Black Tailed Foxlet

Introduction

The Black Tailed Foxlet (Domesticas vulpes) otherwise known in short as the Foxlet is a small, domesticated fox mostly found across North America. It is part of the Canidae family along with other foxes, dogs, and dog like animals. It is directly adapted from the now extinct Swift Fox. The Black Tailed Foxlet can be found across households in North America along with homes in other continents. It mostly resides in North America because other countries have either banned it or their people prefer more traditional pets. There is also a small amount of Black Tailed Foxlets still living in the wild in parts of Canada and the center of the United States of America. These Foxlets live very similar lives to the way their ancestors did, but there is far less of them and their territory is better protected. The Black Tailed Foxlet is known for its cute features such as large round eyes, soft fur, floppy ears, and most of all its black tipped tail.

The Black Tailed Foxlet has become one of the most popular pets in North America in the past 20 years. In the last 10 years, 43% of animals adopted from shelters were Black Tailed Foxlets while dogs only made up 27% of adoptions and cats 20%. However, the Foxlet hasn’t caught on as much in Asia, South America, Oceania, Africa, and most of Europe. This is because it is very pricey to transport Black Tailed Foxlets across the sea and the amount already off the Americas is not enough to substantially grow the population. Also, Black Tailed Foxlets aren’t very popular in other countries. Citizens there tend to go for dogs, cats, and more traditional pets. They see the Black Tailed Foxlet as a wild animal and an “American” idea. The French Parliament even went to the extent of banning Black Tailed Foxlets in 2103 deeming them “undomesticated”.

Etymology

The name Domesticas vulpes means “domesticated fox” in Latin. It was given to the Black Tailed Foxlet because of the fact that it is literally a domesticated fox. Until about 100 years ago in 2019, there was an animal called a Swift Fox. The entirety of the species was wild and their physical features were very different. However, it couldn’t survive and would soon become extinct unless something was done. Through rapid adaptation and human involvement the species adapted to a whole new species, the Black Tailed Foxlet. The difference that truly saved the Black Tailed Foxlet is the fact that it is able to live with humans who can care for it and ensure its survival.

Habitat and Population

The majority of Black Tailed Foxlets currently live in households across North America. However, a small number, 2000 or so, still live in the wild. They live on prairies and grasslands around the central Canada/United States border. They live similarly to the way Swift Foxes lived except their habitat is no longer shrinking and so they are able to live stable lifestyles. Their habitats are protected because of their popularity domestically. Just as when everyone wanted to save the sea turtles in 2019, the Black Tailed Foxlets are so popular that their attention has been able to allow some to live in the wild. There is a debate on whether or not to bring the remaining Foxlets into domestic lifestyles, but many groups such as The World Wildlife Fund have made it clear that these Foxlets are important to the ecosystem and should be left alone.

The domestic Black Tailed Foxlet tends to live alone. This is because its litter tends to be around 5 pups. Just like with dogs, owners tend to give away the pups to adoption centers and friends. Also, many Black Tailed Foxlets are spayed and neutered just like other domestic animals making them unable to have pups and so they live alone. People who want more Black Tailed Foxlets will keep them and so there will be families but these still tend to be around three to four Foxlets large and some pups are given away. Wild Black Tailed Foxlets live with their mate. Every year, they reproduce through sex and raise their pups. After around 5 months the pups leave their parents and find their mates so wild families tend to stay at two Black Tailed Foxlets.

Black Tailed Foxlets are still in the same place on the food web as the Swift Foxes were. They eat smaller mammals, insects, birds, and plants. However they are preyed upon by bigger birds, Coyotes, and other Bigger Mammals. This lands them above many small creatures but still quite low in the grand scheme of things.

History

The Black Tailed Foxlet is part of the Canidae Family. The Canidae Family is made up of Coyotes, Foxes, and other mammals similar to dogs. The animals in the Canidae family are mainly carnivorous and somewhat omnivorous. The Black Tailed Foxlet is specifically related to foxes (vulpes) in general. Especially ones like the Kit Fox and Arctic Fox. It’s closest relative is the one it directly evolved from, the Swift Fox.

The last Swift Fox died in captivity in 2070. The lifestyle of a Swift Fox was similar to that of the wild Black Tailed Foxlet but there were no domestic ones. Also, because they got very little attention, their habitat was poorly preserved and so they became an endangered species. Due to humans taking over their territories they were forced to move into smaller habitats. Here they were easier kills for predators and their populations shrank. A certain group called The Defenders of Wildlife realized that the Swift Fox wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild and would have to be domesticated to keep living. So they moved a portion of the Swift Fox population into domestic situations. These foxes bred and soon adapted into the Black Tailed Foxlets. The rest of the Swift Foxes either died off or crossbred with the Black Tailed Foxlets. After domestication which took from 2025 to 2090, people started posting on social media about the Black Tailed Foxlet. It gained popularity and everyone started to adopt them, especially in the US. Their mainstream popularity allowed them to grow and secure their survival for years to come.

Evolution

The Black Tailed Foxlet is adapted from the Swift Fox. The Black Tailed Foxlet is similar to the Swift Fox but it has key behavioral and physical adaptations that has allowed it to survive. The main problem with the Swift Foxes survival was that it didn’t have enough secure territory. The way the Black Tailed Foxlet adapted to this problem is by moving in with humans. They learned to cuddle, beg for food, and many other vital actions of a domestic animal. Even though they are domestic, they struggle in environments with small animals like guinea pigs and mice because they still have their hunting instincts. Most Black Tailed Foxlets will kill other small mammals in their house unless they are very well trained. Also, Black Tailed Foxlets need a lot of exercise and so they are better fit for people with time on their hands or large farm like areas.

Physically, Black Tailed Foxlets became what many humans would see as “cuter” through adaptation. Unlike the Swift Fox, Black Tailed Foxlets have big round eyes, floppy ears, soft fur, and a floppy tail. These characteristics are key because they are the ones that make them attractive to humans. Also, they still have their wild features like claws, speed, and omnivorous teeth so they are able to live in the wild.

The Black Tailed Foxlet still eats similar foods as the Swift Fox. These foods include small mammals, birds, insects, mice, and some plants. However, they also eat food supplied by their owners like kibble, eggs, and special Black Tailed Foxlet food. This special food is similar to dog food except the base is made up of animals specific to the Foxlet diet. Black Tailed Foxlets also like treats, these can range from jerkies to dried insects and are very popular at pet stores.

Summary

The Black Tailed Foxlet is a very popular animal in North America. It is domesticated but some live in the wild. It is directly descended from the Swift Fox. Humans were responsible for starting the transformation from Swift Fox to Black Tailed Foxlet but the animals themselves were the ones that adapted. Foxlets are somewhat controversial across the world because many people believe that either the whole population should find a home or the whole population should be moved back into the wild. Even with these controversies, the evolution of the Black Tailed Foxlet is seen as a success and will probably be repeated with other animals going extinct in the next century.

Works Cited

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