Origin
The fenec (Vulpes Zerda) is a species of mammal in the tribe vulpini, being related to the Fox. Representatives of this species can be found in the Sahara desert, the Sinai peninsula and the Arabian desert, they are perfectly adapted to the arid environment.
Its usual name, fenec, comes from the Arabic word fenek, which means Fox, and zerda comes from the Greek xeros, which means dry. This is the smallest representative of the canid family.
They are very funny animals,in some parts of the world they have been spread as pets,while in some countries their marketing is prohibited.
Feeding The Fennec Fox
Fenec is a nocturnal and omnivorous animal, its diet consisting mainly of rodents, insects, birds and eggs. It feeds on both products of animal origin and products of plant origin.
They only need very little water to survive, and their main source of fluids is food. This does not mean that foxes do not drink water, but only that their kidneys are adapted to desert-specific living conditions.
Appearance Fennec Fox
Fenec or desert fox is a small mammal, having a mass between 0.7-1.6 kg, a body length of 29-40 cm (tail length can reach 20-30 cm) and a height of about 20 cm. One of the features specific to fenec is its large ears, which can reach a length of about 15 – 20 cm.
Large ears are an essential adaptation to the desert environment, where temperatures can reach 40 C during the day, maintaining a constant body temperature.
Their fur has a cream-beige color. Huge ears help it cool down because, being large and well vascularized, they lose a lot of heat.
Its soles are covered with fur to protect it from hot sand. It does not have that strong smell, peculiar to other species of foxes.
Behavior Fennec Fox
Phenecs can live a long time without water, their kidneys being able to reduce the loss of water in the body.
They choose their shelters with caution, their burrows being deep, branched, located between roots and rocks or in other hard-to-reach places, ending at the end with a spacious room.
During storms, showers, heat, during the mating season (February-March) or as long as the female has small cubs, the Fox retreats into the burrow. His hunting expeditions generally take place at night; the Fox attacking every kind of animal, from the Beetle to the deer cub, is always very cautious.
Unlike other species, Desert Foxes live in groups. They dig burrows in the sand, tied together. They can jump to a height of 60 cm, to catch their prey or to escape predators.
As pets, Foxes are friendly. They have no problems with strangers or other animals. They are full of energy and you have to let them play a lot. Although they are wild animals, once they are domesticated, they become sociable and good-natured animals.
It is important that they are kept on a leash so as not to run away, and the space in which they live must be fenced and closed well. They can dig tunnels to escape or climb the fence. You can feed them with dog or cat food (to be quality!), mice, worms, fresh vegetables and fruits, eggs or insects.
Breeding Fennec Fox
During the breeding season several males usually associate with a single female, which they chase and bark incessantly – in general, however, Foxes are silent animals, like jackals.
After 51-54 days after mating, the female gives birth to several cubs, which are cared for by both adults. In the winter period the puppies are driven away by the parents.
The Fennec Fox reaches sexual maturity at the age of 9 months. The heat period is January, in which males become very agitated and often struggle to win the right to mate.
The Cubs are born in a burrow about 1m below ground , completely dependent on their mother. They come out for the first time after they turn 5 weeks old.They will explore the surroundings by the age of 3 months, after this age they begin to hunt and gradually learn to fend for themselves.
The average life of fennec Fox bred in captivity is 12 years while in nature the average life is lower due to predators.
