The greyhound fox - can you help?

Ron Black writes: The evolution of the fox within Great Britain remains largely unresolved. One thing, however, is for certain and that it that there was a type known to huntsmen and hunt followers as "greyhound" foxes. Fewer in number than the little red rover we hold so dear today, the greyhounds were bigger and had a good knowledge of a larger territory than today's foxes. Now, in an effort to shed light on these foxes, Dr Robin G Allaby, Associate Professor at Warwick University and I are trying to locate "Greyhounds" using DNA. If you have a mask or entire specimen pre 1936 and are willing to donate 6 to 8 hairs would you please contact me at [email protected].

Almost without fear these greyhound foxes were known to turn and fight when pursuit was closing in. There are no documented or recognised specimens known.

The importation of "foreign" foxes and a rise in their numbers aided by keeper problems at the time of WW1 sounded the death knell for the greyhound fox and by about 1934 they were gone, leaving only numerous hunt reports to mark their passing. For certain they bred with the" newcomers" but the "pure" strain died out.

Now in an effort to shed light on these foxes Dr Robin G Allaby Associate Professor at Warwick University and I are trying to locate "Greyhounds" using DNA.

If you have a mask or entire specimen pre 1936 and are willing to donate 6 to 8 hairs would you contact me at [email protected].

Further information regarding "greyhound" foxes can be found on lakelandhuntingmemories.com