OTHER COLORATIONS of VULPES VULPES
This following section will discuss unusual naturally occurring coat mutations and extinct captive colorations.
ALBINISM and LEUCISM
Albino
cc (Live photo from US Fox Shipper's Council) Albinism is the result of a lack of melanin, a dark pigment. Albino foxes occur naturally in the wild, but seldom survive to adulthood, like many other albino animals across other species. The gene is recessive, and occurs in the albino locus. Like other albino animals, albino foxes are susceptible to complications, such as sensitivity to sunlight. Albino foxes often have blue eyes, but there are reports of red-eyed variants. |
Leucism
(Live photo) (Live photo) Leucistic foxes are the result of the partial or total lack of multiple color pigments, compared to albinism which only effects melanin. Leucistic foxes also generally do not have blue or red eyes like albino foxes. Leucism in foxes is not well documented in captivity, but they are a rare occurrence in the wild. The gene that causes this coloration tends to be isolated to certain areas. In the US, multiple leucistic foxes have been documented in Massachusetts. Likewise, there are also populations in the UK. Leucistic foxes can vary from being totally white, nearly white with darker markings around their legs, face or back, or they can just have a very diluted appearance. |
EXTINCT COLORATIONS
As a result of World War II in the 1940's, fur farming experienced a significant decline, and as a result, a couple of different color variations went extinct.
Radium
rr (Irradium, Eberland white) Radium foxes are described in the literature as being having normal guard hairs with a silver bar, it also had completely white guard hairs evenly distributed over the body, and underfur lighter than that of a silver fox. IT was considered a beautiful fox, but was lost during the decline of fur farming. |
Opal fox
Opal foxes were born out mating with a separate whiteface type called Huitfeldt foxes (also extinct, but identical in appearance to whiteface). These foxes, in addition to large white markings on the body, had large, transverse stripes all over the body that resembled brindle in other mammals. Paying for breeding services in 1940 with an Opal fox was 2000 to 4000 Norwegian krones, which in today's terms, was $6,300 to $12,800. |