Featured Image Credit: Flavia Ferrari
Topics: Animals, Science, World News
Joe Harker
Researchers have discovered a new species of animal that is a cross between a dog and a fox in Brazil after it was hit by a car.
The animal was first discovered in 2021 after it was struck by a car and staff at a veterinary hospital couldn't figure out what kind of animal they were supposed to be treating.
It had some traits of a dog and others of a fox, leading researchers to take an interest in the animal's origins and embark upon a study to get to the bottom of the matter.
The recently published study concluded that the animal, which experts named a 'graxorra' and a 'dogxim', had a pampas fox for a mother and a domestic dog of unknown breed for a father.
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The 'dogxim' is the first recorded example of a fox and a dog being able to have offspring together.
The name 'graxorra' which researchers gave her came from 'graxaim-de-campo', the Portuguese name for a pampas fox', and 'cachorra' which is Portuguese for female dog.
Meanwhile, the term 'dogxim' comes from a mixture of 'graxaim-de-campo' and 'dog' which I'm sure you already know the meaning of.
Flavia Ferrari, a conservationist who helped look after the dogxim, told the Daily Telegraph that the animal was 'amazing'.
She explained that the dogxim ate live rodents and refused food that was offered to it, but it barked like a dog while having a coat of fur closer to that of a fox.
Ferrari said: "It was not as docile as a dog, but it also lacked the aggressiveness expected of a wild canid when handled.
"She had a shy and cautious personality, generally preferring to stay away from people. Over the time she was hospitalised for treatment, I believe she started to feel safer."
Experts found that the dogxim was scared of humans, but if people approached her carefully, she would allow them to touch her.
At times, the hybrid would also play with toys.
Researchers think she could have reproduced, but couldn't say for sure as she was neutered as part of her treatment.
Studies of the animal's DNA found a mixture of dog and fox in there, with a dog having 78 chromosomes while a pampas fox has 74 - and the dogxim ending up with 76.
Further research would be needed to learn more about this new hybrid species, though sadly, the dogxim which was hit by a car in 2021 died earlier this year of natural causes.