Fennec fox Facts for Kids
Vulpes zerda · VUL-peez ZER-duh
The smallest fox, with giant ears that help it stay cool.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ 2 to 3.1 lb900 g to 1.4 kg1
- 📏 21 to 28 in54 to 71 cm1 long
- 🎂 11 years11 years1
- 🍽️ plants and animals
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
Fennec foxes are small foxes with huge ears! They live in the hot desert. In the daytime they sleep in a sandy burrow.
A fennec fox's big ears give off extra body heat, which helps it stay cool, and they can also hear insects moving under the sand. It stays in a cool burrow by day and comes out at night. Thick fur on the bottom of its feet protects its paws from the hot sand.
Fennec foxes are the smallest members of the dog family. In the Sahara the days are scorching and the nights are cold, so a fennec's pale, thick fur reflects the sun by day and keeps it warm after dark. It gets most of the water it needs from its food, so it can go a long time without a drink. Fennecs live in family groups and dig burrows in the sand with several entrances.
How big is a fennec fox?
Fennec fox in numbers
| Length | 21 to 28 in54 to 71 cm1nose to tail tip: head and body 36 to 41 cm plus a tail of 18 to 30 cm |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 2 to 3.1 lb900 g to 1.4 kg1 |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | 11 years11 years1up to; in human care |
| What it eats | insects, small animals, eggs, roots and fruit |
| Where it lives | the Sahara and other deserts of North Africa |
| What kind | Mammals |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)2 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- For its size, a fennec has the biggest ears of any fox.
- Fur on its feet keeps its paws safe from hot sand.
- It gets most of its water from its food, so it hardly needs to drink.
Compare the fennec fox
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Books about the fennec fox, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the fennec fox for free.
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Fennec fox, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, Fennec fox (Q131564), checked 30 October 2026.