Vulpes zerda

The fennec, fenec or desert fox (Vulpes zerda) It is a species of carnivorous mammal in the Canidae family that inhabits the Sahara desert and the Sinai Peninsula. With its characteristic ears, it is the smallest species in its family. Their fur, ears, and kidney function are adapted to the physical conditions of the desert: extreme temperatures and water scarcity. The ears serve as a ventilation and blood cooling system that helps it withstand the high temperatures and extreme climate of the desert.

The term fenec comes from the Arabic, which means fox, and the specific epithet, zerda, which comes from the Greek, refers to its dry habitat ( xeros). Other authors propose the meaning of "cunning" for the translation of zerda in Greek.

Taxonomy

Although Skjöldebrand named the species Vulpes minimus in 1777, it was first described by Zimmermann in 1780 under the name Canis zerda. The species has been named as Canis cerdo Gmelin, 1788, Viverra aurita Meyer, 1793, Fennecus arabicus Desmarest, 1804, Megalotis cerda Illiger, 1811, Fennecus brucei Desmarest, 1820, Canis fennecus Lesson, 1827, Vulpes denhamii Boitard, 1842, Vulpes zaarensis J. E. Gray, 1843, Canis saharensis Leuck. via Gray, 1843, Canis pygmeus Leuck. via Gray, 1843 and Vulpes zerda Corbet, 1978.

The name Fennecus zerda was used by authors such as Ellerman and Morrison-Scott in 1966, Nowak in 1991 or Tedford et al. in 1995. However, the Molecular biology studies carried out on the species since 1997 conclude that it must remain in the genus Vulpes, having separated from the species Vulpes cana between 4 and 4.5 million years ago..

Anatomically, it lacks a musk gland and has 32 pairs of chromosomes, unlike other fox species, which have between 35 and 39 pairs.^{[citation needed]}

Description

Cráneo de fenec

	Vocalization of Fennecus zerda
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It is the smallest canid that exists, as it only has a height of up to 21 cm at the withers and between 35 and 41 cm long, more than 18 to 30 cm of tail, and weighs between 1 and 1.5 kg. Its most distinctive features are its sandy-colored fur, lighter on the face and belly, its long, woolly tail with which it wraps itself when it sleeps, its very short muzzle, hairy plantar pads and, above all, its enormous ears (10-15 cm), which help it both to hear even the slightest sound and to radiate excess heat to the outside, and for this reason it is often chosen as an example of adaptation to the desert environment as opposed to the small-eared fox that lives in the arctic circle. Its fur helps it to reflect the intense daytime radiation and, at night, to conserve its body heat.

It usually reaches the age of 10 to 12 years in the wild. Its main predators are the caracal and the African species of the genus Bubo sp.

Fénec.

Behavior

It is a nocturnal animal that feeds on insects, reptiles, rodents, birds and their eggs. Their sense of hearing is so fine that they can even hear their prey in their burrows. It supplements its diet with fruits (dates, berries, etc.) that it finds in the oases, where it also supplies itself with water, although it can live without it. They can jump up to 60 cm in height and 120 cm in length, which It helps them to hunt and run away from their enemies.

At dawn it returns to its burrow, sometimes up to 10 m deep and 120 m² in area, to spend the hot hours of the day safe from the heat. These may be interconnected with the burrows of other groups.

Females share the burrow with their young (two to five at each birth), while males are solitary, although they sometimes help their mates during the gestation and lactation period.

The fennec is a surprisingly easy animal to tame,^{[citation needed]} easily habituating to living with humans. However, they are considered a rare species and are therefore illegal to keep as pets in many areas of their range.

Playback

A ten-month-old specimen of fenec, showing its striking huge ears.

Fennecs are social animals that mate for life and defend their own territory. Sexual maturity is reached at nine months of age. In their natural habitat, mating takes place between January and February, and only once a year. Copulation can last more than two hours. The young are born after a gestation period of about fifty days, they are usually born between March and April.

Distribution and habitat

The species ranges from Africa to Asia, Algeria) to the Sinai Peninsula and no further than northern Niger.

The typical fennec burrow is dug in the sand, both in open areas and in areas protected by vegetation (fixed dunes), and they usually have several entrances, if the substrate allows it.

Population

The conservation status of the fennec is not of concern, according to the IUCN. and as not threatened, but whose trade must be regulated, according to CITES. It is frequently persecuted and hunted for its fur, although it does not cause any harm to human interests. There are no precise estimates of the population size, but it is assumed that it is not endangered due to observations by trappers who sell it to tourists. or for exhibitions.