   #copyright

Bat-eared Fox

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

                  iBat-eared Fox

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Mammalia
   Order:   Carnivora
   Family:  Canidae
   Genus:   Otocyon
            Müller, 1835
   Species: O. megalotis

                                Binomial name

   Otocyon megalotis
   ( Desmarest, 1822)

   The Bat-eared Fox is a canid of the African savanna. It is named after
   its huge ears. Bat-eared Foxes have tawny fur, their ears, legs and
   parts of the face are black. They are 55 cm in length (head and body),
   their ears are 13 cm long. It is the only species in the genus Otocyon.

   The teeth of the Bat-eared Fox are much smaller than teeth of other
   canid species. This is an adaptation to their insectivorous diet. 80%
   of the diet consist of insects. Bat-eared Foxes visit termite hills,
   follow locust swarms or stay close to herds of zebras or antelopes in
   order to feed on the insects landing on their excrements. In addition
   to insects Bat-eared Foxes eat rodents, birds and eggs, and sometimes
   fruits.

   Bat-eared Foxes are nocturnal animals, that live in small groups
   consisting of a couple and their young. The pairs live in dens and
   raise the pups (two to five) together.

   Due to their unusual teeth, Bat-eared Foxes were once considered as a
   distinct subfamily of canids (Otocyoninae). However, according to more
   recent examinations they are closely related to the true foxes of the
   genus Vulpes. Other research places the genus as an outgroup which is
   not very closely related to foxes. The Bat-eared Fox is an old species,
   that was widely distributed in the Pleistocene era. In that time it
   even lived in parts of West and South Asia.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat-eared_Fox"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
