Bat-eared fox

Bat-eared fox
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Mammalia
Sub-class	Theriiformes
Infra-class	Holotheria
Order Information
Superorder	Preptotheria
Order	Carnivora
Sub-order	Caniformia
Infraorder	Cynoidea
Family Information
Family	Canidae
Sub-family	Caninae
Tribe Information
Tribe	Vulpini
Genus Information
Genus	Otocyon
Species Information
Species	O. megalotis
Population statistics
Population	Unknown (2014 est.)
Conservation status	Least concern

The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), also known as the big-eared, black-eared, or cape fox, is a wild fox of the family Canidae, and found throughout much of eastern and southern Africa.

Description

The bat-eared fox is small, with a body length of 18 to 26 inches, a standing height at the shoulder of 12 to 16 inches, and a body weight of 7 to 12 pounds. They are a buff-brown in color, lightly-grizzled with gray. The legs, snout, and back stripe to the tip of the tail is a blackish-gray, as well as a "mask" surrounding the eyes to the mouth lining. The ears are very large with a white interior. Cubs are grayer in color, with smaller ears.

The animal was possibly named in reference to a species of bat (Nycteris thebaica), which also has very large ears and is common within that part of Africa.

Subspecies

• Otocyon megalotis canescens; southern Africa
• Otocyon megalotis megalotis; eastern Africa

Range and habitat

Bat-eared foxes live primarily in short-grass plains; they are also found within large areas characterized by scrub vegetation, bare ground, arid and semi-arid deserts and savannas. The northern subspecies is also found in open, taller-grassland of the Serengeti. Both subspecies have been known to have a range overlapping one of their primary food sources, the termites of genera Hodotermes and Microhodotermes.

Diet

Termites form a large amount of their diet, so much so that they are considered an effective means of termite control. in addition, they also prey upon other insects, small vertebrates, such as rodents, lizards, and frogs, birds eggs, and occasionally plants.

Threats

The ICUN classifies the bat-eared fox as "least concern", due to the species' extensive range and large population. However, it is still prosecuted to some extent; farmers consider it to be a threat to small livestock, and occasionally they are killed for the skins. Rabies is also a threat, as the disease will cause an immediate, localized population drop.