Details
Vulpes zerda
The fennec fox is a small fox of Saharan and nearby deserts. Oversized ears shed heat and help it listen for prey during nocturnal foraging.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It ranges across North African deserts and into the Sinai. Sand dunes, dry flats, sparse grasses, and low shrubs provide foraging ground, while burrows buffer daytime heat.
Length 24-41 cm; weight 800 g-1.5 kg. Pale sandy fur, very large ears, and a black-tipped tail are typical, and furred foot pads help on hot sand.
Nocturnal and social, it usually uses burrows with a family group. It rests underground by day and travels widely during cooler hours.
An omnivore, it eats insects, small mammals, birds, eggs, fruit, and roots. It can meet much of its water need from food in dry habitats.
Females give birth to small litters in a den, with the male or family group guarding nearby. Pups are furred at birth and learn to forage around the burrow as they grow.
It is listed as Least Concern. Capture for display or the pet trade occurs in some areas, but the species remains broadly distributed in desert habitats.
