What is the Fennec Fox?

The behavior of animals around the world offer insight into what surrounds us. Normally, large and powerful beasts of nature entice us, whether that be the powerful grizzly bear or the swift African lion. Not so often though, do people look towards the smaller creatures. Though they don't receive as much attention, smaller creatures are just as fascinating and serve just as important a purpose. In this article we'll be talking about one of those creatures; a beautiful and intelligent animal named the Fennec Fox. We'll discuss what the critter looks like, how they'd behave as a pet, and cover a brief history of the fox itself and it's symbolism in countries around the world. 

 

The Fennec Fox is a small, omnivorous, nocturnal animal native to three places around the globe: the Sahara desert of North Africa, the Arabian desert, and the Sinai peninsula. These places are all hot desert environments and the fox has evolved to live in what most would consider a harsh environment.The fox's ears, arguably it's most distinctive feature, dissipates heat to survive by having the blood vessels close to the skin, and are sensitive enough to hear prey moving almost anywhere near them, even underground! Typically very small, they're the smallest canid in the world, sporting a length between nine and sixteen inches. This makes them small enough to hold, or even keep as a pet, which is an interesting notion because it's considered an exotic pet by a few countries around the world. Given that it's behavior is so docile, you might find one in your home if you're willing to pay the right price. Unfortunately, the right price is expensive by standard means staying consistent around fifteen-hundred and two-thousand dollars per fox. If you can front the bill needed for such a cute critter, you also have to take into account that they are considered to be exotic pets, which means some countries and states have laws protecting these animals from being in a home without the proper supervision. Meet all the requirements and you'll be rewarded with a loving and interesting pet to have. They're known to be energetic, curious, and characteristically for a fox, mischievous. If you can handle those things, then often times they are similar to a dog. You can walk them on a leash, teach them to play fetch, and even house train them if up to the challenge. Until they are cornered or threatened they are friendly with new faces and other pets, unless of course their energy gets to be too much for some of our lazier domesticated friends. Now that we've seen how they'd behave as a pet, let's dive a little deeper into the nature of the Fennec Fox itself.

 

The Fennec fox is a peculiar animal due to it's uncommon mating and social behavior. Most foxes are solitary creatures, preferring to hunt and live alone, and the Fennec Foxes defy this biological norm. They not only mate and pair for their entire life but their behavior is similar to a wolf pack, with one pair having an intense bond and their offspring caring for their younger brothers and sisters. Most Fennec fox packs are between eight and twelve and demonstrate behaviors of caring and love between siblings. Often times they will play, share, and protect members of their family. This strange familial bond that the Fennec foxes have has led many scientists and behaviorists to believe that these animals can one day become domesticated much like dogs or cats. In the countries where these foxes are native, they are revered as symbols of good luck, charm, and quick wit. 

 

Not much is truly known about Fennec Foxes, and what we do know has been observed in captivity. Due to their location and infrequent sightings, observations of how they act in the wild is still information to be gained. In the future when further studies are done, we may find out that these foxes can be domesticated, and they'll find homes around the world, maybe even in yours. What we know of them now, is that these small creatures with disproportionately large ears are loving, docile, and respond well to humans and other kind creatures.