Fennec Foxes

The world’s smallest canid isn’t short on personality, or cuteness. Built for the desert, these tiny foxes have incredible adaptations from their ears to their toes.

See our fennec foxes make an appearance at Summer Camp

Up to 15 fennec foxes live in family groups in the wild

have been in our care

Meet Our Fennec Foxes

There is small but mighty, and then there’s mighty small. Fennec foxes happen to be both. Meet these pint-sized ambassadors.

Jager & Daisy's Fox Family

They may be small, but they’re big on personality.

Read Their Story

Wild About Fennec Foxes

Meet the World’s Smallest Fox

“Fennec foxes remind us of the many marvelous things about the animal kingdom, like how incredibly resilient they can be, even in the harshest of environments like the Sahara. And yet, despite their evolutionary adaptations, how completely vulnerable they can be to dangers imposed by humans.”

— Gail Helfer, author, wildlife advocate and Endangered Wolf Center volunteer

Where do fennec foxes live?

Fennec foxes live in the northern sandy deserts and arid regions of Africa where desert grasses or scrub vegetation provides for good hunting and foraging.

The pads on fennec fox paws are covered in fur so they do not burn on the hot sands of their Sahara desert home.

Are fennec foxes endangered?

While not endangered, fennec fox populations are threatened due to the pet and fur trade, habitat loss, and climate change.

Why do fennec foxes have big ears?

Fennec foxes have the largest ear-to-body ratio of any canid species. Their ears can grow up to 6 inches long, which is a third of their body size.

Like elephants, their large ears (that we like to call “ear-conditioners”) help them keep cool thanks to vessels that dissipate heat.

What do fennec foxes eat?

Fennec foxes are omnivores and eat a variety of food, including desert plants, rodents, and insects, such as scorpions, locusts, grasshoppers, and beetles.

They get the majority of their water through their diet and their kidneys are adapted to conserve water from their food.

Symbolically Adopt Our Fennec Fox Family

Whether by doing your part to combat climate change or becoming a more conscious consumer to avoid supporting the pet trade, get involved. You can also symbolically adopt our fennec fox family, which includes a 12-month membership to the Endangered Wolf Center.