Fennec fox

Fennec fox
Fennec fox in Norfolk Zoo
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Infraorder:	Cynoidea
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	Caninae
Tribe:	Vulpini
Genus:	Vulpes
Species:	V. zerda
Binomial name
Vulpes zerda (Zimmermann, 1780)
Range of the Fennec fox   Extant (resident)
Synonyms[2]
Canis zerda Zimmermann, 1780 Canis cerdo Gmelin, 1788 Viverra aurita Meyer, 1793 Fennecus arabicus Desmarest, 1804 Megalotis cerda Illiger, 1811 Fennecus brucei Desmarest, 1820 Canis fennecus Lesson, 1827 Vulpes denhamii Boitard, 1842 Vulpes zuarensis J. E. Gray, 1843

The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is a small fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara and Mauritania 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 fox species. Its coat, ears, and kidney functions have adapted to the desert environment with high temperatures and little water.

The fennec fox mainly eats insects, small mammals and birds. It has a life span of up to 14 years in captivity and about 10 years in the wild. Pups are preyed upon by the Pharaoh eagle-owl; both adults and pups may possibly fall prey to jackals and striped hyenas. Fennec families dig out burrows in the sand for habitation and protection, which can be as large as 120 m² (1,300 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 fox is currently not threatened by extinction. Knowledge of social interactions is limited to information gathered from captive animals. The fennec fox is commonly trapped for exhibition or sale in North Africa, and it is considered an exotic pet in some parts of the world.