Comprehensive Introduction to Breeding Techniques for Colored Foxes and Colored Raccoon Dogs

Crossbreeding between the Vulpes genus and the Alopex genus

Crossbreeding between the Vulpes genus and the Alopex genus has attracted increasing attention in fox pelt production@#@136@#@. This is mainly because the fur quality of the hybrid offspring is better than that of both parents; it overcomes the shortcomings of the silver fox's long and coarse guard hairs as well as the Arctic fox's short, fine guard hairs and easily matted underfur. The hybrid fox pelt has abundant underfur, even guard hairs, and vivid coloration, giving it higher commercial value.

1. Production of hybrid foxes The production of hybrid foxes is currently mostly carried out by means of artificial insemination. The main reason is that the estrus periods of foxes in the Vulpes genus and the Alopex genus are not synchronized; in addition, due to differences in temperament and body size between the two genera, natural mating also presents certain difficulties. For the production of hybrid foxes, the red fox, silver fox, or colored foxes of the red fox type are generally used as the sire, and the Arctic fox or colored foxes of the Arctic fox type as the dam, with artificial insemination being performed. If reciprocal crossing is used, the litter size is low (Table 4). Because the hybrid fox is an intergeneric cross, it has no reproductive capacity, and only commercial pelts can be obtained.

2. Fur color segregation in hybrid foxes

(1) Red fox x blue Arctic fox -> 100% hybrid blue fox.

(2) Red fox x shadow fox -> 50% shadow fox; 50% hybrid blue fox.

(3) Red fox x white Arctic fox -> 100% gold island fox.

(4) Golden fox x blue Arctic fox -> 50% hybrid blue fox; 50% blue silver fox.

(5) Golden fox x shadow fox -> 25% shadow fox; 25% silver shadow fox; 25% hybrid blue fox; 25% blue silver fox.

(6) Golden cross fox x white Arctic fox + 50% gold island fox; 50% northern white fox.

(7) Silver black fox x shadow fox -> 50% silver shadow fox; 50% silver blue fox.

(8) Silver fox x blue Arctic fox -> 25% hybrid blue fox; 75% silver fox.

(9) Silver fox x white Arctic fox -> 100% gold island fox.

(10) Alaska silver fox x white Arctic fox -> 100% northern white fox.

(11) Platinum fox (a silver fox variant) x blue Arctic fox + 50% platinum blue silver fox; 50% blue silver fox.

(12) Platinum fox x shadow fox -> 25% shadow platinum fox; 25% platinum blue silver fox; 25% shadow silver fox; 25% blue silver fox.

(13) Platinum fox x white Arctic fox -> 50% platinum Arctic fox, 50% gold island fox or northern white fox.

Fur color inheritance in colored Arctic foxes

There are currently more than 10 types of colored foxes among Arctic fox variants, and their genotypes are shown in Table 7.

The fur color segregation of colored Arctic foxes is as follows:

(1) Blue Arctic fox (DDFFss) x shadow fox (DDFFSs) -> 50% shadow fox; 50% blue Arctic fox.

(2) Blue Arctic fox (DD) x white Arctic fox (dd) -> 100% blue Arctic fox.

(3) Blue Arctic fox (DDFF) x sapphire fox (DDff) -> 100% blue Arctic fox.

(4) Blue Arctic fox (DD) x blue Arctic fox (DD) -> 100% blue Arctic fox.

(5) White Arctic fox (dd) x white Arctic fox (dd) -> 100% white Arctic fox.

(6) White Arctic fox (ddss) x shadow fox (DDSs) -> 50% shadow fox; 50% blue Arctic fox.

(7) White Arctic fox (ddFF) x sapphire fox (DDff) -> 100% blue Arctic fox.

(8) White Arctic fox (ddFF) x Arctic white sapphire fox (ddff) -> 100% white Arctic fox.

(9) White Arctic fox (ssFFdd) x shadow sapphire fox (SsffDD) -> 50% blue Arctic fox; 50% shadow white fox.

(10) Sapphire fox (ssff) x shadow sapphire fox (Ssff) -> 50% sapphire fox; 50% shadow sapphire fox.

(11) Sapphire fox (ffss) x shadow fox (SsFF) -> 50% shadow fox; 50% blue Arctic fox.

(12) Shadow fox (Ss) x shadow fox (Ss) -> 67% shadow fox; 33% blue Arctic fox.