where does the term silver fox come from
Silver fox ( animal ) - wikipedia Silver fox ( animal ) A silver fox The silver fox is a melanistic form of the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) . Silver foxes display a great deal of pelt variation : some are completely black except for a white coloration on the tip of the tail , some are bluish - grey , and some may have a cinereous color on the sides . Historically , silver foxes were among the most valued furbearers , and their skins were frequently worn by nobles in Russia , Western Europe , and China . Wild silver foxes do not naturally 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 and as pets are almost exclusively mated with members of the same color . Contents ( hide ) 1 Description 2 Range 3 History of fur use 3.1 Pelt standards 3.2 In North America 3.3 In Eurasia 4 Behavior 4.1 Mating behavior 4.1. 1 Competition capacity 4.2 Feeding 5 Domestication 5.1 Initial experimentation 5.2 Current project status 6 In culture 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Description ( edit ) An adult silver fox The silver fox 's long outer hair can extend as much as two inches ( 5 cm ) beyond the shorter underfur on different parts of the fox 's body , particularly under the throat , behind the shoulders , on the sides and the tail . The hair of the underfur is brown at the base , and silver grey tipped with black further along the follicle . The hair is soft , glossy and was once reputed to be finer than that of the pine marten . The uniformly blackish brown or chocolate colored 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 fox 's underbelly . 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 covered with woolly hair that no callous spots are visible . Silver foxes tend to be more cautious than red foxes . When bred with another member of the same color morph , silver foxes will produce silver coated offspring , with little variation in this trend after the third generation . When mated to pure red foxes , the resulting cubs will be fiery red in overall coat color , and will have blacker markings on the belly , neck and points than average red foxes . When one such fiery red fox is mated 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 colors of mixed foxes blend rather than segregate . The blended offspring of a silver and red fox is known as a cross fox . Range ( edit ) Red foxes , including the silver form , are one of the most widely distributed carnivorous species in the world , ranging over much of the northern hemisphere and Australia . Their abundance in a wide variety of habitats can be attributed to introduction by humans into new habitats for fox - hunting . In North America , silver foxes occur mostly in the northwestern part of the continent . In the 19th century , silver foxes were sometimes collected from Labrador , the Magdalen Islands , and they were rarely taken from the mountainous regions of Pennsylvania and the wilder portions of New York . They were occasionally found in Nova Scotia . According to Sir John Richardson , it was uncommon for trappers to collect more than 4 -- 5 silver foxes in any one season , in areas where silver foxes were present , despite the trappers ' tendency to prioritize them above all other fur - bearers 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 . History of fur use ( edit ) In the richness and beauty of its splendid fur the Silver - gray Fox surpasses the beaver or sea otter , and the skins are indeed so highly esteemed that the finest command extraordinary prices , and are always in demand . -- John James Audubon , quoted from The Imperial Collection of Audubon Animals , 1967 Pelt standards ( edit ) Silver fox fur Captive silver foxes being fed In order for the pelt to be considered of suitable quality , certain criteria must be met . First , there must be a section of glossy black fur on the neck with a bluish cast . The silver hairs must contain pure bands that are neither white nor prominent . The most valued furs had an even distribution of silver hair , as patches of silver hair gave the coat a flaky appearance , which was considered undesirable . Second , the fur must have `` silkiness '' , which refers to the softness of the fur , and was judged by a client running his hand over the pelt . Third , the coat must have a sheen , which reflects the health of the coat and the animal from which it came , as well as the finesse of the hairs . Finally , the fur must weigh at least one pound , with value increasing along with size . Heavy fur is considered to be more durable and handsome . In North America ( edit ) The fur of a silver fox was once considered by the natives of New England to be worth more than 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 . The farmers recognized the foxes ' monogamous habits and permitted their studs to mate for life with a single female , contributing to their success . The fur of captive bred foxes was of a better quality than that of free ranging ones ( worth $500 -- 1,000 rather than $20 -- 30 ) because of improved care and diet . These silver foxes were bred strictly with members of their own color morph , and by the third generation , all residual traces of red or cross ancestry disappeared . The fur trade was picked up by the Fromm brothers in the 1930s . They funded the development of the distemper vaccine and vitamin D tablets to prevent the foxes from getting rickets . They also allowed the foxes to roam relatively free as they would otherwise damage their pelts and they were fed daily . The largest silver fox the Fromms ' had was over 20 lbs . In eurasia ( edit ) 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 . Estonia 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 . Behavior ( edit ) See also : Red fox § Behaviour The silver fox morph is very behaviorally similar to the red morph . One common behavior is scent marking . This behavior is used as a display of dominance , but may also be used to communicate the absence of food from foraging areas as well as social records . Mating behavior ( edit ) See also : Red fox § Reproduction and development , and Fox § Sexual characteristics Silver foxes exist in seasonally monogamous pairs for the breeding months of December to April , and most matings occur in January and February . Female silver foxes are monestrous ( having 1 estrus cycle per year ) with estrus lasting 1 -- 6 days and parturition occurring after about 52 days of gestation . During or approaching estrus , the vulva of silver foxes increases in size and tumescence , indicating the sexual readiness or condition of the fox . Female silver foxes generally breed during their first autumn , but a number of factors that contribute to their breeding success . Age , food , population density , and mating system ( polygyny or monogamy ) all affect impregnation success rates and litter size . Higher population density leads to a higher incidence of failure in producing pups . Silver foxes have litters that typically range from 1 to 14 pups , with the average being 3 to 6 pups . Litter size generally increases with age and abundance of food . Scientists have observed an increase in reproductive success with age in silver fox morphs , which may be attributable to yearlings breeding an average of nine days after adults . Success in larger litters depends highly on the availability of extra-parental care via the assistance of unmated females . This is particularly notable in higher density populations , where some females fail to produce pups . Silver foxes engage in a system of biparental care , which is associated with their seasonal monogamous mating scheme . For a given litter , males contribute a large investment in the offspring by both feeding and protecting the den . While the pups are early in development , the male secures food for the nursing vixen . Whereas males are more vigilant in defending the den , females also defend their offspring aggressively . Competition capacity ( edit ) In captivity , differential reproductive success can be attributed to variation in the competition capacity among individual females . Competition capacity is defined as the ability of individuals to dominate resources such as food or nesting sites . The competition capacity of the mother directly influences the fitness of her offspring . In one experiment where vixens , whose competition capacities were categorized as high , medium , or low , were bred under standard farming conditions , competition capacity was positively associated with the number of healthy offspring raised to weaning . This study has led to the use of competition capacity as a more encompassing measure of reproductive fitness for the silver fox . Some vixens have also been noted to engage in infanticide . These vixens generated more weaned cubs during their next reproductive cycle than those who did not engage in infanticide . This may suggest the conservation of efforts or investment to increase future reproductive success . Infanticidal vixens infrequently adopt and help to raise the young of neighboring vixens after eating their own . Feeding ( edit ) While silver foxes are opportunistic feeders and will consume any food presented to them , they prefer a more carnivorous diet when meat is available . When meat is scarce , they rely more heavily on plant material . Like the red morph , the silver fox adapts different strategies when hunting different prey . When hunting smaller mammals , the foxes adapt a `` mousing position '' from which they can locate prey based on sound . Subsequently , the foxes launch themselves , pin prey to the ground using their forepaws , and kill it by biting . Quicker terrestrial prey requires more practiced behavior , often involving stalking and rapid pursuit . When prey escapes to hidden caches or burrows , foxes are known to occasionally nap beside the entrances and lie in wait for prey to reemerge . Domestication ( edit ) Main article : Domesticated silver fox The domestication of the red fox has produced the silver fox , oftentimes referred to as the Siberian fox . This domestication is due to selective breeding , resulting in tamer and more dog - like foxes . The domestication began in the Soviet Union and Russia in 1959 , and has occurred over 50 years of experimentation . The lead scientist involved with this project was Dmitry Belyayev , and remains today a project under Lyudmila Trut with The Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk . The original domestication was intended to show how selection can work with aggression and behavioral traits , and be further extrapolated to demonstrate that the dog could be domesticated from wolves . Some observed behavioral traits include : tail - wagging when happy , barking and vocalization , and ear floppiness ( typically a character observed in domesticated dogs ) . Initial experimentation ( edit ) Research regarding Mendelian genetics was prohibited by Joseph Stalin under the Soviet regime . This prohibition and resulting Lysenkoism , along with his 1948 loss of job as the head of the Department of Fur Animal Breeding at Moscow 's Central Research Laboratory of Fur Breeding , led Belyayev to conceal his work on domestication under the veil of animal physiology research . Belyayev was interested in dog diversity , and wanted to know more about how genes change throughout time . He believed that behavior has strong biological and physiological roots , with strong relations to hormones and neurochemicals . Thus , he decided to study the silver fox and to observe how the fox responds to selective pressures for tame behavior . Belyayev started the Institute of Cytology and Genetics , still under the guise of research regarding animal physiology . Lyudmila Trut , a graduate student working under Belyayev , collected the calmest foxes available on fur farms . Throughout many generations of selectively mating the tamest foxes , Belyayev and Trut began to notice promising signs of tamer behavior , such as when the dogs would lick the researchers ' faces or less - aggressive floppy ears . She came up with a categorization system for these generations : Class III were animals that fled from experimenters , or were aggressive towards humans ; Class II foxes were those that allowed themselves be handled , but developed no emotional response to the experimenters . Class I foxes were those that were friendly , acting almost dog - like with their whining and tail - wagging . There was also a Class IE for sixth generation foxes , called the `` domesticated elite '' , which displayed the behaviors such as whimpering for attention , sniffing and licking the experimenters , and eagerness for human contact . By the tenth generation , almost one out of five foxes fell into the Class IE category . With more generations they discovered a higher proportion of domesticated foxes . These results led the scientists at the Institute to research domestication of other animals , such as rats in 1972 , mink , and river otters . The collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in declining funds towards scientific research , complicating Belyayev 's and Trut 's research continuation . They had difficulties even keeping the foxes alive . Belyayev died in 1985 before he could salvage the Institute , so Trut fought to maintain the fox research . Throughout this struggle , Anna Kukekova , a postdoc at Cornell for molecular genetics , became interested in the topic of fox - farm research . She , along with Trut , worked to complete Belyayev 's fox domestication research after she received a grant from the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) . Belyayev 's and Trut 's original interest in fox domestication was based in the belief that selection for behavior , such as tameness , mimicked past natural selection with ancestral dogs . This quality was thought to be the most significant indicator of how well adaptation would occur amongst dogs and humans . The project has caused changes in the domesticated foxes in comparison to the wild silver foxes in regards to morphology and temperament . For example , the domesticated silver foxes have been seen to have molted or spotted colored fur and they have become tamer . The changes in temperament are believed to be a result of a lower production of adrenaline , and the selection for tameness has cause the expression of dog - like behaviors , such as raised tail and coming into heat every six months rather than annually . Current project status ( edit ) Since the initiation of fox domestication , more research and experimentation has been performed . DNA microarrays were utilized to find the differences in genetic expression between domesticated , non-domesticated ( farm - raised ) , and wild foxes . It was found that there was a difference of forty gene expressions between the domesticated and non-domesticated foxes . Although there was a difference in the genes of the three groups , the experimenters did not look into the behavioral and functional consequences of these differences . However , in 2007 , a study was performed that explored the genetic basis of tame and aggressive behavior in the foxes using QTL mapping . In culture ( edit ) Main article : Foxes in culture The silver fox appears in the stories of many cultures . The Achomawi people of Northern California tell a myth about two creators : the wise silver fox stemming from fog and the amoral trickster coyote from the clouds . The myth reveals that while the coyote slept , the silver fox used its hair combings to create landmasses . It then thought of trees , rocks , fruits , and other resources , and created those too . However , the coyote could not employ self - control and ate everything up at will after it awoke . The story tells a moral lesson , portraying the silver fox as a wise being and creator of sorts while suggesting the coyote as a lazy and impulsive animal . Similarly the silver fox has often been represented on totem poles . The silver fox also appears as a symbol on the Prince Edward Island coat of arms . In the late 1800s , the rare silver fox was native to the region , and its pelt was highly valued around the world . It was on the island that the art and science of breeding furbearing animals was developed and refined . Consequently , fur farming became an important part of the 20th century economy of the province and Wisconsin . The Fromm brothers started their fur trading company in Central Wisconsin in the 1930s which led to the development of the distemper vaccine . The silver fox has come to symbolize the wit and wisdom of the islanders . In regards to its fur breeding history , it has come to symbolize the ingenuity and perseverance involved in industry . In addition , the silver fox has been represented in different forms of media . On television , in films , and in comic books , Silver Fox is a character in the Wolverine superhero series . In literature , the characters Scarface and Lady Blue from The Animals of Farthing Wood are silver foxes . Recently , it has evolved another meaning in our everyday speech . See also ( edit ) Cross fox ( animal ) Domesticated silver fox List of domesticated animals Experimental evolution Genomics of domestication Neoteny References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : Audubon , John James ( 1967 ) . The Imperial Collection of Audubon Animals . p. 307 . ASIN B000M2FOFM . ^ Jump up to : Macdonald , David ( 1987 ) . Running with the Fox . Unwin Hyman . p. 224 . ISBN 0 - 04 - 440199 - X . ^ Jump up to : Laut , Agnes C. The Fur Trade of America , Kessinger Publishing , 2004 . ISBN 0 - 7661 - 9616 - X Jump up ^ The quadrupeds of North America , Volume 3 by John James Audubon and John Bachman , by illustrated by John Woodhouse Audubon , published by V.G. Audubon , 1854 ^ Jump up to : Mammals of the Soviet Union Vol. II Part 1a , Sirenia and Carnivora ( Sea cows ; Wolves and Bears ) , V.G Heptner and N.P Naumov editors , Science Publishers , Inc . USA . 1998 . ISBN 1 - 886106 - 81 - 9 Jump up ^ Red Fox , New York 's Wildlife Resources , Number 11 , 1982 Jump up ^ Laut , Agnes ( 1921 ) . The fur trade of America . New York : Macmillan . Jump up ^ Morton , Thomas ( 1972 ) . New English Canaan : Or , New Canaan ( Research Library of Colonial Americana ) . New York : Arno Press . p. 188 . ISBN 0 - 405 - 03309 - 5 . Jump up ^ Robinson , H.M. The Great Fur Land ; Or , Sketches of Life in the Hudson 's Bay Territory , BiblioBazaar , LLC , 2009 . ISBN 1 - 115 - 73924 - 7 Jump up ^ Saveli , Olev . `` Fur Farming in Estonia '' ( PDF ) . Estonian University of Life Sciences . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 15 March 2012 . Retrieved 5 January 2013 . ^ Jump up to : Larivière , Serge ; Maria Pasitschniak - Arts ( 27 December 1996 ) . `` Vulpes vulpes '' . Mammalian Species . 537 : 1 -- 11 . doi : 10.2307 / 3504236 . ^ Jump up to : Sheldon , William G. ( August 1949 ) . `` Reproductive Behavior of Foxes in New York State '' . Journal of Mammalogy. 30 ( 3 ) : 236 -- 246 . doi : 10.2307 / 1375313 . Jump up ^ Jour , Bakken M. ( 1993 ) . `` Reproduction in farmed Silver fox vixens , Vulpes vulpes , in relation to own competition capacity and that of neighbouring vixens '' . Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics . 110 ( 1 - 6 ) . doi : 10.1111 / j. 1439 - 0388.1993. tb00742. x . Jump up ^ Hockman , Gregory J. ; Joseph A. Chapman ( October 1983 ) . `` Comparative Feeding Habits of Red Foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) and Gray Foxes ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) in Maryland '' . American Midland Naturalist. 110 ( 2 ) : 276 -- 285 . doi : 10.2307 / 2425269 . ^ Jump up to : Trut , Lyudmila N. ( March -- April 1999 ) . `` Early Canid Domestication : The Farm - Fox Experiment '' American Scientist 87 ( 2 ) 160 -- 169 . ^ Jump up to : Ratliff , Evan . `` Animal Domestication : Taming the Wild '' , `` National Geographic '' , March 2011 . Jump up ^ Lindberg , Julia ; Björnerfeldt , Susanne ; Saetre , Peter ; Svartberg , Kenth ; Seehuus , Birgitte ; Bakken , Morten ; Vilà , Carles ; Jazin , Elena ( 2005 ) . `` Selection for tameness has changed brain gene expression in silver foxes '' Current Biology 15 ( 22 ) R915 -- 6 . doi : 10.1016 / j. cub. 2005.11. 009 . PMID 16303546 . Jump up ^ Kukekova , Anna V. ; Trut , L.N. ; Chase , K. ; Shepeleva , D.V. ; Vladimirova , A.V. ; Kharlamova , A.V. ; Oskina , I.N. ; Stepika , A. et al. ( 2007 ) . `` Measurement of Segregating Behaviors in Experimental Silver Fox Pedigrees '' . Behavior Genetics 38 ( 2 ) 185 -- 94 . doi : 10.1007 / s10519 - 007 - 9180 - 1 . PMC 2374754 . PMID 18030612 . Jump up ^ Adams Leeming , David . Creation Myths of the World : An Encyclopedia , Volume 1 . pp. 31 -- 32 . Jump up ^ `` Island Information : Armorial Bearings '' . Jump up ^ `` Silver Fox '' . Jump up ^ Dann , Colin . The Animals of Farthing Wood . Mammoth . External links ( edit ) The Domestic fox Fox Domestication : website from Cornell University with detailed information ( videos and articles ) Article in The New York Times Nice Rats , Nasty Rats : Maybe It 's All in the Genes , New York Times CBBC News Article My Little Zebra - New Scientist article The Fox Farm Experiment , American Scientist `` New Nice '' WNYC RadioLab Story ; contains audio , video , interviews , and other links . ( Public Radio ) Soviet Scientist Turns Foxes Into Puppies Horizon S48E08 ( 2010 ) : The Secret Life of the Dog - BBC Explorer : How Man Tamed the Wild - National Geographic Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silver_fox_(animal)&oldid=836981582 '' Categories : Vulpes Carnivorans of Asia Carnivorans of Europe Carnivorans of North America Talk Article Talk Contents About Wikipedia Eesti Français 한국어 Iñupiak Italiano Magyar Nederlands Polski Русский Svenska Українська 中文 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 18 April 2018 , at 00 : 40 ( UTC ) . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia
1. Silver fox - melanistic form of red fox
2. Fur trade - historical use of silver fox skins
3. Domestication - breeding of silver foxes for tameness
4. Behavior - mating behavior and feeding habits of silver foxes
5. Range - distribution of silver foxes in North America and Eurasia