Fennec Fox - Five Sisters Zoo

Fennec Foxes are the smallest foxes in the world. Individuals have a thick and silky coat that can be golden yellow to orange on their back and head,  a lighter tone across their chest and abdomen and dark brown or black on the tip of the tail. Their ears can be up to 15 centimetres in length.

  • Diet: Carnivores
  • Weight: 600 grams to 1.6 kilos
  • Length 30 to 40 centimetres
  • Habitat: Deserts of northern Africa
  • Life span: up to 11 years in human care

Adapted to Survive

  • Individuals use their ears to dissipate heat and to locate prey moving under the sand
  • They have thick hair that helps them to stay fresh during the day and warm during the cold nights of the desert
  • They have hairy feet! Their hair protects their paws from the hot sand and cold nights
  • Individuals can use their feet as shovels
  • They live in underground dens, hiding from predators and the heat
  • Primarily nocturnal; individuals build burrows that can reach up to 10 metres and will have multiple entrances to escape if necessary
  • They can jump up to 1 metre
  • An individual can go long periods of time with no water

Threats

  • Pet trade
  • Trapping for exhibition or sale to tourists
  • Habitat loss

IUCN Conservation Status

Least Concern

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