The light coat color also provides camouflage against the desert sands. The fennec will drink water when it is available but can survive long periods without drinking, getting the needed moisture from the food it eats. A pair of fennecs may remain together for a number of years. One litter is born a year, after a gestation of about 50 days. Both parents share duties in raising the young.
Newborns have a short, downy pelage that grows fluffier and more dense as the guard hairs come in.
The eyes open at about 2 weeks and nurse for nearly a month before they begin eating prey the parents bring in. Youngsters can get quite pushy when begging for food and it is not unusual for the parent to get very pushy right back, even biting. Adult size is reached in about none months and sexual maturity shortly thereafter. The whole clan disperses from the den site when the pups are old enough, for the food base is usually fairly depleted by that time. The group will move through its territory, taking advantage of favorite den sites in each area.