Fennec fox [LC]
Vulpes zerda
[Scientific name]
فنك
[Arabic]
Akori
[Tuareg]
Fennec
[French]
The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is the smallest canid species and is characterised by weak dentition, a rounded skull and the largest ear-to-body ratio in the family. They are native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula, where their large ears help dissipate heat and locate insects and small vertebrates. When they begin overheating, they can pant at around 690 breaths per minute. These foxes have very large dens relative to their body size, covering up to 120 m² and featuring as many as 15 entrances.
POPULATION TREND
STABLE
HABITAT & ECOLOGY
Desert • Marine Coastal