The silver fox is a branch of the Vulpes Vulpes and is the domesticated version of the better known red fox. The full taxonomy is Anamalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Canidae Vulpes Vulpes. Vulpes Vulpes originates from the Canidae, from which all dogs such as wolves, dogs and coyotes have turned away (Baldwin 3). After the separation of the Canidae, foxes divided into six different genera; these are the gray fox (Urocyon), the bat-eared fox (Otocyon), the Pampas and Sechura fox (Pseudalopex), the gray fox (Lycalopex), the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon) and the true fox ( Vulpes). In all, there are twenty-three species, twelve of which are species of Vulpes (Baldwin 1). Red foxes are the most widespread wild canid, covering seventy million square kilometers around the world. Vulpes Vulpes is found in the northern hemisphere and the silver fox in particular is found in Russia and other cold weather regions. The silver fox is a bleached red fox that makes up about ten percent of all fox colorations (Nat Geo 2). The silver fox is known to live in Russia, Canada and as far north as Alaska, but has been observed. in the northern United States. Foxes are very territorial and even if they do not fight, they mark their territory of 2 to 6 kilometers with urine with a very distinct smell. There can be one to five fox families per kilometer in a community. What number makes up a family? The sentence makes it sound like there are 1-5 different families. The silver fox has a mating season from February to April and a gestation period of fifty-one days. The silver fox usually has five cubs per litter but can have up to thirteen. The average lifespan of a silver fox is three years in the wild and...... middle of paper ...... and the physical characteristics of foxes are. For example, in the said video, the aggressive fox makes a low noise similar to a whine and goes into a low attack stance whenever a human is present. The domesticated fox is exactly the opposite, it acts much like a dog would; he jumps and turns around, letting the human rub his belly and he even eats from the human's hand. This study shows how, if you selectively breed an animal for long enough, you get a totally submissive animal instead of its wild, wary parents. Currently, the Cornell research group is mapping the genes that make the silver fox submissive. They measure factors such as: posture, location in the cage and time spent in said location, as well as sounds made by the animal (Wakamura 3). This information allows the group to know which foxes to mate with in order to obtain the most submissive animal possible..