Weighing around only 1 kg, fennec foxes are the smallest of all foxes. The long and fluffy tail accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the 30 - 40 cm body length. They are easily recognized by their massive ears, large black eyes and small muzzle.
In the silence of the desert, they can hear small mammals burrowing under the sand and even a beetle walking on the dunes.
Their long, thick fur is sandy in color. This keeps the foxes much cooler than they would be with dark-colored fur. Its length and thickness protect the foxes from the sun’s heat.
Fennec foxes, being generally nocturnal, avoid the harshness of the desert climate by withdrawing during the day to burrows excavated in sand.
The Fennec fox uses it’s sharp curved claws to dig complex burrows with tunnels up to 32 feet in length. These dens have multiples entrances and exits to help escape from predators.
Often, however, Fennec foxes may be seen hunting for food or even basking in the sun in the day time, usually in the early morning or late in the afternoon.
Throughout the geographical extent of their distribution the air is very dry and water is practically not available. It was reported that fennec fox may subsist without water, depending on their nocturnal activity and moisture content of their prey, and tolerate extremely high concentrations of urea in urine.
Fennec fox - The smallest fox in the world
