I've been talking with my collegues at work about breeding....we've seen in the paper that a tiger has been bred with a Lion to producer a Liger...A donkey is breed woth a horse to produce a mule....
Could you breed a dog with a cat???? NOT THAT I WOULD DO IT!
I just wondered whether genetically it would work????
What other animals could you breed?

Before anyone shouts at me its a hyperthetical question

You can only crossbreed within very closely related species. Cat species, yes. Horse species yes, dog species, yes (domestic dog and wolf is certainly possible, but I don't know about domestic dog and fox, for example). Cat and dog, no!

theres lots of farmers tales about fox/collie puppies

Does that mean its just genetically impossible it just wouldnt work because they are too different...?

thank you for clarifying it! :)

As I understand it, the further apart the species the further apart the genes are on the DNA 'string'. If they're not in the same place they won't match up so nothing can happen. It's genetically impossible to cross such totally different species.

I think you should change your name to Jeangenius! you are the oracle of Champdogs!

Thanks! :)

I think it depends on the number of chromosones, different species have dierent numbers of pairs and only thsoe with the same or almost can produce offspring naturally.

Dog and couyote will breed, as will dog and Jackal, pbut foxes are not a canine and those can't.

Whats a fox then if not canine?? I always though they were the same as dogs, wolves etc..

Brainless, this says that foxes are canine ...

This seems to explain why dogs and foxes don't cross-breed. Dogs and wolves are the species canis, while foxes are the species vulpus. But they're all canidae ...

Foxes are members canid family but not of the Canis genus.  Members of the Canis genus include wolf, jackal, coyote and dog and all have 78 chromosomes.  Foxes have fewer so can't interbreed with Canis genus.

Excellent! That makes it crystal clear - thanks Julie!

The big cats can cross breed(the big cats are the ones who do not meow & purr but roar & purr) & the smaller cats can cross breed but big cats do not/cannot cross breed with the smaller cats. I remember being told why when I was in Kenya but for the life of me cannot remember why & it had nothing to do with size as not all big cats are big !

I know that 'big cats' have round pupils and domestic cats have pointed ones - but there must be more genetic differences than that.

Ah but I was distinguishing between Canis and vulpus.

As it's not possible I'd cross a sheep with a spider, and get wool that spins itself!
:D

:D :D :D
Be pretty good if you enjoyed a leg of lamb too!!!

ROFL @ Jeangenie :D :D

Saw this on the television news this morning - it was HUGE !!!! I think 10 feet in length.

Daisy