Domesticated foxes

[sholio]

I'd read about this before, but never thought to look them up on Youtube. Basically, a Russian researcher deliberately bred silver foxes for tameness (so they would be easier to harvest for fur). What he discovered, unexpectedly, is that as the foxes grew more tame, they also started to exhibit a whole bunch of dog characteristics along with the tameness -- floppy ears, spotted coats, barking, wagging, and generally acting like dogs.

And the video of them ... my first reaction was OH GOD FREAKY, because they have fox bodies and fox tails, but they move just like dogs, with the wagging and bouncing. And my second reaction was SO CUTE! WANT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enrLSfxTqZ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzTcmE-pMLU

(ETA: Apparently they do sell them as pets. Now I really want one!)

Comments

[kuna-yashmaa.livejournal.com]

no, no, no... oh, goodness - where did you get that one? *laughs* You just mixed together a couple of personality disorders with something which is not a disease. I have read your review for 'Miller's crossing' (by far the best I found), and forcibly restrained myself from commenting (because usually I'm very annoying :), but Sheppard got me obsessed with psychopathy, so I can put together what I learned. :)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I stand corrected then, O Expert One.

[kuna-yashmaa.livejournal.com]

:D

[kuna-yashmaa.livejournal.com]

:) I tried my best to put a psychopathy (http://kuna-yashmaa.livejournal.com/60486.html) in some order, but admittedly, I'm not an MD.