Zayvier Moodie Dr. Mason Engl1101-015 3 December 2013 Foxes: Pe s or Pes s !

ince "e beginning o# ime man "as "ad o deal $i " "e many animals aro%nd "im& "ose "e "%n ed #or #ood and o "ers "a $ere a n%isance. Even %ally $e go some animals o 'rovide #ood #or daily cons%m' ion. ( "ers began o $or) $i " %s #or "%n ing and "erding. *"ese symbio ic rela ions"i's even %ally gre$ o $"ere animals o# oday are no longer beas s o# b%rden b% are o%r com'anions +Pe s,. -e s ill "ave $or) animals as "ey are called oday "o$ever a "riving s%bc%l %re o# 'e o$ners and animal breeders "ave emerged. *"ere are 'e s ores $i " grooming #acili ies& )ennels& designer #oods and clo "es& and along $i " "e 'rac ical develo'men o# ve erinary medicine o care #or "ese animals $e also "ave s"o$s and s'or ing even s $"ere $e dis'lay o%r animal com'anions in all "eir s'lendor. *oday "e ne$ #ascina ion $i " animals is "e exo ic 'e . *"ere are many exo ic 'e s b% "ere is one $"ic" "as been s %died ex ensively #or domes ica ion. "e #ox. /o$ever& beca%se o# increasing "%man 'o'%la ion& o%r encroac"men in o "e $ild s'aces o# "e $orld "ave lead o "e ada' a ion o# some #oxes o an %rban li#es yle %rning "em in o %n$an ed 'es s in neig"bor"oods and #arms. 0n "is 'a'er 0 $ill be loo)ing a #oxes as "e c% e exo ic 'e and as "e no orio%s 'es . *"ere are many y'es o# #oxes. -"en a 'erson "in)s abo% a #ox& "e red #ox is "e one "a comes o mind. *"e silver and blac) #oxes are varia ions in color and are also red #oxes. *"ey live on every con inen in "e nor "ern "emis'"ere. *"e s$i# and )i #oxes live in $es ern %ni ed s a es and nor "ern Mexico area. *"ey are smaller "an o "er #ox y'es and d$ell in arid deser y'e environmen s. *"e 1rc ic #ox $"o2s coa is gray in s%mmer and '%re $"i e in "e $in er lives 'rimarily on "e %ndra o# "e arc ic circle "%n ing small mammals& insec s and scavenging #rom 'olar bears. *"e gray #ox being "e only member o# "e canine #amily o climb rees consis en ly ranges #rom "e mid and so% "ern %ni ed s a es o as #ar so% " as 3ol%mbia and 4ene5%ela. Foxes ma e #or li#e and can live #or a''roxima ely 10-16 years in "e $ild. Foxes give bir " in "e s'ring o

Moodie 2 an average o# 6 )i s7#ox babies8 'er li er& "o%g" "ey co%ld "ave #rom 1-10. "ey %s%ally live in dens d%g in o "e gro%nd b% o "er loca ions are 'ossible s%c" as "e gray #ox $"o "as been )no$n o %se "e "ollo$ in a ree. 9y #all "e )i s "ave moved o% o# "e den and are no longer in "e care o# "e 'aren s. 0 $o%ld be "el'#%l o %nders and some o# "ese rai s $"en ac:%iring a 'e #ox or be#ore develo'ing a 'lan o deal $i " a #ox as a 'es . *aming and domes ica ion are di##eren . 1n animal is ame $"en i is acc%s omed o being aro%nd "%mans s%c" as 'igeons in cen ral 'ar). /o$ever& ame animals are s ill $ild. -"a ma)es an animal domes ica ed ls "e inabili y o s%rvive in "e $ild. *o ex'lore "is 0 "ave re#erred o "e #arm #ox ex'erimen es ablis"ed by gene icis Dmi ry ;. 9elyaev in <ovosibirs)& !iberia 56 years ago. 0 "as been #o%nd "a +mos domes ic animals "ad %ndergone "e same basic mor'"ological and '"ysiological c"anges. *"eir bodies c"anged in si5e and 'ro'or ions& leading o "e a''earance o# d$ar# and gian breeds. *"e normal 'a ern o# coa color "a "ad evolved as camo%#lage in "e $ild al ered as $ell. Many domes ica ed animals are 'iebald& com'le ely lac)ing 'igmen a ion in s'eci#ic body areas. /air %rned $avy or c%rly& as i "as done in 1s ra)"an s"ee'& 'oodles& domes ic don)eys& "orses& 'igs& goa s and even labora ory mice and g%inea 'igs. !ome animals= "air also became longer 71ngora y'e8 or s"or er 7rex y'e8. *ails c"anged& oo. Many breeds o# dogs and 'igs carry "eir ails c%rled %' in a circle or semicircle. !ome dogs& ca s and s"ee' "ave s"or ails res%l ing #rom a decrease in "e n%mber o# ail ver ebrae. Ears became #lo''y. 1s Dar$in no ed in c"a' er 1 o# On the Origin of Species& >no a single domes ic animal can be named $"ic" "as no in some co%n ry droo'ing ears>?a #ea %re no #o%nd in any $ild animal exce' "e ele'"an . 1no "er ma@or evol% ionary conse:%ence o# domes ica ion is loss o# "e seasonal r"y "m o# re'rod%c ion. Mos $ild animals in middle la i %des are gene ically 'rogrammed o ma e once a year& d%ring ma ing seasons c%ed by c"anges in daylig" . Domes ic animals a "e same la i %des& "o$ever& no$ can ma e and bear yo%ng more "an once a year and in any season 7Early canid domes ica ion: "e #arm #ox ex'erimen 8. *"ro%g" selec ive breeding& more "an #i# y genera ions la er& "ere is no$ a "riving gro%' o# domes ica ed #oxes dis'laying many o# "e 'revio%sly lis ed rai s. *ame #oxes can be ac:%ired #rom $i "in "e %ni ed s a es. /o$ever i# a 'erson is loo)ing #or a

Moodie 3 domes ica ed #ox <ovosibirs)& !iberia is "e only 'lace o ge one. 3aring #or a 'e #ox is no m%c" di##eren #rom caring #or a dog "ey @%s need a li le more a en ion. Ao% need o "ave 'len y o# s'ace #or an enclos%re& eno%g" 'rivacy o 'reven %n$an ed a en ion and %nli)e mos dogs a 'e o$ner $ill need o se %' 'ro'er #looring o 'reven "em #rom digging o% . 4e erinary care is "e same as dogs "o%g" some ve erinarians $ill $an o see 'ro'er licensing be#ore acce' ing an exo ic 'e . *"eir die is as varied as o "er members o# "e dog #amily b% ex'er s recommend mea as 'ar o# "eir die . 0 "as been said "a "e sex does no ma er b% "ere are "ose "a say "e animal s"o%ld be "e o''osi e sex o# "e o$ner o 'reven "em vie$ing "a 'erson as com'e i ion. 0 seems o me "a "aving a #ox as a 'e is no "a bad. *"ey s"are many o# "e rai s o# o "er dogs& re:%ire 'len y o# a en ion and some ex ra yard 're'ara ion. Bi)e a dog& a #ox can dig "eir $ay o% and "arass o "ers so 0 do no see m%c" o# a 'es 'roblem coming #rom domes ica ed #oxes "a "ave esca'ed. Foxes "ave been vie$ed as 'es s #or a long ime. *"ey "ave been "e blame #or s ealing eggs and )illing c"ic)ens on #arms. *"ey "ave ada' ed o ci ies "a "ave encroac"ed in o "eir na %ral "abi a and become scavengers li)e racoons. *"is "as been going on so long "a 'es con rol meas%res "ave been '% in 'lace by some governmen organi5a ions #or dealing $i " "em. 0n %rban environmen s along $i " "e %s%al ro%ble yo% ge #rom s ray animals #oxes "ave also been res'onsible #or a ac)s on ca s and in some ins ances small c"ildren. D%ring ma ing season screams can be "eard "ro%g"o% "e nig" as "e males '%rs%e a ma e or com'e e #or erri ory. 0n 'laces s%c" as ;ensing on and 3"elsea o# England "e legal me "ods o# con rol are ca' %re along $i " le "al in@ec ion or s"oo ing exis ing 'es #oxes. Foxes "ave increased in %rban se ings d%e o a lac) o# na %ral 'reda ors and an ab%ndance o# #ood. 3on rolling access o #ood so%rces along $i " ade:%a e #encing are sim'le 'reven ive meas%res "a $or). /o$ever& $e "ave o ado' "e role o# 'reda or o con rol "eir gro$ " $"en necessary. For "ose concerned )ee'ing #irs s ory $indo$s closed a nig" is a good idea o )ee' "e %n%s%ally in:%isi ive #ox o% o# "o%ses. For #arms and more r%ral areas "ere are slig" ly di##eren con rol meas%res "a $o%ld o "er$ise in er#ere $i " 'e s and 'eo'le in an %rban se ing. *"e de'ar men o# agric%l %re and #ood o# $es ern 1%s ralia "as m%l i'le

Moodie 6 s ra egies #or dealing $i " 'es #oxes. *"ey advoca e "e %se o# cer ain 'oisons "a degrade :%ic)ly in "e environmen and only a##ec s a small gro%' o# animals. Poison %se is very con roversial "ere#ore i is s ric ly reg%la ed and "as o be a% "ori5ed by "e de'ar men o# agric%l %re. 1long $i " 'oisons animal "%sbandry me "ods are a%g" o red%ce "e 'ossibili y o# a ac)s on #arm animals s%c" as s"ee' and c"ic)ens. *"is can be accom'lis"ed $i " "e %se "olding 'ens. *"e closer "erd animals are oge "er "e be er "ey can 'ro ec "eir yo%ng. Preven ion is a "e core o# "e nex con rol meas%re. Des roying or 'oisoning "e den o# a #ox $ill elimina e "e nex genera ion and also disco%rage #%r "er den cons r%c ion in "e immedia e area. *"is may seem "ear less b% $i " a lac) o# na %ral 'reda ors $e "ave o assis $i " 'o'%la ion con rol. -i " "is in#orma ion i is s ill di##ic%l o #%lly %nders and "e im'ac "a #oxes "ave on #arms. 1ccording o "e de'ar men o# agric%l %re in $es ern 1%s ralia "e loss ca%sed by #oxes amo%n o a''roxima ely 22C.5 million dollars 'er year. *"is s ill does no a)e in o acco%n o 'ossible s'read o# rabies and "e ime a)en o im'lemen "ese meas%res. Mos 'roblems occ%r on a 'ersonal basis. /o$ever& in cer ain environmen s $"ere "ere is no na %ral 'reda or "ere is "e "rea o# #oxes 'raying on animals "a are on "e endangered s'ecies lis . 0 $o%ld be easy o vili#y "e #ox $i " all "e damage "ey ca%se. /o$ever& $e "ave o remember "ey are @%s rying o s%rvive a# er being in rod%ced in o ne$ environmen s by "%mans& 'rimarily #or o%r 'leas%re. *"is 0 "in) @%s i#ies o%r a)ing res'onsibili y #or "eir s%ccess or #ail%re. 1s #or lovers o# exo ic 'e s a brood vie$ s"o%ld be a)en o %nders and "e di##ic%l ies end%red by o "ers. *o s%m %' my "o%g" s 0 $o%ld say a #ox seems o be no "ing more "an a $ild version o# a s ray dog $"o some see) o resc%e $"ile o "ers a em' o elimina e.