The Enduring Fennec Fox

Fennec foxes might be the most distinguishable of all fox species. Many recognize these unique foxes by their oversized ears that seem to dwarf the fox’s head. Fennec foxes live in the deserts of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, the Arava and Negev desert in Israel and throughout the vastness of the Sahara Desert.

Fennec Fox Facts

• Fennec foxes have very large ears for dissipating heat away from their bodies. Much like elephant ears, the fennec fox’s ears have thousands of tiny blood vessels called capillaries that regulate body heat.
• Foxes such as the fennec fox are part of the canid animal species. The fennec fox is the smallest of this so-called canid species (dogs).
• The fennec fox is crepuscular, meaning they are active during twilight hours when the sun is low and without the scorching midday heat.
• A typical daily diet for a fennec fox consists of the standard omnivore’s diet of some fruits and roots, but mostly insects, small rodents, and eggs. Foxes love stealing bird eggs, and the fennec is no different.
• Much of what the fennec fox eats lives underground. Those huge ears also help the foxes focus on even the slightest sound underneath the ground.
• Fennec foxes mate and then stay together and raise the family as partners. The father is protective of his mate and family and will bring his pups and mate food when she can’t hunt herself because of pregnancy and milk production.