Fennec Fox - The Cutest Predator on Our Planet

Fennec Fox, the cutest predator on our planet. Canids are a family of dog-like animals which include various genera of wolves, foxes, and jackals. They are fierce carnivores, usually playing a huge role in their local ecosystems. However, some canids are much less intimidating than others. This is Wild Facts, and today we're going to tell you the story of the Fennec Fox, the cutest predator on our planet. Before we start, consider subscribing to our channel and clicking the notification bell so you're the first one to see our new video. Fennec Fox 101 Fennec Fox inhabits the arid desert spanning from western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula and can be found in most countries of Northern Africa. Together with 11 other species, it belongs to the true fox genus. However, it's by far the smallest species of its genus. In fact, it's the smallest canid species. The Fennec Fox has a body length without a tail of 14 to 16 inches or 35 to 40 centimeters and its tail ranges from 7 to 12 inches or 18 to 30 centimeters in length. Despite being small and not having long legs, this fox can run up to 20 miles an hour or 32 kilometers per hour and jump up to 2 feet or 61 centimeters in the air from a standing position. With some head start, it can leap a distance of 4 feet or 1.2 meters. Such agility is vital to be a successful predator in the sand dunes that are difficult to traverse. Diet and Predation The Fennec Fox is an expert hunter and will use its sharp claws and teeth to kill its prey. It will also use its powerful sense of hearing to locate prey that is hidden underground. Once it has located its prey, it will dig them out with its paws and have a meal. The usual diet of the Fennec Fox includes small rodents, reptiles, birds, and insects. The fox hunts alone and will sometimes bury its prey underground for later. One study analyzed the fecal matter of Fennec Foxes in Algeria and found that their diet can include as many as 400 species of insects in addition to fruits, tubers, and plants, making the fox an omnivore. Biological Adaptations The Sahara Desert is one of the most challenging environments in the entire world. Its landscape is full of sand dunes that can reach 600 feet or 182 meters tall, and its average annual temperature is 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 degrees Celsius, making it incredibly unwelcoming to any living creature. The water is also incredibly scarce, resulting in basically no vegetation and rainfall. Such an environment calls for biological adaptations, and we can see plenty of them in the Fennec Fox. Throughout thousands of years of evolution, this little canid has perfected the art of surviving the heat with little to no water. The Fennec Fox has light brown fur which acts as a mirror against the intense sun of the Sahara, reflecting sunlight and preventing its body from overheating. The fur also acts as a camouflage, helping the fox avoid predators. Interestingly, the pads of the Fennec Fox's paws are covered with dense fur, which helps it to walk on hot sand. The most notable characteristics of the Fennec Fox is its incredibly long ears, which can range from 4 to 6 inches or 10 to 15 centimeters in length. The Fennec Fox actually has the biggest ear-to-body ratio in the canid family. Such unusual features are rarely without purpose, and that's also the case with the ears of the Fennec Fox. The long ears help the fox dissipate heat and regulate its body temperature. They act as heat sinks, and the large surface area of the thin-skinned ears is perfect for the job. For shelter, they dig out burrows in the sand to create an intricate den with up to 15 separate entrances. Each family lives in a single den that can be as large as 1292 square feet or 120 square meters. The tunnels can reach up to 32 feet or 9 point meters long. In some cases, the dens of different fox families interconnect underground, making it a little fox neighborhood. In the Sahara, water is scarce, and that's why the Fennec Fox relies almost entirely on its diet to hydrate. It has incredibly efficient kidneys to help it retain water, allowing the fox to survive without drinking water for weeks or even months on end. Behavior and Reproduction The Fennec Fox is a crepuscular animal, which means that it's primarily active during the hours of the twilight period. This period of the day has the most welcoming temperature because the days are too hot for the fox to be out in the sun, and the nights are too cold. During days and nights, the Fennec Fox spends most of its time in its dens where it sleeps or mates. The Fennec Fox is also a monogamous animal, meaning it mates with a single partner. It's not only monogamous, but it also has one partner for life. On average, they give birth to a single litter of pups every year, which can consist anywhere from two to five pups. The mating season typically starts around January and February and lasts four to six weeks. Unlike many mammal species where the male leaves the female after mating, the Fennec Fox stays with their mates after copulation. The males protect the females and the pups, providing them with food for at least four weeks. The Fennec Fox pups really take their time to mature and are blind for one to two weeks after being born. After that, they start learning to walk and are nurtured for over two months. Finally, they become mature at around nine to 11 months of age. They tend to stay with their family, which can consist of up to 10 individuals. And just like other canid species, Fennec Foxes can usually bark and use it to communicate with others. Interestingly, the Fennec Fox has an incredibly long lifespan in relation to other fox species. For example, the Red Fox, which is the biggest and most widely distributed fox species, lives anywhere from two to six years in the wild. On the other hand, the Fennec Fox usually survives for 10 years in the wild and can live even longer when in captivity. With proper care, the Fennec Fox can live for up to 15 years. Threats The Fennec Fox faces many threats in the wild. These include habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation due to human activity, such as farming, mining, and oil and gas exploration. The fox is also hunted for its fur, which is considered to be of high quality and is incredibly prized among the indigenous people of Northern Africa. Sometimes they're captured for exhibitions and even sale. The Fennec Fox's cuteness makes it an incredibly desired exotic pet, which is becoming a bigger and bigger threat to its wild populations. Furthermore, captured Fennec Foxes are usually mistreated, which leads to a wide plethora of health problems. It can also contract the canine distemper virus from domestic dogs, which has many severe symptoms including brain congestion, gastric ulcers, emaciation, seizures, and even death. However, it's not just human activity that's threatening the foxes. They have many natural predators including the Pharaoh Eagle Owl, caracals, striped hyenas, and jackals. But the quickness of the Fennec Fox makes it a difficult prey even to larger predators. Luckily, the Fennec Fox population is thought to be stable and not at risk of extinction. This species is currently listed as least concerned by the IUCN Red List, so we shouldn't worry about losing this cute species for at least a while. Evolution Finally, let's talk about the evolution of the Fennec Fox. It's native to North Africa and its ancestors originated in North America. About 12 million years ago, the last common fox and wolf ancestor diverged, starting two separate canine lineages. Some 4 million years later, the fox ancestor migrated to Asia thanks to a land bridge which connected the continents. Quickly enough, the newly arrived predator started to dominate the local ecosystem and started populating the continent. The oldest fox ancestor in Africa is found in Chad with its fossils dating back 7 million years. While other fox species evolved to be larger, the ancestors in Africa evolved to be smaller. It's because huge bodies aren't viable to survive in the hot environment. They require more water and energy, two of the resources which aren't easy to get in desert environments. Today, we can find two fox species in Africa, the Fennec Fox and the Cape Fox, which is slightly larger than the Fennec Fox, but shares a similar body structure and notably long ears. It's unknown when the split between these two species occurred, but it's likely they shared the same ancestor who arrived in Africa some 7 million years ago. Thanks for watching! Don't forget to leave your thoughts and suggestions for future videos in the comment section down below. If you enjoyed this video, subscribe to our channel, click the notification bell, and check out our previous videos.