Female Foxes Research Articles

Construction of a realistic voxel phantom of the Japanese red fox (Vulpes vulpes japonica) based on MRI imaging and estimation of its background external radiation dose rate from environmental radionuclides.

In this study, we selected the Japanese red fox (Vulpes vulpes japonica) as a representative mid-size mammal from the forests near the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Rokkasho. A fox voxel phantom was constructed based on magnetic resonance imaging of a female red fox caught in Rokkasho. This phantom consisted of 264×321×383 voxels (each voxel size: 0.78×0.78×2mm) with internal organs. The external radiation dose rate to the voxel phantom by beta and gamma rays from environmental radionuclides was estimated using a Monte Carlo code (EGS4 and UCPIXEL). We estimated the dose rates to the phantom on the ground and in an average fox burrow in the Rokkasho forest, which were 11 and 27 nGy h-1, respectively. Assuming that the animal on the ground was irradiated by cosmic rays of 27 nGy h-1, the total external dose rate was evaluated to be 38 nGy h-1. Based on the assumption that the fox lives on the ground for 12h and in the burrow for 12h, the dose rate was estimated to be 33 nGy h-1.

Женский этнотип в лирических песнях «Шицзина» (XI -VI вв. до н. э.) и в повествовательной прозе средневекового Китая

The aim of the study is to show that the prose works by the Tang dynasty writers reflected the new ethnotype of Chinese women, formed in the minds of the Chinese during this period. The study is original in that it is the first in Russian sinology to carry out a comparative analysis of female images in ancient and medieval Chinese literature. In the songs of the ancient Chinese poetic collection ‘Shijing’, the portrait included not only descriptions of women, but also a list of moral qualities and less often the behavior of the heroines, but did not touch upon their character traits. The authors of short stories of the Tang dynasty refuse to describe heroines’ appearance and expand the circle of female characters, adding celestials and foxes who take the form of a woman. The results have shown that in medieval literature, the description of a heroine’s appearance played an insignificant role and most often amounted to using the epithet ‘beauty’ without paying attention to the details adopted in archaic literature. The problem of the relationship between the descriptions of details in heroines’ portraits and their character traits and behavior is discussed. As a result, it has been proved that in the prose works under study, priority is given to the moral qualities of female characters, which indicates the influence of Confucian ideology on the authors during the period under consideration.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma with lung and kidney metastases in a hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus)

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a common malignant tumor of epithelial cells in dogs. This tumor metastasizes slowly and primarily affects the gingiva. Despite its importance, few studies document this cancer in wild canids. A young adult female hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus) kept in captivity at Associação Mata Ciliar (Jundiaí, SP, Brazil) exhibited clinical signs such as weakness, prostration, and severe oral bleeding. After anesthetizing the animal, a reddish, friable verrucous formation was observed on the upper and lower lip, as well as on the maxillary and mandibular gingiva on the right side of the mouth, extending towards the bony palate. A biopsy of this mass was performed, followed by histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation. Histopathology indicated an atypical squamous proliferation with inflammatory features suggestive of poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry through the positive expression of antibodies AE1AE3, p63, and CK14. The proliferation marker ki67 was used to assess the aggressiveness and malignancy of the tumor, and it was found in approximately 80% of the neoplastic cells. Because of the poor prognosis, the hoary fox was euthanized, and a necropsy was performed. Histopathological analysis of the tissues revealed lung metastasis, suppurative bronchopneumonia, and renal metastasis associated with neutrophilic interstitial nephritis and tubular necrosis. The present report describes this type of neoplasm for the first time in a hoary fox and one of the few observed in wild canids. The scarcity of research on neoplasm incidence in wild canids in Brazil emphasizes the need for further investigations to understand tumor development in these species better

Prevalence of Pentatrichomonas hominis in foxes and raccoon dogs and changes in the gut microbiota of infected female foxes in the Hebei and Henan Provinces in China.

Pentatrichomonas hominis (P. hominis) is a zoonotic parasite that affects a wide range of hosts, causing gastrointestinal diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of P. hominis among caged foxes and raccoon dogs and the effect of P. hominis on the gut microbiota in female foxes. A total of 893 fresh fecal samples were collected from the Hebei and Henan Provinces in China. P. hominis was screened based on 18S rRNA gene expression via nested PCR. The difference in the gut microbiota between nine P. hominis-positive and nine P. hominis-negative samples was investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The total prevalence of P. hominis infection in foxes and raccoon dogs was 31.7% (283/893). The prevalence rates of P. hominis infection were 28.2% (88/312) and 33.6% (195/581) in foxes and raccoon dogs, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all P. hominis strains detected in foxes and raccoon dogs in the present study were the zoonotic genotype CC1. Moreover, compared with those in the P. hominis-negative group, the diversity of the gut microbiota in the P. hominis-positive group was lower, and the abundance of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) in the P. hominis-positive group were lower than those in the P. hominis-negative group. We speculate that these differences may be due to indigestion and diarrhea in infected female foxes. Overall, the present study evaluated the prevalence of P. hominis in foxes and raccoon dogs in the Henan and Hebei Provinces and revealed that P. hominis infection interrupted the diversity of the gut microbiota in female foxes.

Pyometra in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) caused by a Staphylococcus pseudintermedius infection

A female adult red fox was found dead in the Flemish countryside (Belgium). At necropsy, a pronounced global distention of the uterus was noted with a prominent dilation of the upper end of the right horn and two dilations of the external wall (myometrium) of the left horn. The uterine lumen was filled with a green to yellowish pasty material. A pure culture of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was isolated. The diagnosis of pyometra caused by S. pseudintermedius was made. Pyometra in wild canids has been rarely reported. The cause of death is suggested to be similar to the cause described in dogs, namely septic shock. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report of closed pyometra with isolation of S. pseudintermedius in a red fox.

Inferring interspecific killing of Red Fox by Dingo from wounds and inter-canine distance measures – and a call for more data

ABSTRACT The role of the Dingo (variously Canis familiaris, C. familiaris dingo or C. lupus dingo, and hereafter C. dingo) in suppressing Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations in Australia has been investigated, with various data tending to show an inverse relationship between densities of the two species (e.g. Letnic et al. 2012; Johnson and VanDerWal 2009). There are very few examples in the literature where direct killing was either observed or inferred (but see Moseby et al. 2012), making each a valuable datapoint. Here, we present a short description of a young adult female Red Fox presumed to have been killed by Dingo in Myall Lakes National Park on the basis of: (1) the close proximity of a Dingo pack (within approximately 20m) to the carcass; (2) the overlap between recorded values of inter-canine distance in Dingo and the wounds on the Red Fox; and (3) the location of those wounds on the body.

Comparative studies on ovary and serum hormone levels in silver and blue foxes and their hybrids

The silver and blue fox appear closely related despite their belonging to different genera, and the male and female fox hybrids are completely sterile in mating inter se or back to either of the parental groups. In the present study, we compared ovarian morphology and serum hormone concentrations among silver foxes, blue foxes, HSBs (silver fox male × blue fox female hybrids) and HBSs (blue fox male × silver fox female hybrids) during the pre-breeding and the breeding period. We found that either the fertile blue and silver foxes or the infertile hybrid foxes showed typical characteristics of ovary, with primordial, primary, secondary, antral and Graafian follicles. The diameters and quantities of different follicle classes in fertile foxes were greater than that in hybrids during the two period, while the thickness of zona pellucida (ZP) represented an opposite trend (P < 0.05). The relative weight of bilateral ovaries in fertile foxes was greater than that in hybrids during the pre-breeding period, while mean serum FSH represented an opposite trend during the breeding period (P < 0.05). The mean serum estradiol in fertile foxes was greater than that in HBS foxes during the pre-breeding period, and greater than hybrids during the breeding period (P < 0.05). These findings indicated that in the infertile hybrid foxes, lower estradiol levels produced by lesser and smaller antral follicles, thicker ZP during the two period, higher FSH levels during the breeding period, could be the basis of interpretations in cases of female fox hybrid infertility.

The course and branching of the extraorgan veins of the organs of urination in the arctic fox

When keeping fur-bearing animals, it is necessary to take into account that these animals have increased motor activity when they are in natural biogeocinosis. Due to the fact that these representatives of fur-bearing animals are kept in conditions of inactivity, this can inevitably lead to changes in the structure of the cardiovascular system. The purpose of the study is to study the features of the course and branching of extraorgan veins of the organs of urination in Arctic foxes, to determine the morphometric data of these vessels. The objects for this study were the corpses of female arctic foxes of two age groups: newborns and three to four months, five in each group. To achieve this task, a set of traditional anatomical research methods was used. According to the results of the study, it was found that the course and branching of the extraorgan vessels of the organs of urination in female arctic foxes is different. The main outflow of blood from the kidneys are the right and left renal veins; from the ureter – the cranial and caudal branches of the ureter; from the tip of the bladder – the cranial cystic vein; from the body and the bottom of the bladder is the caudal cystic vein. It is also necessary to note the close relationship of the organs of urination with the reproductive system, since the left renal vein communicates with the ovarian. In addition, we have established the presence of rare valves in the veins of the ureters and bladder, and the absence of such in the vessels of the kidneys. Thus, based on linear parameters, it can be concluded that the diameter of the veins gradually increases with the growth of the animal, especially by the period of maturation and intensification of organs.

Defining hippocampal area CA2 in the fox (Vulpes vulpes) brain.

Since 1959, the Russian Farm-Fox study has bred foxes to be either tame or, more recently, aggressive, and scientists have used them to gain insight into the brain structures associated with these behavioral features. In mice, hippocampal area CA2 has emerged as one of the essential regulators of social aggression, and so to eventually determine whether we could identify differences in CA2 between tame and aggressive foxes, we first sought to identify CA2 in foxes (Vulpes vulpes). As no clearly defined area of CA2 has been described in species such as cats, dogs, or pigs, it was not at all clear whether CA2 could be identified in foxes. In this study, we cut sections of temporal lobes from male and female red foxes, perpendicular to the long axis of the hippocampus, and stained them with markers of CA2 pyramidal cells commonly used in tissue from rats and mice. We observed that antibodies against Purkinje cell protein 4 best stained the pyramidal cells in the area spanning the end of the mossy fibers and the beginning of the pyramidal cells lacking mossy fibers, resembling the pattern seen in rats and mice. Our findings indicate that foxes do have a "molecularly defined" CA2, and further, they suggest that other carnivores like dogs and cats might as well. With this being the case, these foxes could be useful in future studies looking at CA2 as it relates to aggression.

A Case of Myiasis in a Bitting Wound in a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

In this case report, a female adult red fox (Vulpes vulpes) found exhausted by the villagers in rural area of Eskişehir constituted the study material. A rare myiasis disease was diagnosed in the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) who was examined in the Surgery Clinic of the Veterinary Health Application and Research Center. Myiasis is a clinically important condition that can lead to a wide variety of diseases caused by fly larvae. In the case under consideration, multiple puncture wounds containing skin and subcutaneous connective tissues were detected in the thoracic region. The exhausted fox was restrained without the need for any anesthetic procedure, and the wound area was shaved, wound debridement was performed with polyvinyl iode and the larvae were removed manually with forceps. The treatment was terminated with a favorable prognosis, as the red fox was compliant with the treatment during the examination and recovery period and no extra systemic and wound complications were encountered. In conclusion, myiasis, which is rarely formed in the injuries of red foxes encountered in the wild, and the formation of a rapid recovery process with a routine treatment were discussed in order to inform our colleagues and readers and increase their experience.

Treatment of scabies and malnutrition in crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous)

Canine scabies is a parasitic disease, caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, which causes intense itching and is very contagious. The mite affects domestic dogs, but transmission to other species such as the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) may occur. The objective of this work is to report on the treatment of scabies and nutritional management in a female crab-eating fox that presented severe malnutrition. For the treatment of scabies, doramectin was used for systemic treatment, and 2% benzoyl peroxide shampoo for topical use. For the correction of malnutrition, a diet was calculated using the Functional Pet® software. Systemic treatment was effective in eliminating the mites after the first drug application and topical treatment restored integumentary health after the second therapeutic bath. The animal was signed off for release after 56 days of treatment.

Den-Dwelling Carnivores in Central Poland: Long-Term Trends in Abundance and Productivity

The monitoring of medium-sized carnivores is essential because of their role in disease transmission and as predators. We focused on red foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs, and domestic dogs, and considered 9441 ha of field–forest mosaic in Central Poland. We compared current (2011–2018) abundance (i.e., number of natal dens recorded annually) and breeding parameters (assessed with the aid of camera traps) with published past data (1980s–1990s). The red fox population increased after rabies vaccinations were introduced and has increased further in the last few years. The population is now stable, which suggests that other factors, possibly mange, limit the population instead. Contrary to historical data, one-fourth of red fox females now breed outside of forests areas, indicating the high plasticity of the species. The number of natal dens of badgers and recruitment rates have also increased. The mean litter sizes of these two species are positively affected by small rodent availability. The raccoon dog, which is an alien and invasive species, used to be recorded sporadically but now breeds regularly (1.8 breeding cases yearly). Nowadays, free-ranging/feral domestic dogs are not controlled by culling, so they have started to breed in the wild (1.6 cases per year), which is a new occurrence.

Occurrence of Ancylostoma Caninum from a Gray Fox Urocyon Cinereoargenteus in Southeastern Mexico.

SummaryThe hookworm Ancylostoma caninum is a common nematode of wild and domestic canids worldwide. In Mexico, there are few records of helminths in wild canids, especially in the southeastern region. The aim of the present study was to examine the helminths from a gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus in southeastern Mexico. A road-killed female gray fox found in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, was examined for helminths. Only nematodes were found in the intestine of the gray fox and identified using morphological studies and molecular analysis of 28S rRNA gene fragments. The characteristics exhibited by the nematode specimens were in accordance with descriptions of A. caninum: e. g. oral opening with a pair of prominent chitinous plates bearing three pairs of ventral teeth, lateral rays with a common trunk, dorsal ray divided into two branches with each branch terminating in three digitations. BLAST analysis of the 28S sequence showed similarity and coverage values of 99.8 % and 100 %, respectively, with a sequence of A. caninum from the domestic dog Canis familiaris in Australia. The genetic distance between the Australian specimen and the Yucatan specimen of A. caninum was 0.1 %, that is, they were only different in a single nucleotide. The gray fox examined in this study was found close to a rural community where A. caninum has been recorded from domestic dogs, which could be the source of infection. Our study increases the distribution of this nematode parasitizing the gray fox in Mexico and provides the first nucleotide sequence of A. caninum from the gray fox.

Fishing behavior in the red fox: Opportunistic-caching behavior or surplus killing?

Fishing behavior in the red fox: Opportunistic-caching behavior or surplus killing?

암컷 여우의 외음부 변화상 분석을 통한 발정기 예측

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the estrus could be predicted based on the size change of the vulva of red fox (Vuples vulpes). In 20 females, the length and width of the vulva were measured by intervals of 2 to 5 days for 45 days until mating was confirmed, and the surface area was calculated from the length and width, and two of them were measured for sex hormones estradiol and progesterone. As the esults, the surface area of the vulva started to increase 6 days before mating and increased about twice on the day of mating. Estradiol and progesterone started to increase 10 days and 3.5 days before mating, and the maximum level has been reached 3.5 days before mating and on the day of mating, respectively. The results indicate that the change of the vulva size during the estrus reflected the change in sex hormones. Thus, change in vulva size can be used as a non-invasive method to predict estrus in female red fox.

Complex therapy against toxascariosis of caged silver foxes

The purpose of the research is evaluating the efficacy of complex therapy using dironet, lactobifadol and keratin food supplement (DLK) against toxascariosis of the arctic fox.Materials and methods. To determine the helminth fauna in the conditions of Vyatka Fur Breeding Farm, 61 females silver fox and 55 females voilevoy arctic fox were used as study objects. To conduct complex therapy against toxascariosis, the study object was 24 females culled from the breeding herd, spontaneously infected with toxascariosis and being clinically healthy. The morphological and biochemical blood parameters in female foxes were determined before and after dehelminthization, and control weighing of animals from experimental groups was carried out before and after the experiment.Results and discussion. Of the studied 116 fur-bearing animals, 26 (22.4%) were infected with Toxascaris leonina. Infection rate of Toxascaris sp. in silver fox females aged 5–7 years was 42.6% when 7-9 eggs were found in one microscope field (magnification 7 × 9). Infection with Toxascaris sp. affects on the body weight of infected animals. The females silver fox from the second experimental group infected with Toxascaris sp., which were not treated, had an average live weight of 1.3 kg less (16.6%) as compared to the control. The complex therapy with the DLK treatment-and-prophylactic complex contributed to the improved metabolic processes and digestion. The applicability of the DLK treatment-and-prophylactic complex for therapy against toxascariosis was proved.

Effect of therapeutic and prophylactic complex DLK (Dironet, Lactobifadol, Forage Keratin) on the intestinal microbiocenosis of the Blue Frost fox at toxascariosis

The purpose of the research is determining the effect of the therapeutic and prophylactic complex of Dironet, Lactobifadol and fodder Keratin (DLK) on the qualitative and quantitative composition of the intestinal microflora affected by toxascariosis in the Blue Frost fox.Materials and methods. The research was carried out on the Fur Breeding Farm “Vyatka”, Slobodskoy District, the Kirov Region. The study objects were 24 female Blue Frost foxes culled from the breeding herd. To determine the quality of the skins obtained from the experimental animals, we sorted flint-dried skins.Results and discussion. After the introduction of the therapeutic and preventive complex DLK into the diet of sick animals, the positive dynamics was observed in the quantitative and qualitative composition of intestinal microorganisms. In animals of the experimental groups that were administered DLK, the number of bifidus bacteria, lactic bacteria and fecal enterococci increased; there was a significant decrease or complete absence of pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic microorganisms, fusobacteria, streptococci, clostridia, typical lactose-negative and hemolytic Escherichia, aureus and saprophytic staphylococcus, common Proteus and fungi of the Candida genus. In animals infected by Toxascaris leonina that did not receive the complex therapy, a decrease in lactic acid bacteria and an increase in the content of pathogenic and commensal microorganisms were noted. Under the output of the fur production, the infected animals showed the lowest percentage of skins in terms of quality of 7.16%, which was 0.38% less in comparison with healthy foxes, and 0.51% less in comparison with treated Blue Frost foxes.

Hematometra associated with fetal death in a fennec fox (Vulpes zerda)

A 5-year-old female fennec fox weighing 1 kg presented to the Veterinary Medical Center, Chungbuk National University with swelling of the mammary glands and hematuria. There were no significant complete blood count (CBC) or serum chemistry findings. The uterus obtained by ovariohysterectomy was filled with blood-clot-like material. The uterine fluid contained erythrocytes, a few leukocytes, and bilirubin crystals without bacteria. The progesterone concentration in the blood serum the day before ovariohysterectomy was 7.3 ng/mL, which is higher than anestrus and lower than a true pregnant condition in a fennec fox. Despite the low blood progesterone concentration and absence of a fetus in the uterus, the histopathological zonary placental findings indicated that the fennec fox had been pregnant. This is the first case report of hematometra associated with fetal death in a captive fennec fox.

Peculiarities of breeding work with red foxes obtained as a result of dominant color mutations

The proportion of the silver-black breed population in the fox gene pool by 2019 was 89.3%, the Vyatka ognevka accounted for 9.9%, so only 0.8% remained for the entire colored population. However, it is no secret that the market does not tolerate uniformity. One of the most effective ways to increase sales of any product, including fur products, is to expand the assortment. The fox industry has something to offer the consumer: in the niche of fur farming by the variety of colorful forms with it can be compared only with mink. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the history of "color" fox breeding dates back to the 30s of the last century, at present there is a lack of systematized information in Russian on various aspects of breeding mutant color forms of the fox. This work is devoted to determining the optimal breeding methods for obtaining the maximum number of young foxes of original coloration obtained as a result of dominant mutations. Research objective is to reveal and generalize the peculiarities of breeding work with foxes of snow, white-marbled, platinum and marbled colors. To this end, the following tasks have been set: to analyze the reproduction rates of female and male foxes of the above colors; to compare the results of reproduction depending on age; to identify the most productive type of crossbreeding for the breeding of the foxes presented. The article presents the results of various interbreeding of silver-black, snow, marbled and red foxes. Analysis of mating of animals of different ages has been carried out. The optimal combinations of parental pairs are revealed.

​Haematological and Blood Chemistry Values in Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) from Ladakh, India

Background: Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a pervasive carnivore species across most of Eurasia and parts of North Africa. The current study was aimed to evaluate baseline values for selected haematological and biochemical variables for red fox in Ladakh, India. Methods: Blood samples were collected from a female red fox with a drug combination of Xylazine and Ketamine. Selected haematological and biochemical variables were assessed for red fox in Ladakh, India. Result: The total leucocytic count was found as 6.37 10^3/uL, Differential Neutrophil count was found as 4.86 10^3/uL, absolute lymphocyte count, monocytes, eosinophil and basophils were found as 1.08 10^3/uL, 0.42 10^3/uL, 0 10^3/uL and 0.01 10^3/uL respectively. Differential count for neutrophil lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophil and basophils were found as 76.1%, 17%, 6.6%, 0.1% and 0.2% respectively. Total erythrocytic count was found as 8.710^6/uL, hematocrit as 12 g/dL, mean corpuscular volume was 47.4 fL and platelet as 212 10^3/uL. Serum biochemical analysis revealed serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase/ aspartate aminotransferase as 316 U/Lt, serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase/alanine aminotransferase as 260 U/Lt and alkaline phosphatase as 46 U/Lt.