Why is the fennec fox endangered
Fun Facts about Fennec Foxes – Cute and Exotic Desert Animals
the fennec fox is the smallest member of
the dog family they range in size from
1.76 pounds and females to 3.3 pounds in
males and stand only eight inches tall
don't let the dainty size fool you
though this little fox can jump two feet
high and four feet forward when
springing into action to catch prey or
evade a predator they are tough to catch
which means they have few predators
Phenix are so well adapted for desert
life that they do not need to drink
instead fennec foxes gain much of their
water when the leaves roots fruits eggs
and animal prey that they find to eat in
harsh conditions they lap up
condensation that collects in their dens
even though fennec foxes are nocturnal
spending daylight within their dens and
becoming more active at night when
temperatures are cooler their feet are
heavily furred protecting the pads from
the hot desert sand
one noticeable characteristic of the
fennec fox is its oversized ears which
are around six inches long the fox's
tilt their heads from side to side while
triangulating sound so they can pinpoint
the exact location of tasty treats the
gears also serve as a way to dissipate
heat and keep cool in the desert heat
the largest populations of fennec fox
occur in the central Sahara but this fox
species can also be found in mountainous
and desert regions of northern Morocco
Kuwait or even in the northern Nigeria
and Chad fennec foxes are highly
specialized for life in the desert
especially in its arid sandy regions the
presence of desert grasses or any other
vegetation type is very important for
them as these foxes often use such
plants for shelter fennec foxes are
known to find their may for life
a couple produces two to five pups per
year and the offspring sometimes stay
with the family even when new pups are
born fox pups reach their maturity at
the age of about nine months although
they grow up quickly fennec foxes may
live up to ten years in the wild or up
to fourteen years in captivity
fennec fox behavior is known mainly
through their observation in captivity
they are highly social animals enjoying
the company of other foxes and engaging
in play even as adults these animals
live in groups consisting of up to 10
individuals though the size of the group
is mostly determined by the amount of
food which is available on the territory
the fennec foxes use their paws to dig
out dens for their families the fox
parents live in the den with their
babies but there are often other Fox
dens with other families nearby these
animal species are known for their
social behavior they have even been
heard to purr when happy they sleep
during the day so they don't have to be
in the hot Sun if they do have to go out
their fur coats will protect them from
the Sun their fur is light beige which
helps the Fox blend into the desert
environment then at night that very same
fur coat keeps them warm
so it's an outfit that works no matter
what
