Fennec Fox

Aren’t fennec foxes cute?

Fennec foxes are the smallest foxes on earth and live in dens located in the hot Sahara desert in North Africa, and they are the national animal of North Africa’s Algeria.
‘Fennec foxes’ are also known as ‘fennecs’ and have the scientific name Vulpes zerda, are from the Vulpes genus of true foxes, and are from the family Canidae, the family of canids or dog-like animals.
Fennec foxes have cream coloured fur and a long tail that has a black tip, and they grow to be 24 to 41 centimetres (9 to 16 inches) in length, and weigh 0.7 to 1.6 kilograms (1.5 to 3.5 pounds).
Compared to their body size, fennec foxes have large ears that are 10 to 15 centimetres (3.9 to 5.9 inches) long, that expel heat stored in the fox’s body via the position of blood vessels in the ears, to help balance body temperature.
Fennec foxes communicate with barks, snarls and purrs; they live in packs of approximately ten; have litters that range between one and four babies; and the young live with their parents for a year or more.

Fennec foxes are nocturnal mammals, and have a diet that mainly consists of vegetation, eggs, insects, rodents, rabbits and birds.
Fennec foxes have an average lifespan of 12 -16 years and they can live up to 14 years in captivity, and they are preyed on by eagle owls and possibly large canids (animals from the dog family), although this is uncertain.
Fennec foxes can live without water for extended time periods, due to their uniquely functioning kidneys that reduce the loss of water from their body.
Fennec foxes can be kept as pets, although numerous rules and restrictions exist, which vary depending on the state and country.
Fennec foxes can leap lengths of 120 centimetres (4 feet), jump as high as 61 cm (2 feet), and can run up to 40 km per hour (25 miles per hour).

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