Fennec Foxes

Genevieve Beard
Mr. Mullins
RPC 6th Grade English
16 August 2024

            Did you know that fennec foxes’ ears can reach up to six inches in length? It’s true! This gives them the largest ears in the world relative to body size! Fennec foxes are interesting animals that anyone should learn about. You will learn about the life of a fennec fox, from birth all the way through adulthood and death, and learn about their diet, habitat and more! Fennec foxes are amazing animals that humans should work to protect.

            The fennec fox, also known as vulpes zerda, can live up to ten years in the wild, but with correct care, can live up to fourteen years in captivity. As babies, they are called kits. From the time they are born to about three weeks, they are blind, and live from their mother’s milk. From about four to six weeks they grow, developing their six-inch ears and coat. They also start to eat more solid foods, but they still drink milk from their mother too. From six to eight months, they start to mature. They come out of the den more and work on their hunting skills. They do not rely on their mother’s milk anymore.

            In adulthood, fennec foxes live alone, hunting for and protecting themselves. They are mostly nocturnal, hiding in their den from predators and avoiding the heat all day. They only unite with other fennec foxes to protect their territory or for reproduction.

           As a fennec fox ages, it becomes slower and weaker than it used to be. Their health begins to decline and because of their lack of speed, it is harder for them to hunt, but they still can.

           There are many ways fennec foxes can die: human activity, old age, predators, sickness, wounds, starvation (it is very difficult for a fennec fox to die of starvation, unless it is wounded, and can’t move much), etc. That is, if it is in the wild, but if it is in captivity, they usually die of old age or sickness from humans.

            Fennec foxes are omnivores, meaning they eat meat, as well as plants. Their diet mainly consists of leaves, roots, small rodents, rabbits, birds, figs, berries, melons, and other plants, eggs, et cetera. Also, both male and female fennec foxes leave the den to hunt, either together or separately.

            The fennec fox may eat many different foods, but it is also a food itself to many predators. These are a few predators of the fennec fox: snakes (both venomous and non-venomous) jackals, wolves, hyenas, owls, eagles, hawks, etc. Being nocturnal helps these foxes hide from some of these predators, but it cannot avoid human activity or hunters.

            Fennec foxes can be found in deserts. More specifically, deserts in Egypt, Libya, Chad, Algeria, Morocco, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Sudan, Western Sahara, and Tunisia. These areas can be found in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.

            Since it can get over 100℉ in these places, they find harder, firm sand and dig little caves. They burrow down in these caves most of the time during day, escaping the hot, desert sun. As I said, they are nocturnal, so at dusk, they leave the den to go hunt, and come back near dawn.

            Their coat helps them blend in with their environment. They have sand colored fur that can look white or medium tan at times.  These light colors don’t attract heat as much, so they can stay cool during daylight. Their fur helps them stay warm when it gets dark, because it can get very cold at night in the deserts. Since they are small, they don’t attract as much heat as larger animals. Their small body also allows them to shed heat faster. Their large ears play an important role in these hot deserts. Their ears act as a built-in, air conditioning system, cooling their veins and blood inside their ears which help cool the fennec fox.

            Fennec Foxes are, thankfully, not endangered, but they are slowly dying away from many things. One of the main things that is killing fennec foxes is the fur trade. Many people who live near or in the same area as fennec foxes, for example, Egypt, kill fennecs to trade their fur to other people from other countries. To these people from other countries, fennec fox fur is very valuable.

           Fennec foxes are also common pets. People might like having fennecs as pets and think that it is better for them, but these animals should be left alone. Many fennec foxes die due to people giving them bad care, food, and an unnatural habitat inside their homes. Fennec foxes are meant to live in the wild, left alone by humans. However, if you give a fennec fox great care and an appropriately big and natural habitat in captivity, they can be happy and live to about 14 years.

            Fennec foxes are also dying because people are destroying their habitat and territory to build cities and towns. This is good for us, but very bad for them. Thank goodness that the dessert is very big, and most people do not want to live in a place so hot.

             Fennec foxes are very interesting animals. They can live from 10 to 14 years. They are omnivores, which means that they eat plants and meat. They live in deserts and their sand-colored fur, small bodies, and large ears help them blend in and live in this environment. They are not endangered, but are slowly dying, so we should be doing everything we can to keep them unharmed. Unfortunately, their fur is very valuable, which causes a problem for future fennec fox generations. I hope this will change, because they are such fascinating creatures, and we need them in the world. I also hope you learned something new about fennec foxes, and appreciate these animals as much as I do.