---
title: "What the sources say about the Fennec Fox | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "48 claims from the Fennec Fox profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/fennec-fox/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Fennec Fox (*Vulpes zerda*)

> 48 claims from the Fennec Fox profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Fennec Fox](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/fennec-fox/)

## Vulpes zerda (fennec fox). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vulpes_zerda/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| its enlarged auditory bullae | Enlarged auditory bullae also serve this latter purpose. (note: the gloss 'the hollow bones that enclose the middle ear' is a standard anatomical definition, not a claim about fennecs) |
| also help it locate prey moving under the sand | the large, 15 cm long pinnae are used both to dissipate heat and to locate prey moving under the sand. Enlarged auditory bullae also serve this latter purpose. |
| tags: omnivore | They obtain much of their food through digging, and, as omnivores in a desert environment, will consume almost anything that makes itself available. Small rodents, lizards, birds, eggs, and insects are all common prey. Fruit, leaves and roots are an important part of the diet (note: Settle #387: added beside insectivore, which stays: SNZ's wild diet leads with 'insects—particularly grasshoppers and locusts' and the ears locate prey.) |

## Fennec Fox. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/fennec-fox

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Ears Built to Cool and Hunt | Those ears not only help them listen for prey underground, but also serve to dissipate excess heat of the desert. (note: heading) |
| Those ears help the fox listen for prey underground, and they also dissipate excess heat of the desert | Those ears not only help them listen for prey underground, but also serve to dissipate excess heat of the desert. |
| San Diego Zoo puts the weight a little higher, at about 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds) | Weight: About 3.5 pounds (1.6 kilograms) (note: 'a little higher' compares SDZ's 1.6 kg with the Smithsonian's 0.9 to 1.4 kg) |
| San Diego Zoo lists a life span of 10 years in the wild and 13 in zoos | LIFE SPAN 10 years in the wild; 13 years in zoos |
| a thick, sandy-colored coat reflects sunlight by day and keeps it warm at night | They have a thick, sandy-colored coat that keeps them warm at night and reflects the sunlight during the day. |
| Most of the water it needs comes from the plants it eats | most of the water they need comes from the plants they consume. |
| Fennec foxes are monogamous and mate for life | Fennec foxes are monogamous and mate for life. |
| they burrow into sand dunes during the day to avoid the extreme heat | They burrow into sand dunes during the day, to avoid the extreme heat. |
| Family Burrows Under the Dunes | They burrow into sand dunes during the day, to avoid the extreme heat. (note: heading; the family part is the SDZ monogamy line and the Smithsonian family-group line claimed below) |
| Litters of two to five kits arrive after a gestation of about 50 days | Litters consist of 2-5 kits, after a gestation period of about 50 days. |

## Fennec fox. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/fennec-fox

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The largest ears of any canid for its size, used to shed desert heat and track down prey under the sand. | They have the largest ears relative to their body size of any member of the canid family, which they use to dispel heat and track down prey underneath the sand. (note: tagline; 'desert' from the same paragraph's 'These foxes are adapted to life in the desert') |
| Ears up to 6 inches (15.2 cm) long that dispel desert heat and track down prey under the sand. | which they use to dispel heat and track down prey underneath the sand ... which can grow to between 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) in length (note: stats.superpower, combining the Physical Description section and the Size section, in the page's own order) |
| Sandy deserts and arid scrub across North Africa's Sahara, east to Sinai and Arabia | Fennec foxes live in North Africa, throughout the Sahara Desert and east to Sinai and Arabia. They prefer sandy deserts and arid regions with desert grasses or scrub vegetation. (note: stats.habitat) |
| Insects (especially grasshoppers and locusts), small rodents, lizards, birds and eggs, plus roots, fruit and leaves | In the wild, fennec foxes eat insects—particularly grasshoppers and locusts—as well as small rodents, lizards, birds and their eggs. They will also consume roots, fruits and leaves, which help them to hydrate. (note: stats.diet) |
| has the largest ears relative to body size of any member of the dog family | They have the largest ears relative to their body size of any member of the canid family (note: 'dog family' for 'canid family') |
| they can grow 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) long | which can grow to between 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) in length |
| the smallest of all canids | The smallest of all canids, fennec foxes are 14 to 16 inches (35.6 to 40.6 centimeters) long, with an additional 7 to 12 inches (18 to 30 centimeters) of tail. |
| its body is 14 to 16 inches (35.6 to 40.6 centimeters) long, plus a 7-to-12-inch (18-to-30 cm) tail | fennec foxes are 14 to 16 inches (35.6 to 40.6 centimeters) long, with an additional 7 to 12 inches (18 to 30 centimeters) of tail. |
| it usually weighs 0.9 to 1.4 kilograms (2 to 3 pounds) | They usually weigh between 2 and 3 pounds (0.9 to 1.4 kilograms). |
| The Smallest Canid on Earth | The smallest of all canids, fennec foxes are 14 to 16 inches (35.6 to 40.6 centimeters) long (note: heading) |
| the Smithsonian says fennec foxes may live up to 11 years in human care | Fennec foxes may live up to 11 years in human care. |
| Heavily furred paws give traction in the sand and protect the fox from the hot ground | Heavily furred paws provide traction when running in the sand while also offering protection from the extreme heat of the terrain. |
| Extreme panting helps a fennec fox keep its temperature regulated when the heat climbs | Extreme panting helps fennec foxes keep their temperatures regulated when the heat climbs (note: blockquote lead-in and sentence) |
| its breathing rate can rise from 23 breaths a minute to as many as 690 | breathing rates climb from 23 breaths per minute to up to 690. (note: blockquote; 'as many as' for the source's 'up to') |
| In the wild, fennec foxes eat insects, especially grasshoppers and locusts, plus small rodents, lizards, birds and their eggs, and round it out with roots, fruit and leaves | In the wild, fennec foxes eat insects—particularly grasshoppers and locusts—as well as small rodents, lizards, birds and their eggs. They will also consume roots, fruits and leaves |
| Those plant foods help them hydrate | They will also consume roots, fruits and leaves, which help them to hydrate. |
| a fennec fox can go for long periods without drinking water | Fennec foxes are also capable of going for long periods without consuming water |
| Hunting happens alone and at night: the fox listens for prey under the sand with its huge ears, then digs with all four feet to reach its meal | Hunting occurs at night and alone; fennec foxes use their abnormally large ears to listen for prey underneath the sand, and once located will dig with all four feet to expose their meal. |
| It can kill prey larger than itself: there are documented cases of fennec foxes taking down fully grown rabbits | They can catch and kill prey larger than themselves; there have been documented cases of fennec foxes taking down fully grown rabbits. |
| Getting Water From Food | Fennec foxes are also capable of going for long periods without consuming water; they are able to hydrate through the food they consume. (note: heading) |
| They can live in family groups of up to ten individuals | fennec foxes can live in family groups of up to ten individuals |
| some instances of several family groups sharing one complex den | There have been some instances of multiple family groups sharing a complex den. |
| Their tunnels can reach up to 32 feet (10 meters) long | digging out a series of tunnels that can reach up to 32 feet (10 meters) in length. |
| it is not uncommon for a den to have multiple entrances and exits, which give a safe escape from an outside threat | It is not uncommon for these dens to have multiple entrances and exits to provide a safe escape in the event of an outside threat. |
| The species ranges across North Africa's Sahara Desert, east to the Sinai Peninsula and Arabia | Fennec foxes live in North Africa, throughout the Sahara Desert and east to Sinai and Arabia. |
| The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) has the largest ears relative to body size of any member of the canid family, which it uses to dissipate body heat and track down prey underneath the sand. | They have the largest ears relative to their body size of any member of the canid family, which they use to dispel heat and track down prey underneath the sand. (note: FAQ 1) |
| Those ears can reach 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) long on an animal that usually weighs just 0.9 to 1.4 kilograms (2 to 3 pounds). | They usually weigh between 2 and 3 pounds (0.9 to 1.4 kilograms) ... which can grow to between 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) in length (note: FAQ 1, in the page's own order (weight, then ear length)) |
| Fennec foxes can go for long periods without drinking water, and they are able to hydrate through the food they eat. | Fennec foxes are also capable of going for long periods without consuming water; they are able to hydrate through the food they consume. (note: FAQ 2) |
| In the wild, the roots, fruits and leaves in their diet help them hydrate. | In the wild, fennec foxes eat insects ... They will also consume roots, fruits and leaves, which help them to hydrate. (note: FAQ 2) |
| Its paws are heavily furred. That fur gives the fox traction when running in the sand and protects it from the extreme heat of the ground. | Heavily furred paws provide traction when running in the sand while also offering protection from the extreme heat of the terrain. (note: FAQ 3) |
| like a fox that hunts at night by using its outsized ears to hear prey underneath the sand | Hunting occurs at night and alone; fennec foxes use their abnormally large ears to listen for prey underneath the sand (note: Settle #387: vibe.reason mechanism replaces 'Sahara sunset warmth' and 'desert velvet grooves'.) |

## Siciliano-Martina et al. (2023). Factors influencing the timing and frequency of litters in captive fennec foxes (Vulpes zerda). Animal Reproduction Science.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2022.107182

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A 2023 study of the fennec fox studbook notes that wild fennec foxes "produce a single litter in March or April," | Wild fennec foxes (Vulpes zerda), for example, produce a single litter in March or April (note: 2023 is the reference's publication year per the audit:sources --cite metadata; 'notes', not 'confirmed': the abstract states this as background, not a finding) |
| the 220 captive-born litters it examined were born in every month of the year | we used the fennec fox studbook to extract traits related to reproductive variability in 220 captive-born litters. The captive litters in our dataset were born during every month of the year |

## Wacher, Bauman & Cuzin (2015). Vulpes zerda. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41588A46173447.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2015-4.rlts.t41588a46173447.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus) |
| the IUCN rates it Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). |