Silver fox (animal)
Encyclopedia
The Silver Fox is a melanistic
form of red fox
. Silver foxes display a great deal of pelt variation: some are completely black, save for the white tail tip, while others are bluish-grey, and others may have a cinereous colour on the sides. Historically, silver foxes were among the most valued furbearers, and their skins were frequently worn by nobles in Russia and other parts of Europe, as well as in China. Wild silver foxes do not reproduce exclusively with members of the same coat morph, and can be littermates with the common red variety, though captive populations bred for their fur are almost exclusively mated with members of the same colour.
. The uniformly blackish brown or chocolate coloured underfur, which is unusually long and dense, measures in some places two inches and is exceedingly fine. It surrounds the whole body even to the tail, where it is a little coarser and woollier. The fur is shortest on the forehead and limbs, and is finer on the underparts. When viewed individually, the hairs composing the belly fur exhibit a wavy appearance. There are scarcely any long hairs on the ears, which are thickly clothed with fur. The soles of the feet are so thickly clothed with woolly hair that no callous spots are visible. According to East-Siberian hunters, the footprints of silver foxes are larger than those of the red variety, not just due to their larger feet, but by their greater fluffiness. Silver foxes also tend to be more cautious than red foxes.
When bred with another member of the same colour morph, silver foxes will invariably produce silver coated offspring, particularly after the third generation. When mated to pure red foxes, the resulting cubs will be fiery red in colour, save for much blacker markings on the belly, neck and points. When one such fiery red fox is mixed with a silver one, the litter is almost always 50% silver and 50% red. Fiery red parents may occasionally produce a silver cub, the usual proportion being one in four. Occasionally, the colours of mixed foxes blend rather than segregate. The blended offspring of a silver and red fox is known as a cross fox.
, silver foxes occur mostly in northwestern part of the continent. In the 19th century, silver foxes were sometimes taken in Labrador
, the Magdalen Islands
and rarely in the mountainous regions of Pennsylvania
and the wilder portions of New York
. They were occasionally spotted in Nova Scotia. According to Sir John Richardson
, a greater number than 4-5 silver foxes were rarely taken in any one season in areas where they were present, though trappers would prioritise them above all other furbearers once they were discovered. Silver foxes comprise up to 8% of Canada
's red fox population.
In the former Soviet Union, silver foxes occur mostly in forest zones and forest-tundra belts, particularly in middle and eastern Siberia
and the Caucasus
mountains. They are very rare in steppes and deserts.
to be worth over 40 American beaver
skins. A chieftain accepting a gift of silver fox fur was seen as an act of reconciliation. The records of the Hudson's Bay Company
indicate that 19-25% of fox skins traded in British Columbia
in the years 1825-1850 were silver, as were 16% of those traded in Labrador. The fur was almost always sold to Russian and Chinese traders. Before the practice of fur farming was eventually refined on Prince Edward Island
, it was standard practice to release free ranging silver foxes into small islands, where they quickly starved to death. Fur farmers on Prince Edward Island gained success by breeding and caring for their foxes in captivity. Also, Prince Edward Island fur farmers recognised the species' monogamous habits, and permitted their studs to mate for life with a single female. The fur of captive bred foxes was of a better quality than that of free ranging ones (worth $500–1000 rather than $20–30) because of better care and diet. These silver foxes would be bred strictly with members of their own colour morph, and by the third generation, all residual traces of red or cross ancestry disappeared.
began farming silver foxes in 1924, after receiving 2,500 foundation specimens from Norway to Mustajõe farm. The numbers of Estonian silver fox farms steadily increased in the following decades. During the soviet period, the silver fox industry boomed due to government subsidies and a focus on selectively breeding foxes for greater fertility than fur quality.
and Russia
to domesticate
the silver fox. The breeding project was set up in the 1950s by the Soviet scientist Dmitri K. Belyaev. As a result of selective breeding
, the new foxes not only have become tamer, but more dog
-like as well. The domesticated foxes exhibit both behavioral and physiological
changes from their wild forebears. They are friendlier with human
s, put their ears down (like dogs), wag their tails when happy, and have begun to vocalize and bark like domesticated dogs. They have also developed color patterns like domesticated dogs and have lost their distinctive musky "fox smell."
people of California
, the silver fox originated as a fog which formed at the creation of the earth, and subsequently became human. Travelling the water-covered earth in a canoe, the silver fox unintentionally created land masses by throwing the hair stuck to his comb into the sea.
Two silver foxes serve as supporters for the Coat of arms of Prince Edward Island
. Traditionally, heraldic foxes symbolize sagacity, wit and wisdom. The silver foxes on the Coat of arms of Prince Edward Island further symbolize inspiration, ingenuity and perseverance, in light of Edward Island's refining of fur farming.
The characters Scarface
and Lady Blue
from The Animals of Farthing Wood are silver foxes.
The silver fox is the totem of Pellissippi Lodge 230 of the Order of the Arrow.
Melanism
Melanism is an undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages, and the opposite of albinism. It is also the medical term for black jaundice.The word is deduced from the , meaning black pigment....
form of red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
. Silver foxes display a great deal of pelt variation: some are completely black, save for the white tail tip, while others are bluish-grey, and others may have a cinereous colour on the sides. Historically, silver foxes were among the most valued furbearers, and their skins were frequently worn by nobles in Russia and other parts of Europe, as well as in China. Wild silver foxes do not reproduce exclusively with members of the same coat morph, and can be littermates with the common red variety, though captive populations bred for their fur are almost exclusively mated with members of the same colour.
Description
The long outer hair extends on some parts two inches (5 cm) beyond the shorter underfur, particularly under the throat, behind the shoulders, on the sides and the tail. The hair of the underfur is brown at the base, then silver grey and tipped with black. The hair is soft, glossy and was once reputed to be finer than that of the pine martenPine Marten
The European Pine Marten , known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. It...
. The uniformly blackish brown or chocolate coloured underfur, which is unusually long and dense, measures in some places two inches and is exceedingly fine. It surrounds the whole body even to the tail, where it is a little coarser and woollier. The fur is shortest on the forehead and limbs, and is finer on the underparts. When viewed individually, the hairs composing the belly fur exhibit a wavy appearance. There are scarcely any long hairs on the ears, which are thickly clothed with fur. The soles of the feet are so thickly clothed with woolly hair that no callous spots are visible. According to East-Siberian hunters, the footprints of silver foxes are larger than those of the red variety, not just due to their larger feet, but by their greater fluffiness. Silver foxes also tend to be more cautious than red foxes.
When bred with another member of the same colour morph, silver foxes will invariably produce silver coated offspring, particularly after the third generation. When mated to pure red foxes, the resulting cubs will be fiery red in colour, save for much blacker markings on the belly, neck and points. When one such fiery red fox is mixed with a silver one, the litter is almost always 50% silver and 50% red. Fiery red parents may occasionally produce a silver cub, the usual proportion being one in four. Occasionally, the colours of mixed foxes blend rather than segregate. The blended offspring of a silver and red fox is known as a cross fox.
Range
In North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, silver foxes occur mostly in northwestern part of the continent. In the 19th century, silver foxes were sometimes taken in Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, the Magdalen Islands
Magdalen Islands
The Magdalen Islands form a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . Though closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the islands form part of the Canadian province of Quebec....
and rarely in the mountainous regions of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and the wilder portions of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. They were occasionally spotted in Nova Scotia. According to Sir John Richardson
John Richardson (naturalist)
Sir John Richardson was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer.Richardson was born at Dumfries. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and became a surgeon in the navy in 1807. He traveled with John Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage on the Coppermine Expedition of...
, a greater number than 4-5 silver foxes were rarely taken in any one season in areas where they were present, though trappers would prioritise them above all other furbearers once they were discovered. Silver foxes comprise up to 8% of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's red fox population.
In the former Soviet Union, silver foxes occur mostly in forest zones and forest-tundra belts, particularly in middle and eastern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
mountains. They are very rare in steppes and deserts.
History of fur use
Breed standards
In North America
The fur of a silver fox was once considered by the natives of New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
to be worth over 40 American beaver
American Beaver
The North American Beaver is the only species of beaver in the Americas, native to North America and introduced to South America. In the United States and Canada, where no other species of beaver occurs, it is usually simply referred to as "beaver"...
skins. A chieftain accepting a gift of silver fox fur was seen as an act of reconciliation. The records of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
indicate that 19-25% of fox skins traded in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in the years 1825-1850 were silver, as were 16% of those traded in Labrador. The fur was almost always sold to Russian and Chinese traders. Before the practice of fur farming was eventually refined on Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, it was standard practice to release free ranging silver foxes into small islands, where they quickly starved to death. Fur farmers on Prince Edward Island gained success by breeding and caring for their foxes in captivity. Also, Prince Edward Island fur farmers recognised the species' monogamous habits, and permitted their studs to mate for life with a single female. The fur of captive bred foxes was of a better quality than that of free ranging ones (worth $500–1000 rather than $20–30) because of better care and diet. These silver foxes would be bred strictly with members of their own colour morph, and by the third generation, all residual traces of red or cross ancestry disappeared.
In Eurasia
Silver foxes in Russian fur farms are of North American stock, and are selectively bred in order to remove as much brown from the fur as possible, as the presence of brown fur lowers the pelt's value. EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
began farming silver foxes in 1924, after receiving 2,500 foundation specimens from Norway to Mustajõe farm. The numbers of Estonian silver fox farms steadily increased in the following decades. During the soviet period, the silver fox industry boomed due to government subsidies and a focus on selectively breeding foxes for greater fertility than fur quality.
Domestication
The domesticated silver fox is the result of over 50 years of experiments in the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to domesticate
Domestication
Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
the silver fox. The breeding project was set up in the 1950s by the Soviet scientist Dmitri K. Belyaev. As a result of selective breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
, the new foxes not only have become tamer, but more dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
-like as well. The domesticated foxes exhibit both behavioral and physiological
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
changes from their wild forebears. They are friendlier with human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, put their ears down (like dogs), wag their tails when happy, and have begun to vocalize and bark like domesticated dogs. They have also developed color patterns like domesticated dogs and have lost their distinctive musky "fox smell."
In culture
According to the creation myth of the AchomawiAchomawi
The Achomawi are one of eleven bands of the Pit River tribe of Native Americans who lived in northeastern California, USA....
people of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the silver fox originated as a fog which formed at the creation of the earth, and subsequently became human. Travelling the water-covered earth in a canoe, the silver fox unintentionally created land masses by throwing the hair stuck to his comb into the sea.
Two silver foxes serve as supporters for the Coat of arms of Prince Edward Island
Coat of arms of Prince Edward Island
The coat of arms of Prince Edward Island was begun when the shield and motto in the achievement were granted in 1905 by royal warrant of the King Edward VII.-History:In the chief of the shield is the lion passant of England...
. Traditionally, heraldic foxes symbolize sagacity, wit and wisdom. The silver foxes on the Coat of arms of Prince Edward Island further symbolize inspiration, ingenuity and perseverance, in light of Edward Island's refining of fur farming.
The characters Scarface
Scarface (Farthing Wood)
Scarface is an antagonist in The Animals of Farthing Wood book Fox's Feud, and the second season of the television series, which was based on it. In the book, Scarface was a red fox, but in the television series, he was made a blue fox, so as not to generate confusion...
and Lady Blue
Lady Blue (Farthing Wood)
Lady Blue is a fictional character from The Animals of Farthing Wood Television Series.-White Deer Park:Lady Blue was already a resident of White Deer Park when the animals of Farthing Wood arrived, she took a strong dislike to the foxes as, in her eyes, the park had never had anything so 'common'...
from The Animals of Farthing Wood are silver foxes.
The silver fox is the totem of Pellissippi Lodge 230 of the Order of the Arrow.