The Bat-Eared Fox Did You Know?

Known for its enormous ears, the Bat-eared Fox is a species of fox that belongs to the dog family (canidae) and is found in Southern and Eastern Africa.  Its ears are over 5” tall and serve two important purposes: they help keep the fox cool with the many blood vessels in them that shed heat and also give it incredible hearing – imagine being able to hear beetle larvae hatching from dung balls!

This fox is considered the only truly insectivorous canid.  It eats dung beetles and their larvae, spiders, scorpions, millipedes, rodents, fruit, eggs, and lizards, but 70% of its diet is made up of termites. A a single bat-eared fox can eat approximately 1.15 million termites each year and this means that it plays a significant role in termite control.

It has more teeth than other members of the dog family – 3 upper molars vs. 2 and 4 lower molars vs. 3.  These additional molars are more effective for chewing insets than shearing flesh and their lower jaw bone is designed to open and close rapidly.

A male fox is called a “dog,” a female is called a “vixen” and a baby is called a “kit.”  It is hunted by several mammal species including cheetah, jackals, spotted hyenas, rock pythons, African wild dogs and leopard as well as by raptors. Its large bushy tail works as a rudder when fleeing from predators in a zig-zag pattern.  It is fast and good at dodging, but its best chance of escaping is by fleeing into its underground dens. A bat-eared fox family may have several dens throughout their home range, each with several entrances and multiple chambers connected by tunnels.

Bat-eared Fox mate for life and sometimes two females will mate with one male and share a communal den.  Unlike other canids, the father spends a lot of time caring for the kits while the mother forages for food that maintains her milk production.

While the Bat-eared Fox is relatively abundant, it’s hard to see due to its small size and nocturnal behavior – so keep your eyes peeled!