Species profile
About the bat-eared fox
The bat-eared fox lives almost entirely on insects, and harvester termites can make up most of its intake. Its ears — vast for an animal the size of a small dog — are used to hear termites and beetle larvae moving under the surface, and it has more teeth than any other placental land mammal to process them.
Family parties are a delight to watch on the short-grass plains of the Serengeti and around Ndutu, where they lie out beside their burrows in the cool of the morning while pups tumble around them.
Life in the wild
Behavior & relationships
Behavior
Crepuscular and nocturnal in the heat, more diurnal in cool months. Forages with the head low and ears forward, digging where it hears movement.
Social life
Lives in close family groups. Uniquely among canids the male does most of the pup-guarding and grooming while the female feeds to sustain her milk.
What makes it remarkable
Special features
Ears up to 13 cm long used to pinpoint underground insects, and 46–50 teeth — more than any other placental land mammal.
