Bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis
A specialised insect eater with ears up to 14 cm long.
The bat-eared fox lives in the dry grasslands and savannahs of southwestern and eastern Africa.
The bat-eared fox in a nutshell
- eats
- mainly termites, dung beetles and other insects
- inhabits
- South-west and East Africa
- excels at
- insect tracking and family life
Big ears, big function
The bat-eared fox gets its name from its remarkably large ears, which can be up to 14 centimetres long. Those ears help it to cool down on hot days as well as to hear very well. This comes in handy, because bat-eared foxes mainly eat insects. With their sharp hearing, they hear insects moving underground, so they know exactly where to dig.
Insectivore
The bat-eared fox is special among canines: it lives almost entirely off insects. Its favourite prey? Termites and dung beetles. A big-eared fox eats more than a million termites a year, playing an important role in controlling the termite population. Its dense fur protects it from bites of soldier termites. And because insects contain a lot of moisture, the big-eared fox needs to drink very little.
Strong together
Bat-eared foxes live in close family groups. Usually, the group consists of a monogamous pair and their young from previous years, who help raise new cubs. Remarkably, it is mainly the males who take care of the young: they guard the den, keep the little ones warm and look after them, while the females hunt for food. Within the group there is a lot of allogrooming: grooming each other's fur strengthens the social bonds.
