The Desert Community

Listen to the Fox


Fox Video Podcast .wmv

Jacob and George chose the dessert habitat as our focus. Our animal is the
Fennec Fox.

The Fennec Fox eats dates, plant materials, jerboas, and other small rodents including birds, eggs, lizards, and insects such as migrating locust. They catch rodents with a mouse like leap. They’re omnivores
Fennec foxes live in arid regions of North Africa, the Sinai and Arabian Peninsula. Primarily found in sandy areas. They usually live in burrows.
Breeding once a year in January or February, males and females may pair for several breeding seasons. Litters of 2 to 5. Both parents defend. Only the mother can enter.
In the winter they hibernate inside their burrows.
Their fur helps them to be camouflaged in sandy brown or reddish cream to pale fawn color.
They can dig with amazing speed. When Fennec Foxes are pursued, to get away they seem to dive into the sand. When attacked Fennec Foxes jump into action . . . really! They can jump four times their body length which is 14 to 16 inches long. They are nocturnal. Fennec Foxes are instinctive. Oh, yes they are social [in groups].
They are very cunning and use their claws as attacks, with huge jumps in the desert.
The fennec fox has very large ears, sand-colored fur, white bellies, and long reddish tails with a black tip, black eyes, narrow pointed snout, and sharp curved claws on their feet with hair on the soles on their feet.