Posted on 07/10/2025 12:53:05 PM PDT by Red Badger
A mysterious creature found in Brazil has scientists questioning everything they know about wild canids. With a strange mix of dog and fox traits, this rare hybrid is raising serious concerns.
Dogxim' Was Discovered After A Car Accident In 2021. Credit: Instagram/forrest.galante | The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel
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A strange discovery in southern Brazil has left the scientific community stunned. In 2021, a female canid was found near Vacaria, a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, after being struck by a car. What seemed like an ordinary accident quickly turned into an extraordinary puzzle. Veterinarians and scientists were perplexed by the animal’s unusual appearance—one that did not fit the profile of any known species.
A Genetic Puzzle: Dog or Fox?
Initial examinations showed that this animal was neither a domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) nor a wild fox, but something in between. Further analysis revealed an astonishing truth: the creature was a hybrid, a combination of a domestic dog and a pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), a species native to South America’s grasslands.
This discovery, published in Animals, has now been confirmed as the world’s first scientifically recognized hybrid between these two species, which diverged from a common ancestor roughly 6.7 million years ago.
Researchers at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul used advanced genetic techniques to uncover that the hybrid, named the dogxim, had 76 chromosomes—a unique number that lies precisely between the 78 chromosomes of domestic dogs and the 74 of pampas foxes. The animal’s genetic composition raised more questions than answers, leaving many to wonder about the implications for wildlife conservation.
The Dogxim: A New Breed of Canid?
While the dogxim’s genetic makeup was extraordinary, its physical characteristics were equally remarkable. The animal had the elongated snout and thick, coarse fur of a pampas fox, but also displayed canine traits such as barking and a playful nature. Despite this, it rejected processed foods like kibble and preferred eating live rodents, a behavior more commonly associated with wild foxes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBFm6hABb_i/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=56a75ca7-7132-4093-817a-59e6ba81b3dc&img_index=1
Flávia Ferrari, an environmental advocate who cared for the animal during its rehabilitation, described it as “not a dog, not a fox, but an incredible hybrid.” She noted that its personality was timid and cautious, unlike a typical dog, but it lacked the usual aggression of a wild canid when handled. Unfortunately, the dogxim passed away in 2023, just months after its discovery, leaving researchers to reflect on the broader implications of its existence.
The Growing Risk of Interspecies Hybridization
Scientists are concerned that the dogxim’s birth is not a one-off anomaly but part of a wider trend of increasing hybridization between wild canids and domestic dogs. As human activity expands into once-pristine environments, wildlife species like the pampas fox are increasingly coming into contact with domestic dogs. The consequences of these interactions could be far-reaching, particularly in terms of genetic changes and disease transmission.
Canid with unusual phenotypic characters investigated herein (A) and pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) (B). Credits: Thales Renato Ochotorena de Freitas / Bruna Elenara Szynwelski
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Jacqueline Boyd, an expert in animal sciences at the University of Nottingham Trent, pointed out that the presence of the dogxim likely reflects the growing overlap between human settlements and natural habitats. She warned that such hybridization raises concerns about disease transmission, as domestic dogs can carry diseases that could be passed on to wild species, putting their populations at risk. Furthermore, the genetic introgression—where traits from one species infiltrate the gene pool of another—could threaten the survival of the pampas fox and other wild canids in the region.
The Impact of Hybridization on Wildlife
The discovery of the dogxim has sparked urgent discussions about the potential impact of hybridization on wild canid populations in South America. If hybrid animals like the dogxim can reproduce, this could alter the genetic makeup and behavior of native species like the pampas fox, potentially threatening their survival. Experts worry that such hybrids could undermine the integrity of wild populations by introducing domesticated traits, reducing genetic diversity, and disrupting natural behaviors.
Researchers are now calling for further studies to explore the long-term effects of hybridization on both the genetics and behavior of wild canids. While the dogxim’s case may be rare, it signals a growing ecological concern in a world where human encroachment is reshaping natural habitats. As wildlife faces increasing pressures from urbanization and infrastructure development, the full impact of hybridization on biodiversity remains to be seen.
I've identified the means they used for predator control using Toxicoscordion fremontii. It was cheap strychnine. ;^)
Fantastic historical commentary, you should writearticles or even a book on this.
It shocks people to realize that environmental ideology is not only wrong, it is evil.
Dog NXIVM?
That’s all we need.
Dogs in sex cults.
If so considered me very impressed.
Yup. There's a lot more on the associated web sites and the biggie is yet to come.
Very cool. Are you doing Traditional, POD or e-book only?
That's actually a problem. My books these days are highly graphical with gobs of footnotes and links. They don't lend themselves well to paper. For over a decade, I've published in pdf but it's easy to rip off but I've given up worrying about that, as this is more a responsibility than anything else. "Much is asked of him to whom much is given," and all that. Now Adobe is absolutely screwing its customers. Worse, the product doesn't show up well in Linux. So I really don't know what to do, but I'm so busy with land management, infrastructure, and writing, I'm focused upon content. Without the land in the condition that it is, the work loses legitimacy. As I age, it's become a treadmill.
So now you know why I've been working on this for fourteen years. The Biblical translation work is yet another universe of the same work. It's always been an antithesis/thesis architecture.
All I have to say about this critter is Squeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!
😍
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