COMMON NAME: Fennec Fox
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Vulpes zerda
TYPE: Mammals
DIET: Omnivore
SIZE: Head and body: 9.5 to 16 inches; tail: 7 to 12.2
inches
WEIGHT: 2.2 to 3.3 pounds
Diet and Behavior
These foxes dwell in small communities, each
inhabited by perhaps ten individuals. Like other canids, male fennecs mark
their territory with urine and become aggressive competitors when mating season
arrives each year.
Fennec foxes are opportunistic eaters. They
forage for plants but also eat rodents, eggs, reptiles, and insects. Like most
desert dwellers, the fennec fox has developed the ability to go for long
periods without water.
These foxes are cream-colored with black-tipped tails. Their adorable appearance makes them favorites of the captive pet trade, and local peoples also hunt the fennec fox for its fur. Little is known about the status of wild fennec fox populations.
