Foxes, Mans new best friend?

[Odbarc]

Foxes: The cat of dogs.

 

[linkvegeta]

I would love to have a pet fox. If only i could teach it to use the kitty litter box.....

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

A fox is still technically a Canine, so it's still in the list of "Man's best friend" in the same way a Wolf would be.

 

[The Afrodactyl]

I would call him Pickles and he would be mine :3

 

[Terminate421]

I want a bird. Preferably a Penguin for an exotic animal

If a bird of prey, probobly a Hawk

Also,

 

[capin Rob]

They are fluffy and adorable, but I think they would be a little violent. Depending on the breed of course.

 

[adderseal]

Not sure about domestication but I saw an enormous fox while walking home the other night. The fact that I live in a city centre rather than out in the country definitely gave me a good shock.

 

[Terminate421]

I want a bird. Preferably a Penguin for an exotic animal

If a bird of prey, probobly a Hawk

Also,

on second thought maybe theyre a bit too crazy scary and if it comes down to gene altering id be even more scared for what if it doesnt exactly take well...i dont know....like ian malcolm said life finds a way.

How do you not find that cute?

Say, "Duh....huhuhuhuuuu..." while watching it. Then it gets cuter.

 

[tthor]

generally, a large party of domesticating an animal is make it genetically stupider. dogs brains are much smaller than wolf brains, and when civilization began and humans were 'domesticated', our brain size decreased dramatically

 

[HT_Black]

No...no. I unconditionally loathe foxes, and a joined in this sentiment by farmers everywhere; and until it's found roaming the praries with Old Man Jenkins and his 12-gauge, it's not Man's best friend.

but............but..................THEYRE SOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!



OT: I would love to have a fox as a pet, but I already have three dogs [two of which are hunting ones] and a ferocious attack kitten. Maybe some day...............maybe some day.............

/wishful thinking

Hey, buddy. Let me tell you about what sort of creatures foxes often eat, and many time just kill for the hell of it:

Spoiler: Things like these

[img src="http://rusticchic.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/bw-featherhead-4.jpg" width="250"]
[img src="http://dragonwood.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/aracuna.jpg" width="250"]
[/spoiler]

Now I'm not claiming to know too much, but I know [i]for a fact[/i] that some rabid orange flea-bitten dog knock-off is no substitute for anything we've already domesticated.

 

[MasterChief892039]

I think just about everyone can agree that foxes are pretty damn cute, but until they're domesticated enough that they're a common sight in pet shops, it's probably not worth putting the time, effort and cash into bringing one home. Exotic pets are exhausting animals to take care of - I own a Bearded Dragon, and although it's not necessarily identical to a fox, I think similarities can be drawn considering that they're domestic through conditioning alone and have a lot of extra needs that get a regular old puppy or kitten wouldn't have.

Long story short - although unusual pets are attractive for being unique and different, there's usually a reason they're not widely popular as pets. They're a handful and usually require more work for less returned affection.

generally, a large party of domesticating an animal is make it genetically stupider. dogs brains are much smaller than wolf brains, and when civilization began and humans were 'domesticated', our brain size decreased dramatically

I think you would be hard-pressed to find an evolutionary scientist or an anthropologist that believed humans got dumber after the formation of civilization. A decrease in brain size could just as easily equal improved efficiency as it could a loss of intelligence.

If I ever saw a fox, I would tell it hello.

This is the most charming post I've seen in awhile.

 

[agentironman]

generally, a large party of domesticating an animal is make it genetically stupider. dogs brains are much smaller than wolf brains, and when civilization began and humans were 'domesticated', our brain size decreased dramatically

Actually our brain size increased. As we learned to use fire to cook our food, the muscles needed to eat raw meat and plants decreased as we no longer needed 5 hours to eat but 1 hour. Since less muscles were required the cranium changed shape, giving us a larger brain. I see where you were going but it is incorrect. At least at this point in the scientific community, but we all know that that can change as more information becomes available.

 

[tthor]

generally, a large party of domesticating an animal is make it genetically stupider. dogs brains are much smaller than wolf brains, and when civilization began and humans were 'domesticated', our brain size decreased dramatically

Actually our brain size increased. As we learned to use fire to cook our food, the muscles needed to eat raw meat and plants decreased as we no longer needed 5 hours to eat but 1 hour. Since less muscles were required the cranium changed shape, giving us a larger brain. I see where you were going but it is incorrect. At least at this point in the scientific community, but we all know that that can change as more information becomes available.

I'm just saying what i've read in Popular Science magazine, ever since the dawn of civilization a couple thousand years ago, our brain size has been recorded to be steadily decreasing.

EDIT: and I've read about what you are talking about, but I understand this happened long before the dawn of civilization, and for different reasons. the human genome actually contains a genetic muscular disorder which caused our jaw muscles to be significantly smaller and weaker. because of this, it allowed our cranium to expand and grow more, making us much more intelligent than our apelike ancestors. if i remember correctly, it is believed that this genetic defect first occured tens of thousands of years before civilization first developed.

 

[Athol]

How much? Im gonna start saving now.