 the bat-eared fox (otocyon megalotis) is a canid of the african savanna, named for its large ears. fossil records show this canid to first appear during the middle pleistocene, about 800,000 years ago.paleobiology database: otocyon basic info. the bat-eared fox (also referred to as big-eared fox, black-eared fox, cape fox, and delalandeâs fox) has tawny fur with black ears, legs and parts of the pointed face. it averages 55&nbsp;cm in length (head and body), with ears 13&nbsp;cm long. it is the only species in the genus otocyon. the name otocyon is derived from the greek words "otus" for ear and "cyon" for dog, while the specific name "megalotis" comes from the greek words "mega" for large and "otus" for ear. ==distribution and habitat==  two distinct populations of bat-eared foxes occur in africa. o. m. megalotis occurs in the southern regions including southern zambia, angola, and south africa. o. m. virgatus occurs in ethiopia and southern south sudan extending to tanzania. the bat-eared fox commonly occurs in short grass lands as well as the more arid regions of the savanna. in addition to raising their young in dens, bat-eared foxes use self-dug dens for shelter from extreme temperatures and winds. ==diet== the bat-eared fox is predominantly an insectivore that uses its large ears to locate its prey. 80&ndash;90% of their diet is harvester termites, (hodotermes mossambicus). when this particular species of termite is not available bat-eared foxes feed on other species of termites and have also been observed consuming ants, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, millipedes, 
Carnivorans_of_Africa Fauna_of_East_Africa Fauna_of_Southern_Africa Foxes IUCN_Red_List_least_concern_species Mammals_of_Angola Mammals_of_Botswana Mammals_of_Ethiopia Mammals_of_Kenya Mammals_of_Namibia Mammals_of_South_Africa Mammals_of_Tanzania Mammals_of_Zambia Myrmecophagous_mammals