foxes

You can have a pet domesticated fox of your very own - from the Russian fox farm I've previously written about - for the low low price of just $5,950. Figure 1: Isn't he cute? Click to embiggen. Check it out. According to the website, Housing: Foxes can live outside or inside.They need shade from excessive heat and rain. A bed or blanket is nice, but optional. If the fox lives outside, the cage should have a bottom or the walls of the cage should be dug in deep enough so that the fox cannot dig a hole and escape. Inside your house, they will snuggle on a bed like a cat. During the…
I've decided I want to cover some recent research on social cognition in domesticated dogs. But first, we need some background. So here's a repost from the old blog. Today I want to tell you about one of my most favorite studies, ever, of animals. Are you ready? It's a FIFTY YEAR LONG longitudinal study of captive silver foxes in Russia. Gather around, pour yourself a cup of your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and enjoy storytime. In 1948, Soviet scientist Dmitri Belyaev lost his job at the Department of Fur Animal Breeding at the Central Research Laboratory of Fur Breeding in Moscow…
This is just too adorable. It turns out trampolines aren't just for kids: The foxes must have thought it was the greatest discovery EVER.
Fascinating video from the PBS special, Dogs that Changed the World, on the changes that took place when foxes were bred for tameness in the former Soviet Union. This was originally posted on Greg Laden's Blog but I had to repost it here.