Fennec foxesby Amity Scarth

Overview

•What they look like•Where they live•What they eat•How they behave•What threatens them•Fennec foxes in captivityI hope you enjoy my talk!

I will be talking about Fennec foxes.

What do Fennec foxes look like?

Fennec foxes are small mammals,even for foxes. They are about the same size as a cat. Fennec foxes have an excellent sense of hearing thanks to their big ears which also radiate their body heat, keeping them cool.

Fennec foxes have hairy fur on their feet to protect them from from hot sand (sand is very hot in the desert due to the sun).They dig so quickly they are said to sink into the ground!

BehaviourFennec foxes are nocturnal. Nocturnal means they are awake at night and asleep in the day. They live in small groups of up to ten individuals and mark their territory with urine.

DietFennec foxes eat a range of birds, lizards, eggs, insects, plants and small mammals. Most of the time all they can find is insects. It has developed the ability to go for long periods without water.

Habitat

They Live in the Middle East and Northern Africa, tending to inhabit the deserts.

The Middle East

In Asia, Fennec foxes live in most Middle Eastern countries, the only countries they don't live in are Yemen and Oman.

ThreatsLocals hunt the Fennec fox for it's soft fur.It's main predator is the Eagle Owl. Like most other animals it suffers from habitat destruction but only a tiny bit. Little is known about the population of Fennec foxes in the wild.

Kits

Baby Fennec foxes are called kits.Like their parents they will have big ears, but newborn's ears are very small.

Fennec foxes in captivity

Fennec foxes are kept in zoos around the world. In captivity they tend to live up to 14 years but in the wild,well,no-one really knows how long they live.

Pets?

Fennec foxes are kept as pets in many places, but not in Australia. They are very popular as pet trade. It would be a bit like having a dog but a fox!

Conclusion

Fennec foxes are cute, not endangered and unique to other foxes. I hope you, someday, get to see these beautiful animals in the wild.