Fennec Fox Facts
Vulpes zerda
Fennec foxes are tiny desert canids with outsized ears and fur-covered feet. They live in sandy regions of North Africa and spend the hottest hours sheltered underground.
- Habitat
- Desert
- Diet
- Insects, small vertebrates, eggs, roots, and fruit
- Lifespan
- 10–14 years
Fennec Fox Facts at a Glance
Fennec foxes are tiny desert canids with outsized ears and fur-covered feet. They live in sandy regions of North Africa and spend the hottest hours sheltered underground.
It belongs to the family Canidae in the order Carnivora. This profile is designed as a concise starting point; the source names below document the review basis.
Fennec Fox Habitat
Fennec Foxes live in Desert habitats. Their recorded range includes North Africa. Suitable food, shelter, and conditions for raising young help shape that range.
What Do Fennec Foxes Eat?
Fennec Foxes have a omnivore diet that includes Insects, small vertebrates, eggs, roots, and fruit. The food available in their environment shapes how they find, hunt, forage for, or receive meals.
Fennec Fox Lifespan, Size, and Weight
Fennec Foxes typically live for 10–14 years. Adults measure about 24–41 cm and weigh around 0.8–1.9 kg; these ranges can vary with sex, age, environment, and access to food.
Fennec Fox Conservation Status
Fennec Fox is listed here as Least Concern. Protecting habitat, maintaining healthy prey or food sources, and reducing human pressure are important parts of conserving wild populations.
Quick facts
- Region
- North Africa
- Habitat
- Desert
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifespan
- 10–14 years
- Size
- 24–41 cm
- Weight
- 0.8–1.9 kg
Fun facts
- Large ears release heat and help detect prey moving beneath sand.
- Thick fur on the feet protects their pads from hot sand.
- They dig connected burrows that can house a family group.
- Much of their water comes from food rather than open water sources.
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Sources and image credit
Animal facts are reviewed against the references below. The photograph remains available under the stated license.