Bat-Eared+Fox

Bat-Eared Fox By Jordan Springer Although Africa is often associated with large members of the canine species such as painted dogs, the continent is also home to much smaller members of the dog family. A prime example of one such animal is the bat-eared fox. It derives its name from its most obvious physical feature: its ears. This extremely small fox has large ears that can be up to 12 centimeters in length. These help to keep the animal cool in the notorious African heat, as they contain many blood vessels which are exposed to the cooler air away from the animal’s body. In addition to keeping the animal from overheating, they also greatly enhance its sense of hearing. The body of the bat-eared fox is a sandy gray color, which is lighter on the creature’s underside and darker on its legs, tail, snout, ears, and around its eyes. They also have a band of white across the eyebrow area and a similar one on the inside of the cup of the ears. Because foxes are canines, the bat-eared fox can be considered a wild dog of Africa.

Like many canines, bat-eared foxes live in groups with other animals of their species. Commonly, a group is composed of two paired foxes, but it can incorporate up to thirteen other animals, usually parents and their fully-grown children. A male and a female pair, and a litter is born in late summer. For bat-eared foxes, gestation lasts around 60 or 70 days. The size of a litter can be from one to six newborns, which are born in a den. While the young stay there, the male will guard the den while the mother searches for food, which helps ensure that she can produce the milk that her pups heavily rely on. When the young are about six months, old, they leave their family group and they become sexually mature at about nine months old. For the most part, bat-eared foxes are carnivores. They mainly eat insects, but will eat small vertebrates such as birds and little terrestrial animals. Most of the animal’s hunting involves digging, as its most common prey items are termites. On occasion, the Otocycon megalotis will eat plant material such as seeds or grass.

The bat-eared fox can be either nocturnal or diurnal, depending on the circumstances. It can fall prey to larger carnivores such as other wild dogs and even birds of prey. There are also several other threats to the bat-eared fox population. The most problematic of these are diseases, and rabies in particular is a leading cause of death. Another large threat is humans. We are responsible for extensively hunting the fox and taking its territory. Luckily, due to its adaptability, the bat-eared fox continues to thrive. For the most part, bat-eared foxes reside in dry savannah areas. However, they can also be found in woodland areas. Bat- eared foxes will create multiple dens in their environments, which they will sometimes use to escape the well-known heat of Africa.