Scientific Name:
Vulpes zerda
Distribution
N Africa to N Sinai
Diet:
Omnivore. Insects, small rodents, lizards, eggs, small birds, various fruits, tubers.
Facts
Habitat: Desert, stable sand dunes
Dimensions: 33.3-39.5cm
Weight: 0.8-1.87kg
Gestation: 50-52 days, 1-4 young
Lifespan: ~10
Social structure: Family groups of 2-10 individuals.
Estimated population in the wild: Common
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Threats: Trapping for commercial use (i.e., photographic exhibition, sale to the pet trade or tourists and for fur by indigenous people) and encroachment by human settlements resulting in their disappearance from some areas.
Did you know that:
- It is the smallest fox in the world.
- It is nocturnal, avoiding the heat by staying in burrows during the day.
- The soles of the feet are covered by hairs protecting them from hot sand.
- Their large ears allow them to hear prey moving underground and dissipate heat.