# Animals that might be candidates for full domestication and why **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 22, 2024, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508 "2024-01-22T18:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/141 "2024-02-14T17:21:27Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > That’s a (popular & persistent) myth, based on a review of direct evidence, as well as my own experiences I certainly have no direct experience to contradict that!! Wouldn’t the taste be different enough (“gamey”?) to herbivore meat that a first-world, meat-comes-from-Safeway diner would find it a bit unpleasant to eat? Also, I get the impression that predator meat would be a lot leaner than farmed herbivore meat. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/142 "2024-02-14T20:35:26Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I can see where crows might be useful for many tasks if selectively bred. …It might take 100 generations for meaningful results to start appearing. The number of generations is a key point in deliberately domesticating something. I don’t know if there are estimates for how long it took for wolves to become fully-domesticated dogs - and there was likely NOT the kind of intense selective breeding they used in the Siberian fox experiment. I imagine it was a much more gradual thing - wolves who hung near humans (without attempting to eat them) tended to live longer, scavenge more food, and thus have more surviving cubs; lather, rinse, repeat. I can’t find any cites for how long the evolution may have taken (just ones that say roughly WHEN it might have occurred). Going with the 100 generations estimate, and assume a wolf is mature enough to have a litter by about 2 years old. If it takes 100 generations, that’s a minimum of 200 years to go from wolf to Fido. I think there have been fewer than 100 generations of the Siberian fox; foxes can reproduce by about 1 year old, and usually have 1 litter a year, so that would be 70 or so generations at most. And they aren’t quite there (though I wish there were more updates on the project; it has fascinated ever since I first heard of it). In any case, I’m assuming that we’re talking about intentional, purposeful domestication of a species. To make that practical, it would have to be of an animal that could reproduce fast enough (either via multiple births, multiple litters per year, or whatever) to give a large enough sample size to pick the most desirable ones, and repeat. Sadly, all that means I won’t have a pet Siberan tiger any time soon (sexual maturity at 4 years, one litter every 2 years). Smaller animals would be the most likely candidates - and there’d have to be a reason for someone to deliberately domesticate them. I could actually see it happening gradually with pet birds, though I do still maintain that they are “tame” versus “domesticated” at this point. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/143 "2024-02-14T20:45:31Z")
One possible key issue that may not be duplicated under lab conditions would be the effects of epi genetics on domestication. I have a feeling it has far more influence than simple selective breeding and could speed the process up considerably. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/144 "2024-02-16T19:58:46Z")
The [ringtail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringtail) seems to get along with humans in remote areas. Living under the floors of cabins and keeping vermin in check. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/145 "2024-02-17T00:05:08Z")
Even under lab conditions through simple selective breeding I doubt that we will ever be able to domesticate epi pens. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/146 "2024-02-17T00:31:11Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I have a feeling Welcome back to the board whose motto is “sharing our feelings since 1973”. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/147 "2024-02-17T01:37:06Z")
They make cute Disney stars. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/148 "2024-02-17T03:25:02Z")
At least Disney treated chipmunks better than lemmings… [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White\_Wilderness\_(film)#Controversy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Wilderness_(film)#Controversy) ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/149 "2024-04-29T20:18:57Z")
until the 7th book… ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/150 "2024-04-29T22:41:54Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > > > I’ve known fully domesticated geese who are just general assholes. > > Frankly they are famous for this. The Romans kept them as guard animals. And yeah, they can sure set up a ruckus if something sets off their alarm system. In the suburbs, back when there were meter readers, the meter readers would call ahead to ask that the geese be penned up. The didn’t keep the 'possums out of the avocado trees, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508/151 "2024-04-29T23:52:09Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > until the 7th book… Well, yeah, but when Avada Kedavra comes into play, ALL bets are off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-that-might-be-candidates-for-full-domestication-and-why/996508.md?page=7)