Meet the Animal Park's Fennec Foxes

NATIVE RANGE

Fennec foxes live in the deserts of North Africa.

DIET

Fennecs are opportunistic omnivores that primarily eat grasshoppers, locusts, birds, and rodents. They rarely drink water—they take it in through eating fruit, leaves, and roots—so they conserve it by remaining in burrows during the hot days and venturing out only at night. Fennecs will cache food for future use.

BEHAVIOR

Fennec foxes are nocturnal hunters that hunt alone and locate prey primarily by sound. They are monogamous, and a pair lives with their offspring in a family unit of up to 10 individuals, a group referred to as a “skulk” or “leash.”

FASCINATING FACTS

• The smallest of all canids, fennecs are up to 16 inches long in the body. They stand up to 8 ½ inches tall at the shoulder and usually weigh between 2 and 3 pounds.
• Their large ears (up to 6 inches in length!) are used to dissipate heat, to locate prey moving under the sand, and to detect subtle differences in the calls of other fennecs.
• Fennecs dig burrows to sleep in during the day so they are sheltered from the hot desert sun. Often these become extensive tunnel systems—they can be over 1,000 square feet—and may have several entrances from which the foxes can flee should enemies arrive. They are usually dug under desert bushes, allowing the roots of the plants to provide support for tunnel walls. Sometimes multiple families share a den.