Bat-eared fox
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
Top
bat-eared fox
(click to enlarge)
Bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) (credit: Mark Boulton — The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers)
Bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) (credit: Mark Boulton — The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers)
For more information on bat-eared fox, visit Britannica.com.
Related Videos:
Top
Bat-eared fox
Random House Word Menu:
Top
categories related to 'bat-eared fox'
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Bat-eared fox
| Bat-eared fox[1] | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Subfamily: | Caninae |
| Genus: | Otocyon Müller, 1835 |
| Species: | O. megalotis |
| Binomial name | |
| Otocyon megalotis (Desmarest, 1822) |
|
 |
|
| Bat-eared fox range | |
The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) is a canid of the African savanna, named for its large ears. Fossil records show this canid to first appear during the middle Pleistocene, about 800,000 years ago.[3]
The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), also referred to as big-eared fox, black-eared fox, cape fox, and Delalande’s fox has tawny fur with black ears, legs and parts of the pointed face. It averages 55 cm in length (head and body), with ears 13 cm long. It is the only species in the genus Otocyon.[1] The name Otocyon is derived from the Greek words "otus" for ear and "cyon" for dog, while the specific name "megalotis" comes from the Greek words "mega" for large and "otus" for ear. [4]
|
Contents
|
Distribution and Habitat
Two distinct populations of bat-eared foxes occur in Africa. O. m. megalotis occurs in the southern regions including southern Zambia, Angola, and South Africa. O. m. virgatus occurs in Ethiopia and southern Sudan extending to Tanzania.[5]
The bat-eared fox commonly occur in short grass lands as well as the more arid regions of the savanna. In addition to raising their young in dens, bat-eared foxes use self-dug dens for shelter from extreme temperatures and winds. [6]
Diet
The bat-eared fox is an insectivore that uses its large ears to locate its prey. 80-90% of their diet is harvester termites, (Hodotermes mossambicus). When this particular species of termite is not available bat-eared foxes feed on other species of termites and have also been observed consuming ants, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, millipedes, moths, scorpions, spiders, and rarely birds, small mammals, and reptiles. The insects they eat fulfill the majority of their water intake needs. [7]
Dentition
The teeth of the bat-eared fox are much smaller and reduced in sheering surface formation than teeth of other canid species. This is an adaptation to its insectivorous diet.[8] Due to its unusual teeth, the bat-eared fox was once considered as a distinct subfamily of canids (Otocyoninae). However, according to more recent examinations, it is more closely related to the true foxes of the genus Vulpes.[citation needed] Other research places the genus as an outgroup which is not very closely related to foxes. The bat-eared fox is an old species that was widely distributed in the Pleistocene era.
Behavior
Reproduction
The bat-eared fox is predominantly monogamous, although has been observed in polygynous groups. In contrast to other canids, the bat-eared fox has a reversal in parental roles with the male taking on the majority of the parental care behavior. Females gestate for 60-70 days and give birth to litters consisting of 1 to 6 pups. Beyond lactation, which lasts 14 to 15 weeks[9], males take over grooming, defending, huddling, chaperoning, and carrying the young between den sites. Additionally, male care and den attendance rates have been shown to have a direct correlation with cub survival rates. [10] Mating season varies based on location but appears to coincide with peaks in rain and insect densities.[11]
 |
Wikispecies has information related to: Otocyon megalotis |
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Otocyon_megalotis |
- ^ a b Wozencraft, W. Christopher (16 November 2005). "Order Carnivora (pp. 532-628)". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=14000832.
- ^ Nel, J.A.J. & Maas, B. (2008). Otocyon megalotis. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 22 March 2009. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- ^ Paleobiology Database: Otocyon Basic info.
- ^ Clark, Howard (15). American Society of Mammalogists (766): 1-5.
- ^ Clark, Howard (15). American Society of Mammalogists 766: 1-5.
- ^ Clark, Howard (15). American Society of Mammalogists 766: 1-5.
- ^ Clark, Howard (15). American Society of Mammalogists 766: 1-5.
- ^ Kieser, J.A. (May 1995). "Gnathomandibular Morphology and Character Displacement in the Bat-eared Fox". Journal of Mammalogy 76 (2): 542-550.
- ^ Clark, Howard (15). American Society of Mammalogists 766: 1-5.
- ^ Wright, Harry William Yorkstone (2006). "Paternal den attendance is the best predictor of offspring survival in the socially monogamous bat-eared fox". Animal Behaviour 71 (3): 503–510. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.03.043.
- ^ Clark, Howard (15). American Society of Mammalogists 766: 1-5.
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Random House Word Menu
© 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier.
Write Brothers Inc.
All rights reserved.
Read more
