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Scientific Name: Otocyon megalotis
Common Name: Bat-eared Fox, Loffelhund, L'Otocyon
Distribution: From Ethiopia and southern
Sudan to Tanzania and from southern Angola and Rhodesia to South Africa
Description: The bat-eared fox's name comes from its
enormous ears, which are 114 to 135 mm long. The body is generally yellow-brown;
the throat and under-parts are pale; the outsides of the ears, raccoon-like
"face-mask," lower legs, feet, and tail tip are black. Besides the large ears,
the bat-eared fox is set apart from other foxes by its unique dentition. It has
more teeth than any other heterodont placental mammal with a total between 46
and 50
Difference in Sex: Female is larger than male
Average Weight: 4 Kg
Habitat: In the open country with low rainfalls,
grasslands, bushveld. It prefers dry areas.
Habits:
Main feeding time:
Size: Shoulder height 30 cm
Gestation: 2 months
Number of young at birth: 2 to 5 pups
Communication: Mostly silent but may whine and growl
Age: 6 years and in captivity up to 13 years
Diet: Their diet primarily consists of insects and
other arthropods, and occasionally small rodents, lizards, the eggs and chicks
of birds, and plant matter. The Harvester termite (Hodotermes) and dung beetles
(Scarabidae) can make up 80 percent of the fox's diet
Enemies: Brown Hyenas, martial eagles and leopards
Interesting facts:
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