerks would chase you and nip at your ankles all the time. Mean little buggers. They were cute, too, though, in winter. In summer they they were rough-looking.

 

[MisterBeale]

I wonder what she did about the smell?

Foxes are known for their distinctive and strong odor, often described as musky, skunky, or even sulphurous. This odor is primarily due to the secretion of specialized glands, particularly the anal glands and urine, which contain sulfur-rich compounds. The scent serves multiple purposes, including territory marking, communication, and attracting mates. Factors such as diet and season can influence the intensity and character of the odor, making it a unique aspect of fox behavior and ecology.

If you look deep into this topic, you will find that traits which led to "domesticity," have on their genes other changes. . . it is speculated.

For instance, the same genes that allowed for the domestication of wolves, once selected for and heightened, are what led to morphological & subsequent color changes in the animal.

Do domesticated foxes smell? – The Institute for Environmental Research and Education

iere.org

 

[1srelluc]

If you look deep into this topic, you will find that traits which led to "domesticity," have on their genes other changes. . . it is speculated.

For instance, the same genes that allowed for the domestication of wolves, once selected for and heightened, are what led to morphological & subsequent color changes in the animal.

Do domesticated foxes smell? – The Institute for Environmental Research and Education

iere.org

View attachment 1201771

So they still stink for an indoor pet.

If you were downwind from a fox set you know you caught one before you saw it just by the smell.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

I have a gray hanging around the house....We just stay in our lanes.....I like them around.

It's funny though. I put scraps out for my possum and sometimes I will see the gray and the possum eating on them together.

Of course the possum just feeds in-place but the gray will grab a bit and run off a ways next to some cover and eat it then come back and grab another.

A red fox can't climb like a gray.

Climbing: One of the most notable differences is that gray foxes are adept climbers, thanks to their partially retractable claws and flexible ankles. They can climb trees to escape predators or hunt for food, a skill that red foxes do not possess.

I feed the critters mostly pumpkin seeds. They all seem to like them. I was surprised when a fox started showing up and eating with the raccoon, opossum, skunk and deer. They all seemed to get along

 

[Carl in Michigan]

So they still stink for an indoor pet.

If you were downwind from a fox set you know you caught one before you saw it just by the smell.

Yeah, they don't recommend making pets out of them. They belong outdoors

 

[ReinyDays]

Yeah, they don't recommend making pets out of them. They belong outdoors

... and check your local and state laws ... I can't think of anyplace in the United States where taking a wild animal and caging them is legal ... but I did find a webpage that summarizes each states rules for relocation ...

Wild animals can never be made into pets ... they may be tamed, but they are still wild ... they will bite you ... and fox carries rabies ... no vet will risk their license to treat or immunize your illegal fox ...

... and you DO NOT want rabies ... 5-minute video ...

 

[1srelluc]

... and check your local and state laws ... I can't think of anyplace in the United States where taking a wild animal and caging them is legal ... but I did find a webpage that summarizes each states rules for relocation ...

Wild animals can never be made into pets ... they may be tamed, but they are still wild ... they will bite you ... and fox carries rabies ... no vet will risk their license to treat or immunize your illegal fox ...

... and you DO NOT want rabies ... 5-minute video ...

Dad used to live trap them and relocate them down into "horse country" but yeah, he had to get a special permit to do so. The horse people even paid for the permit. They gave him $125.00 for each one.

Weird bunch those "horse people".

I was working a gang of convicts down that way and noticed a PU coming my way on the dirt road we were cutting brush on.....Every so often the truck would stop and the driver would get chickens out the back and take them into the woods.

He got up to where we were and i stopped him and asked what was the deal with the chickens and he told me they put them out for the foxes to eat to keep them around to chase.