The world’s smallest species of fox!

A pair of fennec foxes have recently arrived at Exmoor Zoo and are on exhibit in their purpose-built enclosure at the top of the zoo near the cafe. Their move was originally planned some 2 years ago, but in the meantime both the armadillo and dwarf mongoose have been trying out their designed home.

Their ears tell you that this is a night time hunter (dawn and dusk as well) and possibly they have become nocturnal to avoid bigger predators like desert birds of prey and jackals. Having made a home in the desert they have a few unusual adaptions, which enable them to live in northern parts of Africa like Morocco, the Sahara Desert and Mauritania. Their large ears help dispel heat and find underground prey and much like the sand cats they also have at the zoo, their extra fur around the pads of their feet help to avoid the heat from the sand. Their coat, kidneys and ears are also special, enabling them to survive in high day time temperatures and survive on extremely little water (sometimes just from the prey they eat).

They live in underground burrows in the dessert, which helps them keep cool during the day. Some burrows have been recorded with 15 entrances/exits... Can you imagine that many doors to your house? At Exmoor Zoo, they have a purpose-built nest box in their heated indoor house.

Also known as the desert fox they are oddly an omnivore. Their prey includes a wide range of animals, like small rodents, snakes, lizards and insects such as grasshoppers and locusts, as well as eggs, roots, leaves and fruit.

The keepers have started to consider names for them but ask the public suggest some names that are more applicable. They will keep their names in an international stud book run by European Association of Zoos and will choose from ideas.