Bat-eared fox [LC]
Otocyon megalotis
[Scientific name]
Bwega masigio
[Kiswahili]
Motlósi
[Setswana]
Udlamhloshwana
[isiZulu]
The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) is a small species with notably large ears, primarily for thermoregulation. Unlike most canids, this species’ diet is primarily composed of insects, specifically termites in the genera Hodotermes and Microhodotermes, which provide food and hydration. Their range overlaps closely with their prey, forming two discrete populations in Eastern and Southern Africa, separated by over 1000km. They are also unique amongst living, terrestrial eutherians in having four to five functional lower molars (other canids have three to four), yielding a dentition of 46 to 50 teeth, the largest number for any non-marsupial, heterodont, land mammal.
POPULATION TREND
STABLE
HABITAT & ECOLOGY
Desert • Grassland • Human modified • Savanna • Shrubland