'Amazing' new dog and fox hybrid discovered by scientists after animal hit by car

Scientists believe they have found an "amazing" new species; a cross between a dog and a fox. The animal, dubbed a 'dogxim', was taken to the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul veterinary hospital in Brazil after it was hit by a car in 2021.

Baffled medics were unable to work out if it was a fox or a dog, so ordered genetic testing. The highly-awaited results have just been published that suggest the animal is the first-ever hybrid dog-fox.

The dogxim - which shared characteristics of both animals, with large pointy ears, thick wiry fur, and a long pointed snout - sadly died earlier this year of unknown causes. It is only now following the results of the test that it has emerged how significant she was, reports the Mirror.

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Vets noted how the animal showed characteristics of both a domesticated and wild species - having preferred to eat live rodents and initially being wary of people. At the same time, it was not as aggressive as would have been expected of a wild animal.

Flavia Ferrari, a conservationist who worked with the hybrid animal, said that over time the dogxim became more comfortable being around people. Flavia said: "She was an amazing animal, really a hybrid between a pampas fox and a dog.

"It was not as docile as a dog, but it also lacked the aggressiveness 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."

Tests determined the animal - which had a bark like a dog and liked to play with toys - had 76 chromosomes, which were a mixture of those found in foxes and dogs. Researchers believe the animal's mum was a pampas fox and her dad is a domestic dog - but they are not sure what breed he was.

The animal was neutered as part of her treatment - but scientists believed she may have been able to reproduce and there are more dog-fox crossbreeds in the wild.

Bruna Elenara Szynwelski of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, which did tests on the animal, said: "In our study we recorded the first case of hybridisation between one species of wild canid and the domestic dog."

The findings were published in the journal Animals and scientists believe there may be more dogxims in the wild. It is not the first time that domestic dogs have interbred with wild species before, including coyotes, wolves and dingos, but these have been within the same genus, or biological group.

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