Skip to the content
African desert
Fennec fox
Vulpes zerda
The smallest fox in the world, cream-coloured, with enormous ears and a bushy black-tipped tail.
- Size
- Body about 40cm, with ears 15cm long
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Sandy deserts of the Sahara and North Africa
My spotter's list
Trots after you, ears swivelling. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the fennec fox
EarsEars like radiators
The huge ears give off heat to keep the fox cool, and can hear insects moving under the sand.
SizeThe smallest fox
A fennec weighs only about a kilogram and a half, less than a small cat.
FeetFurry feet
Thick fur on the soles protects its feet from hot sand and helps it to grip.
NightOut after dark
It spends the heat of the day in a burrow and comes out to hunt at night.
WaterRarely needs a drink
A fennec gets nearly all the water it needs from its food.
DiggingA fast digger
It can dig quickly enough to seem to vanish into the sand.
The real thing
Photos of the fennec fox
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
![]()
Out and aboutHow to spot one
Almost never seen by day. Look at dawn for small, neat fox tracks in the sand leading to a burrow under a bush.
Lend a handHow to help
Never buy a fennec as a pet. Catching them for the pet trade and for tourist photographs is their biggest threat.
Following youLadybird
Who should follow you?
African savanna
African river animals live on the African river page: choosing one takes you there.
African river
African rainforest
African desert
Animals from other parts of the world live on their own pages: change area.
