[Ryushi]

What family are foxes in, Canines or Felines?

[Choux]

Foxes are related to canines. Wolves, coyotes, dogs, foxes, dingos, etc. are all related. They have non retractable nails and they walk on their toes among other common traits.

[starbuck8]

Foxes are from the canine family. Foxes are part of the family called Canidea. (dogs). They are however, a different branch of that family. Dogs are in the Canini Clad, where as foxes are in the Vulpine tribe.

[excon]

Hello:

The chicken family... All the foxes I know are chicks.

excon

[starbuck8]

Hello:

The chicken family.... All the foxes I know are chicks.

excon

You're funny Excon! I had to spread the rep, or I would've commented! What about the silver foxes? I believe some may have feathers, because they hunted down a chick, but I also believe they come from many different families. There is your dog family, your dawg family, and of course the Charlie Rich silver fox family! ;)

[wolfgangk626]

Foxes are related to canines. Wolves, coyotes, dogs, foxes, dingos, etc. are all related. They have non retractable nails and they walk on their toes among other common traits.

Dogs, wolves, and coyotes are in the Canus genus: dogs are species familiarus, wolves are the species lupus, and coyotes are in the species "wiley". Sorry, I forgot.

Animals in the same GENUS can successfully, on a biological level, reproduce. Breeding between the same GENUS and SPECIES results in BREEDS [which really have no dignity of true nomenclature, other than the nickname 'variety' or 'serovar']. Therefore the mexican red wolf, arctic grey wolf, German Shepherd Dog and Yorkshire Terriers COULD, theoretically, successfully inter-breed and produce viable offspring. The offspring SHO ULD theoretically be fertile. But I would not approve of these 'mixed marriages'.

Dogs and wolves can and have inter-bred for millenia; I do not think dogs / wolves and foxes are able to successfully reproduce; they have differing numbers of chromosomes; so when the initial possibly fertilized cell divides, it fails and dies.
Cheers!
Sammie [10-21-2008, just found this].

[cytochromeb6f2]

Dogs, wolves, and coyotes are in the Canus genus: dogs are species familiarus, wolves are the species lupus, and coyotes are in the species "wiley". Sorry, I forgot.

Animals in the same GENUS can successfully, on a biological level, reproduce. Breeding between the same GENUS and SPECIES results in BREEDS [which really have no dignity of true nomenclature, other than the nickname 'variety' or 'serovar']. Therefore the mexican red wolf, arctic grey wolf, German Shepherd Dog and Yorkshire Terriers COULD, theoretically, successfully inter-breed and produce viable offspring. The offspring SHO ULD theoretically be fertile. But I would not approve of these 'mixed marriages'.

Dogs and wolves can and have inter-bred for millenia; i do not think dogs / wolves and foxes are able to successfuly reproduce; they have differing numbers of chromosomes; so when the initial possibly fertilized cell divides, it fails and dies.
Cheers!
sammie [10-21-2008, just found this].

It is important to note that while all members of the genus Canis can technically interbreed, this it not true for all genera.


Just because an organism has the same genus as another does NOT mean it is capable of interbreeding to produce viable, fertile offspring. It happens that in the case of Canis, the organisms are speciated by behavioral, temporal, geographic, or morphological means (pre-zygotic barriers). They do not have post-zygotic barriers, so fertilization can technically occur and the offspring should develop and be fertile.

[asking]

Red wolves are believed to be hybrids of grey wolves and coyotes, based on studies of their mitochondrial DNA (mitochondria are tiny organs inside cells that have their own DNA*).

Wolves and coyotes are definitely known to interbreed on occasion. But more often, wolves kill and eat coyotes. It's a dog eat dog world out there.

*the mitochondria have their own DNA