Mary Allen
With their huge ears, bat-eared foxes look a bit strange: they resemble a cross between a dog and a fox with ears that are way too big.
Characteristics
What do bat-eared foxes look like?
Bat-eared foxes belong to the dog family and are therefore predators. They are a very primitive species and are somewhat more closely related to the fox than to the wolf. Her shape resembles a mixture of a dog and a fox. They measure 46 to 66 centimeters from the snout to the bottom and are 35 to 40 centimeters high. The bushy tail is 30 to 35 centimeters long.
The animals weigh three to five kilograms, the females are usually slightly larger. The fur of the animals appears yellow-brown to grey, and they sometimes have a dark dorsal stripe on their backs. The dark markings on the eyes and temples are typical – they are somewhat reminiscent of the facial markings of a raccoon. Legs and tail tips are dark browns.
Most striking, however, are the up to 13 centimeters long, almost black ears. Bat-eared foxes are also characterized by the fact that they have a great number of teeth: there are 46 to 50 – more than any other higher mammal has. However, the teeth are relatively small. This is an adaptation to the fact that bat-eared foxes feed primarily on insects.
Where do bat-eared foxes live?
Bat-eared foxes are found exclusively in Africa, specifically in eastern and southern Africa. Bat-eared foxes live in savannas, bush steppes, and semi-deserts where their main food, termites, occurs. They prefer areas where the grass does not grow higher than 25 centimeters. These are regions that are grazed by ungulates or the grass is destroyed by fire and grows back. When the grass gets taller, the bat-eared foxes migrate to another area.
What bat-eared fox species are there?
There are two subspecies of bat-eared foxes: One life in southern Africa from South Africa through Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe to the extreme south of Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique. The other subspecies live from Ethiopia through Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to northern Zambia and Malawi.
How old do bat-eared foxes get?
Bat-eared foxes live for about five, sometimes up to nine years. In captivity, they can live up to 13 years.
Behave
How do bat-eared foxes live?
The prominent ears gave the bat-eared fox its name. They point out that bat-eared foxes can hear very well. Because they specialize in insect prey, mostly termites, they can use them to pick up even the faintest sounds of these animals in their burrows.
They also give off excess body heat through their large ears. When bat-eared foxes are active depends on the time of year and the region they live in. In southern Africa, in order to escape the greatest heat, they tend to be nocturnal in summer and then go in search of food.
In the cooler winter, on the other hand, they are out and about during the day. In eastern Africa, they are predominantly nocturnal for most of the year. Bat-eared foxes are sociable animals and live in family groups of up to 15 animals. Male juveniles leave the family after about six months, females stay longer and help raise the new juveniles the next year.
Bat-eared foxes do not have territories, but live in so-called action areas: These areas are not marked and can be used by several family groups to search for food. Bat-eared foxes retreat to underground burrows to rest and sleep and to find shelter. They either dig them themselves or use old burrows made by other animals. Some of the behavior of bat-eared foxes is reminiscent of domestic dogs: they put their ears back when they are afraid, and if an enemy approaches, they ruffle their fur. When excited or playing, the tail is carried upright and horizontal when walking.
Friends and foes of the bat-eared fox
Bat-eared foxes have many enemies including lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, and African wild dogs. Birds of prey such as martial eagles or boa constrictors such as pythons can also be dangerous to them. Jackals are a threat, especially to the pups.
How do bat-eared foxes reproduce?
Bat-eared foxes live in pairs, only rarely do two females live together with one male. The young are born when the food supply is greatest. In East Africa, this is between the end of August and the end of October, in southern Africa until December.
After a gestation period of 60 to 70 days, the female gives birth to two to five, rarely six young. After nine days they open their eyes, after 17 days they leave the burrow for the first time. They are nursed for almost four months and are independent at around six months. Both parents take care of the offspring.
How do bat-eared foxes communicate?
Bat-eared foxes only make a few sounds. They are most likely to let out a high-pitched howl. Young and parents communicate with whistling calls that are more reminiscent of a bird than a dog.