Bat-eared Fox

Radar Ears, Sharp Nose - the Bat-eared Fox

The Bat-eared Fox might be the smallest member of the canine family in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is certainly one of the most fascinating. It is an animal of open country - from grasslands to desert - and its range and habitat requirements are mirrored by the Harvester Termite (Hodotermes mossambicus) which is also its primary food.

Dining on Invertebrates

Termites and other insects (beetles, grasshoppers, ants and crickets) form the staple diet, but scorpions, spiders, small rodents, birds eggs and lizards are also taken when the opportunity arises. The fox's huge cup-shaped ears are its main foraging device. As the fox walks about, it holds its head down with ears open to the ground, so that it can pick up the slightest sound. Insects moving below the surface are accurately pinpointed and then dug up with the front paws. Despite its small and seemingly fragile form, the little fox has powerful claws and can dig into hard calcrete with great speed.

Family Life

It is suspected that male and female Bat-eared Foxes pair for life, as is the case with many other canids, but this has yet to be proven. Either way, a paired couple stick closely together and sleep side by side. A litter of four to six puppies is born at the start of the rainy season when insects are most abundant. The pups are confined to the den for the first three weeks of life and are then cautiously introduced to the big wide world by both parents. Youngsters will stay with their parents for a year or more, and it is not uncommon for them to assist in rearing their parent's next litter (much in the manner of birds such as bee-eaters which are co-operative breeders).

Heads Down, So Beware

While out foraging, with their head down, the foxes are vulnerable to predators ranging from leopards and lions, to pythons and eagle-owls. Foraging during daytime, which is common in semi-desert areas during the cold winter months, leaves the foxes at particular risk to larger eagles such as the Martial Eagle, Tawny Eagle and Bateleur.

Split Distribution

A look at an Africa distribution map for the Bat-eared Fox reveals an interesting phenomenon. The species occurs in the relatively dry southwestern part of the continent, centered on the Kalahari-Karoo-Namib biomes. It is then completely absent from central Africa, but reappearing in the dry savanna of Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia. This broken distribution (about 2000 kilometres separate the populations) is found in several other species (including the Pygmy Falcon and Dikdik) and is evidence that the continent was once a much dryer place (as it was also once much wetter) in which the population of Bat-eared Foxes was continuous.

CC Africa's Bat-eared Fox Hotspots

Bat-eared Foxes are regularly encountered in the vicinity of several CC Africa lodges. Good daytime views are frequent at Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge and also in the wildlife haven below Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. During the cool winter months, guests at Kwandwe frequently see pairs or family groups. At Sandibe and Nxabega, in the Okavango Delta, the foxes are often encountered on night drives. The little predators are fairly common in the sandy regions of Matetsi, particularly in the vicinity of ‘Safari Camp'. Kichwa Tembo and Grumeti also offer reasonable chances of seeing these fascinating animals.

- Duncan Butchart -

Posted: Mammals by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006