SPECIES
Fennec fox
Vulpes zerda
Enormous ears and tiny paws make this desert fox one of the Sahara's most distinctive night wanderers.
Its ears support acute hearing and heat exchange; furred feet help on hot, shifting sand.
The fennec fox seeks insects, small vertebrates and plant foods in sparse desert environments.
Sandy deserts and semi-desert zones across North Africa.
Where does a fennec fox live?
Sandy deserts and semi-desert zones across North Africa.
Worth knowing
- Adaptation Its ears support acute hearing and heat exchange; furred feet help on hot, shifting sand.
- Ecological role The fennec fox seeks insects, small vertebrates and plant foods in sparse desert environments.
- Home Sandy deserts and semi-desert zones across North Africa.
How it survives
Its ears support acute hearing and heat exchange; furred feet help on hot, shifting sand.
Enormous ears and tiny paws make this desert fox one of the Sahara's most distinctive night wanderers.
Why relationships matter
The fennec fox seeks insects, small vertebrates and plant foods in sparse desert environments.
Where it lives
Sandy deserts and semi-desert zones across North Africa.
Pressures and responses
Local capture, disturbance and habitat pressure; impacts vary across its broad range.
Prevent illegal capture and maintain undisturbed desert habitat.
Sources
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — Animal Diversity Web, Vulpes zerda
- GBIF — Vulpes zerda accepted taxon
- Smithsonian National Zoo — Fennec fox
- Smithsonian — How does a fennec fox survive in the desert?
Records of where it has been seen come live from GBIF; observed interactions from GloBI. Draft — not yet reviewed by a person.