Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda nocturnal fox Sahara Desert North Africa very large ears ear
Richard Lydekker 1849 1915 English naturalist, geologist writer book London Geological Survey India vertebrate paleontology northern India Kashmir fossil mammals reptiles bird Natural History Museum Manual Palaeontology Henry Alleyne Nicholson Wild Animals of Burma Malay Tibetr biogeography biogeographical boundary Indonesia Lydekker's Line Wallacea Australia-New Guinea Royal Natural History London Frederick Warne & co 1893-94 six volume Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda) is a small nocturnal fox found in the Sahara Desert of North Africa which has distinctive very large ears. The Fennec Fox weighs up to kg ( lb) with a body length of up to 40 cm (16 in). The tail is an additional 25 cm (10 in) or so, and the ears can be 15 cm (6 in) long. The coats are often a sandy color, allowing them to blend with their desert surroundings. Its characteristic ears serve to scatter heat and to hear the movement of prey at night. Its ears are sensitive enough to hear large insects, such as beetles and locusts walk on the sand. Its coat reflects sunlight during the day and conserves heat at night. The soles of its feet are protected from the hot sand by thick fur. The Fennec Fox is a nocturnal omnivore. At night, it hunts rodents, insects, birds, and eggs of birds and insects. Much of the diet is desert vegetation, from which the Fennec Fox gets most of its water. This consists of grasses, some roots, and some fruit and berries. The Fennec Fox is considered the only species of fox which can properly be kept as a pet. Although it cannot be considered domesticated, it can be kept in a domestic setting similar to dogs or cats. In the United States and Canada there is a relatively established community of fennec fox owners and breeders. Pet Fennec Foxes, being the most social among foxes, are usually very friendly towards strangers and other household pets. However, they are extremely active, and need outlets for their energy; they may exhaust other household pets.
Size: 5025px × 3350px
Photo credit: © Nat Hist Alan King / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -fashioned, ., 1800, 19th, 2d, academic, age, ancient, animalia, antique, antiquity, binomial, book, bw, bygone, canidae, carnivora, century, chordata, chromo, chromolithe, class:, classical, color, colour, copy, deser, drawing, duplicate, educational, empire, engrave, engraved, engraver, engraving, etching, expression, family:, fennec, figure, formal, fox, front, frontispiece, genus:, graphic, hand, heritage, historic, historical, history, illustration, image, imperial, kingdom:, late, legend, legendary, lifelike, litho, lithograph, lithography, majestic, majesty, mammalia, margin, master, monotone, national, nineteenth, nocturnal, notable, obscure, observe, obsolete, order:, original, paper, period, phylum:, pictorial, picture, portrait, pre, press, previous, print, printed, printing, prior, proof, publication, publicity, queen, rare, real, realism, realistic, reference, replica, represent, representation, repro, reproduce, reproduction, retro, review, romantic, sahara, social, species:, standard, steel, studio, style, subject, teach, time, title, tool, topic, topical, tract, true, unusual, version, victoria, victorian, visual, vulpes, zerda
