The Fennec fox (Fennecus zerda), is a small fox that lives in sandy deserts. It is found in the Sahara (in northern Africa) and the northern part of Saudi Arabia. This agile fox has huge ears and very large eyes; the large ears help the fox lose excess heat and enable it to hear its prey from a long distance away. Escaping the daytime desert heat, this mammal is nocturnal (most active at night); it rests during the day in a burrow in the sand. This social animal lives in groups of up to 10 individuals, and it marks its territory with urine. The life span is 10 to 12 years. The fennex fox has hairy feet that protects it from the hot sand.
