Fennec Fox

Scientific Classification

KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Mammalia

ORDER: Carnivora

FAMILY: Canidae

GENUS: Vulpes

SPECIES: V. zerda

Conservation Status

The fennec fox is the smallest species of the Canidae family. They have a body length of 9-16 inches, height of 8 inches, and weighing less than 4 pounds.

These foxes are made for the desert. Their cream-colored coats are good for deflecting the heat during the day but still keep them warm at night. Their ears are the largest among foxes relative to their size, which can grow up to six inches long. Fennec fox ears help dissipate heat as they have blood vessels close to the surface.

The fennec fox prefers dry habitats and can be found in the North African Sahara, Israel, Sinai Peninsula, and the Arabian desert.

Fennec foxes are omnivorous, eating rodents, birds, eggs, insects, and sometimes fruit. They are ambush predators able to jump two feet high and four feet across. Their ears are so sensitive that they can hear prey underground! Scientists have observed fennec foxes staring at the ground, slowly rotating their heads listening for prey. They’ll drink water if available but don’t require large amounts.

Even though fennec foxes can mate year-round, mating usually takes place at the beginning of the year. These foxes mate for life and the males only get aggressive once their female is pregnant. She will carry her young for a little under two months, then giving birth to one to four kits. The kits are born with folded ears and closed eyes, which eventually open after 10 days.