Today, we aregoing to talk about the fennec fox, the smallest member of the canine family.

These small foxesrange from about 30 to 40 centimeters in length, with a tail that is usually nomore than 30 centimeters long. However, fennec foxes have large ears that rangefrom 10 to 15 centimeters. Their large ears are arguably what make the fennecfox so recognizable, because they look like they were borrowed from a largeranimal. These ears are used to track prey, but also help the fennec fox to cooloff. Fennec foxes have long, soft, thick coats that range from a reddish creamcolor, to more yellowy and even white. This fur helps to keep them warm during thenight and keep the sun off them during the day. They have very furry paws thatprotect their feet from the heat of the desert.

Fennec foxes livein North Africa in the Sahara Desert, as well as east of that area in placeslike Sinai and Arabia. They like to live in desert and arid regions, withlittle vegetation. Their diet consists of insects, such as locusts andgrasshoppers, rodents, lizards, and birds and their eggs. They will also eatfruits, roots, and leaves, which are a source of hydration. At night, fennecfoxes use their large ears to locate prey to eat.

Fennec foxes aremonogamous, which means that they mate for life. They will breed every year inJanuary and February, and females typically give birth in March and April.There are usually two to five pups in a litter. The mother takes care of theyoung while the father provides food for the family. The pups reach maturity ataround 10 months old.

For Wild Suzhou,I’m Ciana, thanks for listening and see you next time.