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Information about Fennec Fox

Fennec fox

Conservation status
Data deficient
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Carnivora
Family:Canidae
Genus:Vulpes
Species:V. zerda
Binomial name
Vulpes zerda
(Zimmermann, 1780)
Enlarge picture
Fennec fox range

Fennec fox range
Synonyms
Fennec zerda Zimmermann, 1780
For the aircraft, see T-28 Trojan
The fennec fox is a small fox found in the Sahara Desert of North Africa (excluding the coast) and in some parts of Arabia, which has distinctive oversized ears. Although some authorities classify this as the only species of the genus Fennecus, it is shown here in the genus Vulpes. Its name is derived from an Arabic word for "fox". This type of fox is considered rare but not endangered.

Description

The fennec is the smallest of the Canidae, weighing up to only 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg). The fox is 8 inches (20 cm) tall at the shoulder, with a body length of up to 16 inches (40 cm). The tail is an additional 10 inches (25 cm) or so, and the ears can be 6 inches (15 cm) long. The animals coats are often a sandy color to blend in with their desert surroundings.

Its characteristic ears, which are the largest in the canid family, serve to help dissipate heat and to hear the movement of prey at night. The coat can repel sunlight during the day and conserve heat at night. The soles of the feet are protected from the hot sand by thick fur.

Habits

The fennec is nocturnal. It is also an omnivore. During the night, it will hunt for rodents, insects (such as locusts), lizards, birds, and bird eggs. It also eats a small lizard known as a sandfish. The fennec gets most of its water from food, but will sometimes eat berries and leaves as an additional source of water. They can last long periods of time without water, but will drink water when available.

Fennecs live in large dens (extending up to 10 meters or 33 ft), often with several foxes.

Reproduction

In the spring, after about 52 days of gestation, a female fennec will give birth to a litter of 2-5 young. Breeding season is normally January through March. The young will rely on their mother's milk for about a month. When the litter of young are born, the female won't allow the male to come into the den until the offspring become older.

Population

The fennec is rare and is not often seen. It is often hunted by humans, though the fox does not cause any direct harm to human interests. Like other foxes, the fennec is prized for its fur by the indigenous people of the Sahara and Sinai.

Classification

There is some debate among scientists as to whether or not fennecs belong to the genus of true foxes (Vulpes). Uncharacteristic behavior, such as packs called 'harems' (while all other foxes are solitary), as well as genetic differences (other foxes have between 35 and 39 chromosome pairs, while fennecs have 32) have left researchers with two conflicting classifications: Vulpes zerda implying that fennecs are true foxes, and Fennecus zerda, implying that fennecs belong to their own genus. SAM LOVES FENNEC FOXES SO MUCH ITS CRAZY

Domestication

It has been suggested that the chihuahua was originally a domesticated fennec, not simply a breed of dog imported from Asia by immigrating humans[1]. However, chihuahuas are a breed of dog (Canis lupus familiaris), which are more closely related to wolves than foxes. The difference in chromosome numbers (39 in dogs vs. 32 in the fennec) makes it impossible for the two species to breed and produce hybrids.

The fennec is classified under CITES as an Appendix II species (here): "species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival (CITES website)." In the United States there is a relatively established community of fennec owners and breeders.

The fennec is considered the only species of fox which can properly be kept as a pet. Although they cannot be considered completely domesticated, they can be kept in a domestic setting similar to dogs or cats, though several factors make it important to ensure that they do not escape. Their speed and agility (they can jump four times their own body length) combined with their natural chase instinct creates the risk of a fennec slipping its harness or collar. Further, since they are adept diggers (they can dig up to twenty feet a night in their natural environment), outdoor pens and fences must be extended many feet below ground. Escaped fennec foxes are extremely difficult to recapture.

Enlarge picture
A pet fennec explores the couch.
Pet fennecs, being the most social among foxes, are usually very friendly towards strangers and other household pets. However, they are extremely active, and need outlets for their energy; they may exhaust other household pets with their playfulness.

The vast majority of their diet in the wild consists of meat and protein sources like insects. Any diet in a domestic setting should reflect this. Food sources commonly used include (but are not limited to) high quality meat-rich dog food, wild canine food brands, cat food, raw meats, insects, mealworms, custom dietary mixtures, or any combination thereof.

The legality of owning a fennec, as with many exotic pets, varies with jurisdiction, so check with local animal control authorities before considering adoption or purchase. Also, because it is an exotic, not all veterinarians will treat fennecs, so make sure to find one who will provide vaccinations and any necessary medical care. Furthermore, consider that fennecs are not often able to be housebroken, although a few pet owners have reported being able to litter-train their fennec foxes.

Wild instincts make fennecs both more enjoyable, and more tedious, than domesticated pets. As with all wild pets, fennecs have been reported to have more personality, and are substantially smarter than dogs or cats. However, wild instinct, such as hiding caches of food in case of famine, as well as attempting to burrow into furniture to build a nest, etc, makes them a handful to care for.

References

External links

conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species: not simply the number remaining, but the
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Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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Chordata
Bateson, 1885

Typical Classes

See below

Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates.
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Mammalia
Linnaeus, 1758

Subclasses & Infraclasses
  • Subclass †Allotheria*
  • Subclass Prototheria
  • Subclass Theria

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Carnivora
Bowdich, 1821

Families
  • 17, See classification

The diverse order Carnivora (IPA: /kɑrˈnɪvərə/
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Canidae
G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817

Genera
  • Alopex
  • Atelocynus
  • Canis
  • Cerdocyon
  • Chrysocyon
  • Cuon
  • Cynotherium †
  • Dusicyon †
  • Dasycyon

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binomial nomenclature is the formal system of naming species. The system is also called binominal nomenclature (particularly in zoological circles), binary nomenclature (particularly in botanical circles), or the binomial classification system.
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Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann (August 17, 1743 – July 4, 1815) was a German geographer and zoologist.

Zimmermann was Professor of Natural Science at Brunswick.
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17th century - 18th century - 19th century
1750s  1760s  1770s  - 1780s -  1790s  1800s  1810s
1777 1778 1779 - 1780 - 1781 1782 1783

:
Subjects:     Archaeology - Architecture -
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In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. Usage and terminology are different for zoology and botany.

Zoology

In zoological nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names that pertain to the same taxon, for example
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Zimmermann (German for carpenter) may refer to the following people:
  • Arthur Zimmermann (1864–1940), German Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
  • Bernd Alois Zimmermann (1918–1970), German composer

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Type Trainer aircraft
Manufacturer North American Aviation
Maiden flight September 24 1949
Primary users United States Air Force
United States Navy South Vietnamese Air Force Argentine Navy

The North American T-28 Trojan
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Vulpini

This article is about the animal. For other uses, see Fox (disambiguation).
"Fox" is a general term applied to any one of roughly 27 species of small to medium-sized canids in the tribe vulpini
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Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الكبرى, aṣ-ṣaḥrāยด al-koubra, "The Great Desert", (
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North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Northern Africa includes the following seven territories:

  • Algeria
  • Egypt
  • Libya

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species is one of the basic units of biological classification. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
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genus (plural: genera) is part of the Latinized name for an organism. It is a name which reflects the classification of the organism by grouping it with other closely similar organisms.
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al-‘Arabiyyah in written Arabic (Kufic script):  
Pronunciation: /alˌʕa.raˈbij.ja/
Spoken in: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman,
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Canidae
G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817

Genera
  • Alopex
  • Atelocynus
  • Canis
  • Cerdocyon
  • Chrysocyon
  • Cuon
  • Cynotherium †
  • Dusicyon †
  • Dasycyon

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pound or pound-mass (abbreviations: lb, ℔, lbm, or sometimes in the United States: #) is a unit of mass (sometimes called 'weight' in everyday parlance) in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United
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nocturnality describes sleeping during the daytime and being active at night - the opposite of the diurnal human lifestyle, and that of those animals with which we are most familiar. The intermediate crepuscular schedule (twilight activity) is also common.
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An omnivore (from Latin: omne all, everything; vorare to devour) is a species of animal that eats both plants and animals as its primary food source.
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S. scincus

Binomial name
Scincus scincus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Sandfish (Scincus scincus) is a species of skink that burrows into the sand. It has stripes on its back.
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Chihuahua   (help info ) is the smallest breed of dog in the world and is named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico, where it was discovered in 1850.
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CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
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Domestication refers to the process whereby a population of animals or plants becomes accustomed to human provision and control. Humans have brought these populations under their care for a wide range of reasons: to produce food or valuable commodities (such as wool, cotton, or
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