Fennec fox
This fennec fox lives at Africa Alive at Kessingland, Suffolk.
Native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from the Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula, the fennec fox is the smallest species of fox.
Females range in head-to-body size from 13.5 to 15.5 in. (34.3 to 39.5 cm) with a 9 to 10 in. (22.8 to 25.4 cm) long tail and 3.5 to 3.75 in. (8.9 to 9.2 cm) long ears, the weigh is 35 to 67 oz. (1 to 1.9 kg)
Males are slightly larger, ranging in head-to-body size from 15.5 to 15.75 in. (39.4 to 40 cm) with a 9 to 9.75 in (22.8 to 24.75 cm) long tail and 3.9 in. (9.9 cm) long ears, weighing at least 45.85 oz. (1.3 kg).
The fennec's most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and listen for underground prey. Its coat, ears, and kidney functions have adapted to the desert environment with high temperatures and little water. The pads of its paws are covered with dense fur, which facilitates walking on hot, sandy soil.
It mainly feeds on locusts, rodents, lizards, insects, birds and their eggs and plant roots and fruit. Fennecs will drink water when it's available but can survive for long periods without it.
The fennec has a life span of up to 14 years in captivity and about 10 years in the wild. Its main predators are African horned owl species such as the Pharaoh eagle-owl which preys on fennec fox pups. Anecdotal reports exist about caracals, jackals, and striped hyenas also preying on the fennec fox, but according to nomads, the fennec fox is fast and changes directions so that even their Salukis hunting dogs are hardly able to capture it.
Fennec families dig out burrows in the sand for habitation and protection, which can be as large as 1,292 sq. ft. (120 m2) with up to 15 different entrances. In some cases, different families interconnect their dens, or locate them close together. In soft, looser sand, dens tend to be simpler with only one entrance leading to a single chamber.
In North Africa, the fennec fox is commonly trapped for exhibition or sale to tourists. Expansion of permanent human settlements in southern Morocco caused its disappearance in these areas and restricted it to marginal areas Precise population figures are not known but are estimated from the frequency of sightings, these indicate that the fennec is currently not threatened by extinction
The fennec's fur is prized by the indigenous peoples of North Africa, and in some parts of the world, it is considered an exotic pet.
Its name comes from the species' Arabic name, fanak (فَنَك).
Fennec fox
This fennec fox lives at Africa Alive at Kessingland, Suffolk.
Native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from the Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula, the fennec fox is the smallest species of fox.
Females range in head-to-body size from 13.5 to 15.5 in. (34.3 to 39.5 cm) with a 9 to 10 in. (22.8 to 25.4 cm) long tail and 3.5 to 3.75 in. (8.9 to 9.2 cm) long ears, the weigh is 35 to 67 oz. (1 to 1.9 kg)
Males are slightly larger, ranging in head-to-body size from 15.5 to 15.75 in. (39.4 to 40 cm) with a 9 to 9.75 in (22.8 to 24.75 cm) long tail and 3.9 in. (9.9 cm) long ears, weighing at least 45.85 oz. (1.3 kg).
The fennec's most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and listen for underground prey. Its coat, ears, and kidney functions have adapted to the desert environment with high temperatures and little water. The pads of its paws are covered with dense fur, which facilitates walking on hot, sandy soil.
It mainly feeds on locusts, rodents, lizards, insects, birds and their eggs and plant roots and fruit. Fennecs will drink water when it's available but can survive for long periods without it.
The fennec has a life span of up to 14 years in captivity and about 10 years in the wild. Its main predators are African horned owl species such as the Pharaoh eagle-owl which preys on fennec fox pups. Anecdotal reports exist about caracals, jackals, and striped hyenas also preying on the fennec fox, but according to nomads, the fennec fox is fast and changes directions so that even their Salukis hunting dogs are hardly able to capture it.
Fennec families dig out burrows in the sand for habitation and protection, which can be as large as 1,292 sq. ft. (120 m2) with up to 15 different entrances. In some cases, different families interconnect their dens, or locate them close together. In soft, looser sand, dens tend to be simpler with only one entrance leading to a single chamber.
In North Africa, the fennec fox is commonly trapped for exhibition or sale to tourists. Expansion of permanent human settlements in southern Morocco caused its disappearance in these areas and restricted it to marginal areas Precise population figures are not known but are estimated from the frequency of sightings, these indicate that the fennec is currently not threatened by extinction
The fennec's fur is prized by the indigenous peoples of North Africa, and in some parts of the world, it is considered an exotic pet.
Its name comes from the species' Arabic name, fanak (فَنَك).