# Fennec Fox (*Vulpes zerda*) The Fennec Fox is a small fox with huge ears that help it stay cool in the hot desert. It's a great digger and can live in sandy deserts where it finds food like insects and small animals. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Desert ![Fennec Fox](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426039/objects/6082.jpg) ## Appearance The Fennec Fox is a tiny fox with enormous, pale ears, the largest relative to body size of any canid. It has soft, sandy-beige fur and a bushy, black-tipped tail, which helps it blend perfectly into desert environments. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Carnivora - **Family:** Canidae - **Genus:** Vulpes ## Interesting facts - At only 1.6 kg, the Fennec Fox is the world's smallest canid! - Fennec foxes use over 11 different calls, including barks, chatters, and whines! - Its furry feet act like snowshoes, protecting its paws from hot desert sand! - Their thick fur keeps them warm at night when desert temperatures plunge below freezing! ## Special abilities - **Super Hearing:** Fennec Fox can pinpoint prey underground because of its enormous ears that help funnel sounds from far away. - **Desert Cooling System:** Fennec Fox can stay cool in the desert heat because its giant ears have many blood vessels that help release body warmth. - **Master Digger:** Fennec Fox can quickly dig complex burrows to escape predators and the desert sun using its strong claws. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 24-41 cm - **Weight:** 0.6-1.6 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-14 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-4 - **Gestation:** 50-52 days ## Diet & Feeding Fennec foxes eat a variety of small animals and plants, finding most of their water from food. - **Age differences:** Pups drink milk then quickly switch to hunting small prey and foraging for plants. - **Primary Foods:** insects, lizards, rodents, birds and eggs, fruits, roots - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Lesser Egyptian Jerboa (*Gerbillus gerbillus*) — A key desert rodent prey, often dug from burrows. - **Eats:** Sandfish Skink (*Scincus scincus*) — This lizard is a common, nutritious meal. - **Eaten by:** Pharaoh Eagle-Owl (*Bubo ascalaphus*) — This large nocturnal raptor preys on young or unwary foxes. - **Eaten by:** African Golden Wolf (*Canis lupaster*) — This larger canid is a potential predator of Fennec Fox pups. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Admire Fennec Foxes from a distance in the wild and never try to touch or feed them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Fennec Fox? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Fennec Fox? 24-41 cm ### How much does Fennec Fox weigh? 0.6-1.6 kg ### How long does Fennec Fox live? 10-14 years ### How fast can Fennec Fox move? 40 km/h ### What does Fennec Fox eat? Fennec foxes eat a variety of small animals and plants, finding most of their water from food. ### Where is Fennec Fox usually found? Desert ### How does Fennec Fox hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chattanooga-zoo-at-warner-park) — Tennessee, US · Zoo - [Colchester Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colchester-zoo) — England, GB · Zoo - [Lupa Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lupa-zoo) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo - [Hattiesburg Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hattiesburg-zoo) — Mississippi, US · Zoo - [Prospect Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/prospect-park-zoo) — New York, US · Zoo - [Capron Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/capron-park-zoo) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo [View all places to see Fennec Fox](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fennec-fox) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Fennec Fox: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fennec-fox)