Where does the bat-eared fox live?
The bat-eared fox lives on the African savanna, in Southern and East Africa, in arid and semi-arid regions. It prefers short grasslands and savannas, and favours bare ground where ungulates keep the grass short. There are two separate populations, each making up a subspecies. It is not a true fox: it is the only species in its genus, and the sister species to all other foxes.
What does the bat-eared fox eat?
It eats mainly insects, a diet unique among canids: harvester termites make up 80 to 90% of its diet, along with ants, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, spiders and occasionally small mammals. Its large ears, 11 to 13 cm long, play a role in thermoregulation and in detecting prey. In the north it is nocturnal 85% of the time; in southern Africa it is nocturnal in summer and diurnal in winter.
Is the bat-eared fox endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, with no major current threats. Foxes of the southern subspecies live in monogamous pairs with pups. It weighs 3 to 5.3 kg and measures 46 to 66 cm.
