Bat-eared Fox

== Bat-eared Fox== These are small African foxes known for their enormous ears. Their ears help shed the excessive heat and keep the fox cool. Bat-eared foxes are sandy gray in color with lighter fur on their belly and dark fur around the eyes, muzzle, back of the ears, feet and tail. They feed on harvester termites and insects like grasshoppers, scorpions, spiders, rodents, lizards, fruits and eggs.

Location and Relation
Two distinct populations of bat-eared foxes occur in Africa. O. m. megalotis occurs in the southern regions including southern Zambia, Angola, and South Africa. O. m. virgatus occurs in Ethiopia and southern Sudan extending to Tanzania.

The bat-eared fox commonly occurs in short grass lands as well as the more arid regions of the savanna. In addition to raising their young in dens, bat-eared foxes use self-dug dens for shelter from extreme temperatures and winds.

Reproduction
The bat-eared fox is predominantly monogamous, although it has been observed in polygynous groups. In contrast to other canids, the bat-eared fox has a reversal in parental roles with the male taking on the majority of the parental care behavior. Females gestate for 60–70 days and give birth to litters consisting of 1 to 6 pups. Beyond lactation, which lasts 14 to 15 weeks, undefined males take over grooming, defending, huddling, chaperoning, and carrying the young between den sites. Additionally, male care and den attendance rates have been shown to have a direct correlation with cub survival rates.