Animal Fact Sheet
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Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
What does it look
like?
Bat-eared foxes' coats are yellowish-brown with brown feet and ear
tips and blackish brown faces. Foxes' legs are relatively short,
and tails bushy, darkening in color towards the tip.
- Beside large 5 inch long ears, Bat-eared foxes' teeth and diet
set them apart from other foxes
- They are the only canids that prefer insects over mammalian
prey
- 48 teeth are relatively small but contain 4 to 8 extra molars
within large jaws
- Powerful digastric jaw muscles enable rapid chewing
|
| Where
in the world?
The Bat-eared fox roams all types of savanna and open plains across
eastern and southern Africa. This canid is found near large herds
of hoofed mammals such as zebras, wildebeest and buffalo.
What are some behaviors?
Although they forage independently of one another, field reports
indicate extensive overlap of foraging areas in some regions.
What about offspring?
Bat-eared foxes usually breed in pairs, giving birth in self-dug
dens. But records show single males breeding with two females. Two
or three breeding dens are sometimes clustered within a few hundred
meters, probably because soil and vegetation are suitable.
After 60 - 70 day gestation in breeding periods
from December through February, Bat-eared foxes deliver two to five
pups in their burrows. Juveniles achieve full adult size at 4 months.
When they begin to accompany adults, group sizes can be up to 12
foxes. |
|
What does it eat?
Eighty percent of their diet consists of insects, particularly harvester
termites and dung beetles, as well as fruits, scorpions, and an
occasional small mammal or bird. Insects abound where large ungulates
are numerous, so in this way, Bat-eared foxes remain dependent on
larger mammals for food.
Is it threatened
or endangered?
No, not at present. |
