Fennec Fox

## Description

The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda ) is a small crepuscular fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and listen for underground prey. The fennec is the smallest species of fox. Its coat, ears, and kidney functions have adapted to the desert environment with high temperatures and little water. It mainly eats insects, small mammals, and birds. The fennec has a life span of up to 14 years in captivity and about 10 years in the wild. Its main predators are the Verreaux's eagle-owl, jackals, and other large mammals. Fennec families dig out burrows in the sand for habitation and protection, which can be as large as 120 m2 (1,292 sq ft) and adjoin the burrows of other families. 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. Knowledge of social interactions is limited to information gathered from captive animals. 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).

## Appearance

The Fennec fox is the world's smallest fox. It has thick fur to help keep it warm during freezing cold desert nights and to protect it from heat during the day. The fur is light beige with a white underbelly. The Fennec fox has large ears which help regulate its body temperature.

## Distribution

Fennec foxes are found throughout the Sahara, from Morocco and Mauritania to northern Sudan, through Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Arava and Negev desert in southern Israel. It inhabits small sand dunes and vast treeless sand areas near costs with sparse vegetation such as grasses, sedges, and small shrubs.

## Behavior

Fennec foxes make dens beneath stable sand dunes. They dig a burrow to sleep in during the heat of the day. They prefer dunes with vegetation nearby. Fennec foxes are crepuscular animals, spending the day in their den, coming out in the cool of the night. In contrast to most foxes, which are solitary, these foxes form groups of about 10 members. Males are territorial, marking their boundaries with urine. They will become aggressive towards each other during the mating season.

## Diet

These animals are omnivores, eating mostly leaves, roots, and fruits. They can also eat rodents, eggs, insects, and small reptiles. Fennec foxes can go for an indefinite period of time without water, as most of the water they need is provided by the plants and animals they eat.

## Reproduction

Fennec foxes are monogamous and mate for life. The breeding season runs from January to February, with females giving birth just once a year. The gestation period is about 50 days, and a litter of 2 to 4 kits is produced between March and April. Kits are weaned after 60 to 70 days. They start to hunt alongside their mother when they are old enough to do so. Reproductive maturity is reached around 10 months.

## Population

### Threats

Currently, there are no major global-wide threats to fennecs. Road construction and new human settlements increase the disturbance and risk to some populations. These foxes do not threaten any human interest, such as livestock, although inhabitants of the Sahara and Sinai hunt them for their fur or exhibition and sale to tourists.

### Number

Current population numbers are not known but assumed to be adequate, as traders in Northern Africa often trap Fennec foxes for exhibition or the tourist trade. The ICUN classifies the Fennec fox as "Least Concern" with a stable population trend.

### Ecological niche

Fennecs are predators, controlling numbers of birds, small mammals, reptiles, insects, and other invertebrates within their territories.

## Fun Facts

Fennecs can purr like a cat when content.

A Fennec fox is the smallest of the wild canids.

A male is called a "reynard", while the female is a "vixen" and the babies "kits". A group is called a "leash" or a "skulk".

Vixens may feature "love handles," or alopecia during the breeding season.

Fennecs need to keep warm and will shiver when the temperature drops below 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

They can climb out enclosures, and dig to a depth of twenty feet.

When startled they can produce a musky smell from a scent gland on the tip of their tail.