The Fox Family

by Delia Moreno, age 8

The fennec fox is one of the smallest fox species in the world. They are known for their large ears, which account for about 20% of their body surface area. The Cape fox is another unusual fox known for its ears, but both species are interesting.

At night, when temperatures drop in the desert, the fennec and cape fox keep themselves warm using their thick, bushy tail to wrap around their feet. They also have a long, soft coat that keeps the fox warm during the cold desert nights. The fennec fox’s paws have fully furred soles to protect their feet from hot surfaces and provide a better grip on loose sand.

There are 23 species of foxes; another one of these is the Cape fox, which lives in the dry areas of southern Africa, northern Africa, and parts of the Sahara Desert. The Cape fox is a nocturnal fox that hunts early in the morning and in the evening. Some cape foxes are solitary, and even though they are with a mate, the female might want to be alone. Cape foxes are not territorial animals, so if another fox takes their territory, they will simply find another place to live. Even though this fox rarely makes noise, they can communicate through soft calls, chirps, whines, and barking when scared.

It is interesting how the fennec and cape foxes can survive such high temperatures. They may have similar features, but differ in many ways. If you ever see one, you may notice these unique differences!

[Source: The Encyclopedia of Animals]