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Bat-Eared Fox

The bat-eared fox, Otocyon megalotis is a very unusual looking fox. His large rounded ears give him a bat-like appearance.

This little guy's mating season is between December and April. Their gestation period is 60-70 days, then they give birth to 2-5 kits in a den disguised like an aardvarks den.

Apperance

The bat-eared fox weighs between 6-10 pounds. He's yellowish brown in color and has a dark streak running between his eyes and down through the center of his short, narrow muzzle to his nose. His long, jackal-like legs darken to black at the toes, as does his bushy tail. His huge ears can be up to 4 1/2 inches long and are brown at the base and black at the tip.

Character

The bat-eared fox is mainly nocturnal, but sometimes is seen during the daylight hours. He is very curious and is often seen watching humans and exploring their habitats. These foxes are most commonly seen in pairs, sometimes even in groups of five or six, which is very unusual for most foxes. They love to rest in tall grass and bushes, and sometimes on overhanging rocks.
The bat-eared fox mainly survives on a diet of termites. He also eats other insects, small rodents, eggs, nestlings of ground dwelling birds, lizards, fruit, plants, and carrion. The only natural enemy of this fox is the leopard. Then of course, there is man. The bat-eared fox is eaten by African bushmen.

Habitat and Range

The range of the bat-eared fox is throughout southern and eastern Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia, southern Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. They like tall grass and shrubs to hide in.

Both small pictures from Lioncrusher.