Meet the bat-eared fox, a little canid that roams the plains of Africa

This is the bat-eared fox

This is a little-known canid that roams the plains and savannas of Africa. It looks like a crossbreed between a fox and a fennec, but it’s a different species. They are found in two different areas of the continent. There, this small animal measuring between 46 and 66 cm long leads the life of a burrower, digging a network of tunnels in which a monogamous breeding pair takes shelter with its babies. A couple’s territory usually spans over 0,25 to 1,5 km2. Its diet: mainly insects and arthropods. Termites and dung beetles can make up 80% of its diet, and it depends on these insects for its water supply. It also uses its large ears, measuring between 11 and 13 cm long, to detect the presence of these insects around him.

Another notable feature: of all the canids, it has the most teeth. This is a consequence of its insectivore diet, which has made his teeth smaller and more numerous: between 46 and 60. Marginally hunted by some local people for its fur, it’s not considered endangered and its population is stable.

Brut.