Bat-eared Fox

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Bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) (credit: Mark Boulton from The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers — EB Inc.)

Species (Otocyon megalotis) of large-eared fox found in open, arid areas of eastern and southern Africa. It has 48 teeth (six more than any other canine) and, except for its unusually large ears, looks like the red fox. It grows to a length of about 32 in. (80 cm), including a 12-in. (30-cm) tail, and weighs 7 – 10 lbs (3 – 4.5 kg). It lives alone or in small groups and feeds primarily on insects, especially termites.

For more information on bat-eared fox, visit Britannica.com.

Otocyon megalotis

TAXONOMY

Canis megalotis (Desmarest, 1822), South Africa. Two subspecies, O. m. megalotis from southwest Africa and O. m. virgatus from northeast Africa.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: L'otocyon; German: Loffelhund.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The bat-eared fox is a typically sized fox weighing from 4.9–9.9 lb (2.2–4.5 kg) and standing 11.8–15.7 in (30–40 cm) at the shoulder. The body is ash gray, paler below, with black at the extremities. The tail is bushy and the ears large. Its teeth are unique in the canids with a series of 32 cheek teeth, all with high cusps for puncturing insect exoskeletons.

DISTRIBUTION

The species exists in two separate areas, the southwest and northeast of Africa. These two areas of the continent have remained dry even during the wettest periods of the Pleistocene.

HABITAT

Bat-eared foxes prefer open short-grass habitat. They need soil in which they can dig holes for refuge and for breeding. They occur at lower densities in savannah woodlands and desert areas.

BEHAVIOR

Pairs or groups often rest in the vicinity of one another, and get together to play and groom each other at dusk. Almost all foraging occurs at night, and is done solitarily. Bat-eared foxes are preyed upon by eagles and mammals such as jackals and cheetahs. When above ground in the day, they keep a look out for raptors. Against mammalian predators they use a zig-zag run in which their large tail acts as a rudder. They seek refuge underground.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Termites and beetles (adults and larvae) are the principal food. Insect food is often detected by sound. The grazing termite, Hodotermes, makes a noise as it chews grass stems, and bateared foxes can hear the sound of termites foraging on the underside of ungulate dung and the noise of beetle larvae in a dung beetle ball. Mice and other small vertebrate prey will be snapped up if encountered and may be common in the diet when young pups are present.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

The species is typically monogamous but dens with two breeding females are not uncommon. In some of these cases, it is known that a female pup from the previous year bred at her parents' den. Gestation is long for a fox, 60–75 days, and lactation is very long, from 14 to 15 weeks. Both of these modifications are related to an insect diet that provides a low but constant level of nutrition. Males do not regurgitate insects and hence play a small part in feeding pups. They do play a major role in guarding the pups, thus allowing the female a chance to forage so that she can produce milk. In another difference from other canids, bat-eared foxes are often non-territorial, with dens clustered in areas of suitable soil. Groups mingle on the foraging grounds. It seems that it is not worth expending energy keeping conspecifics from insect resources.

CONSERVATION STATUS

The bat-eared fox remains an inconspicuous but widespread inhabitant of dry areas in southwest and northeast Africa. It is not persecuted and has benefited from cattle ranching in southern Africa which creates short grass habitat, and grazing termites. Disease epidemics sometimes decimate local populations.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Together with all canids, bat-eared foxes can carry rabies but otherwise have no significant interactions with humans.

Bat-eared Fox[1]
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[2]
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)

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, 0.781 million years or 781,000 years ago. ^[3]

The Bat-eared Fox has tawny fur with black ears, legs and parts of the 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 teeth of the Bat-eared Fox are much smaller than teeth of other canid species. This is an adaptation to its insectivorous diet, insects making up as much as 80% of its food intake.^[4] The Bat-eared Fox visits termite hills, follows locust swarms and stays close to herds of zebras or antelopes in order to feed on the insects landing on their excrement. In addition to insects, the Bat-eared Fox eats rodents, birds and eggs, and sometimes fruits. Most of its water intake comes from the food it eats.

Bat-eared Foxes are mostly nocturnal animals that live in small groups consisting of mated pairs and their young. The pairs live in dens and typically raise two to five pups together. Mated pairs are very social and are monogamous, although it is unknown if they mate for life.

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. In that time, it even lived in parts of West and South Asia.

Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies of this fox:

• Otocyon megalotis megalotis - South Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa
• Otocyon megalotis canescens - Ethiopia, Somalia

References

Wikispecies has information related to: Otocyon megalotis

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Otocyon_megalotis

1. ^ ^{a b} Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=14000832. 
2. ^ Nel, J.A.J. & Maas, B. (2008). Otocyon megalotis. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 22 March 2009. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
3. ^ Paleobiology Database: Otocyon Basic info.
4. ^ Thompson, Paul. "Otocyon megalotis". http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Otocyon_megalotis.html. Retrieved 2009-02-08. 

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catus) · Jungle Cat (F. chaus) · Pallas' Cat (F. manul) · Sand Cat (F. margarita) · Black-footed Cat (F. nigripes) · Wildcat (F. silvestris) Leopardus Pantanal Cat (L. braccatus) · Colocolo (L. colocolo) · Geoffroy's Cat (L. geoffroyi) · Kodkod (L. guigna) · Andean Mountain Cat (L. jacobitus) · Pampas Cat (L. pajeros) · Ocelot (L. pardalis) · Oncilla (L. tigrinus) · Margay (L. wiedii) Leptailurus Serval (L. serval) Lynx Canadian Lynx (L. canadensis) · Eurasian Lynx (L. lynx) · Iberian Lynx (L. pardinus) · Bobcat (L. rufus) Pardofelis Marbled Cat (P. marmorata) Prionailurus Leopard Cat (P. bengalensis) · Iriomote Cat (P. iriomotensis) · Flat-headed Cat (P. planiceps) · Rusty-spotted Cat (P. rubiginosus) · Fishing Cat (P. viverrinus) Profelis African Golden Cat (P. aurata) Puma Cougar (P. concolor) · Jaguarundi (P. yagouaroundi) Pantherinae Neofelis Clouded Leopard (N. nebulosa) · Bornean Clouded Leopard (N. diardi) Panthera Lion (P. leo) · Jaguar (P. onca) · Leopard (P. pardus) · Tiger (P. tigris) Uncia Snow Leopard (U. uncia)   Family Viverridae (includes Civets) Paradoxurinae Arctictis Binturong (A. binturong) Arctogalidia Small-toothed Palm Civet (A. trivirgata) Macrogalidia Sulawesi Palm Civet (M. musschenbroekii) Paguma Masked Palm Civet (P. larvata) Paradoxurus Asian Palm Civet (P. hermaphroditus) · Jerdon's Palm Civet (P. jerdoni) · Golden Palm Civet (P. zeylonensis) Hemigalinae Chrotogale Owston's Palm Civet (C. owstoni) Cynogale Otter Civet (C. bennettii) Diplogale Hose's Palm Civet (D. hosei) Hemigalus Banded Palm Civet (H. derbyanus) Prionodontinae (Asiatic linsangs) Prionodon Banded Linsang (P. linsang) · Spotted Linsang (P. pardicolor) Viverrinae Civettictis African Civet (C. civetta) Genetta (Genets) Abyssinian Genet (G. abyssinica) · Angolan Genet (G. angolensis) · Bourlon's Genet (G. bourloni) · Crested Servaline Genet (G. cristata) · Common Genet (G. genetta) · Johnston's Genet (G. johnstoni) · Rusty-spotted Genet (G. maculata) · Pardine Genet (G. pardina) · Aquatic Genet (G. piscivora) · King Genet (G. poensis) · Servaline Genet (G. servalina) · Haussa Genet (G. thierryi) · Cape Genet (G. tigrina) · Giant Forest Genet (G. victoriae) Poiana Leighton's Linsang (P. leightoni) · African Linsang (P. richardsonii) Viverra Malabar Large-spotted Civet (V. civettina) · Large-spotted Civet (V. megaspila) · Malayan Civet (V. tangalunga) · Large Indian Civet (V. zibetha) Viverricula Small Indian Civet (V. indica)   Family Eupleridae Euplerinae Cryptoprocta Fossa (C. ferox) Eupleres Falanouc (E. goudotii) Fossa Malagasy Civet (F. fossana) Galidiinae Galidia Ring-tailed Mongoose (G. elegans) Galidictis Broad-striped Malagasy Mongoose (G. fasciata) · Grandidier's Mongoose (G. grandidieri) Mungotictis Narrow-striped Mongoose (M. decemlineata) Salanoia Brown-tailed Mongoose (S. concolor)   Suborder Caniformia (cont. below) Ursidae (Bears) Ailuropoda Giant Panda (A. melanoleuca) Helarctos Sun Bear (H. malayanus) Melursus Sloth Bear (M. ursinus) Tremarctos Spectacled Bear (T. ornatus) Ursus American Black Bear (U. americanus) · Brown Bear (U. arctos) · Polar bear (U. maritimus) · Asian Black Bear (U. thibetanus) Mephitidae (Skunks) Conepatus (Hog-nosed skunks) Molina's Hog-nosed Skunk (C. chinga) · Humboldt's Hog-nosed Skunk (C. humboldtii) · American Hog-nosed Skunk (C. leuconotus) · Striped Hog-nosed Skunk (C. semistriatus) Mephitis Hooded Skunk (M. macroura) · Striped Skunk (M. mephitis) Mydaus Sunda Stink Badger (M. javanensis) · Palawan Stink Badger (M. marchei) Spilogale (Spotted skunks) Southern Spotted Skunk (S. angustifrons) · Western Spotted Skunk (S. gracilis) · Eastern Spotted Skunk (S. putorius) · Pygmy Spotted Skunk (S. pygmaea) Procyonidae Bassaricyon (Olingos) Allen's Olingo (B. alleni) · Beddard's Olingo (B. beddardi) · Bushy-tailed Olingo (B. gabbii) · Harris's Olingo (B. lasius) · Chiriqui Olingo (B. pauli) Bassariscus Ring-tailed Cat (B. astutus) · Cacomistle (B. sumichrasti) Nasua (Coatis inclusive) White-nosed Coati (N. narica) · South American Coati (N. nasua) Nasuella (Coatis inclusive) Mountain Coati (N. olivacea) Potos Kinkajou (P. flavus) Procyon Crab-eating Raccoon (P. cancrivorus) · Raccoon (P. lotor) · Cozumel Raccoon (P. pygmaeus) Ailuridae Ailurus Red Panda (A. fulgens)   Suborder Caniformia (cont. above) Otariidae (Eared seals) (includes fur seals and sea lions) (Pinniped inclusive) Arctocephalus South American Fur Seal (A. australis) · Australasian Fur Seal (A. forsteri) · Galápagos Fur Seal (A. galapagoensis) · Antarctic Fur Seal (A. gazella) · Juan Fernández Fur Seal (A. philippii) · Brown Fur Seal (A. pusillus) · Guadalupe Fur Seal (A. townsendi) · Subantarctic Fur Seal (A. tropicalis) Callorhinus Northern Fur Seal (C. ursinus) Eumetopias Steller Sea Lion (E. jubatus) Neophoca Australian Sea Lion (N. cinerea) Otaria South American Sea Lion (O. flavescens) Phocarctos New Zealand Sea Lion (P. hookeri) Zalophus California Sea Lion (Z. californianus) · Galápagos Sea Lion (Z. wollebaeki) Odobenidae (Pinniped inclusive) Odobenus Walrus (O. rosmarus) Phocidae (Earless seals) (Pinniped inclusive) Cystophora Hooded Seal (C. cristata) Erignathus Bearded Seal (E. barbatus) Halichoerus Gray Seal (H. grypus) Histriophoca Ribbon Seal (H. fasciata) Hydrurga Leopard Seal (H. leptonyx) Leptonychotes Weddell Seal (L. weddellii) Lobodon Crabeater Seal (L. carcinophagus) Mirounga (Elephant seals) Northern Elephant Seal (M. angustirostris) · Southern Elephant Seal (M. leonina) Monachus Mediterranean Monk Seal (M. monachus) · Hawaiian Monk Seal (M. schauinslandi) Ommatophoca Ross Seal (O. rossi) Pagophilus Harp Seal (P. groenlandicus) Phoca Spotted Seal (P. largha) · Harbor Seal (P. vitulina) Pusa Caspian Seal (P. caspica) · Ringed Seal (P. hispida) · Baikal Seal (P. sibirica) Canidae Large family listed below Mustelidae Large family listed below   Family Canidae Atelocynus Short-eared Dog (A. microtis) Canis Side-striped Jackal (C. adustus) · Golden Jackal (C. aureus) · Coyote (C. latrans) · Gray Wolf (C. lupus) · Dog (C. lupus familiaris) · Black-backed Jackal (C. mesomelas) · Ethiopian Wolf (C. simensis) Cerdocyon Crab-eating Fox (C. thous) Chrysocyon Maned Wolf (C. brachyurus) Cuon Dhole (C. alpinus) Lycalopex Culpeo (L. culpaeus) · Darwin's Fox (L. fulvipes) · South American Gray Fox (L. griseus) · Pampas Fox (L. gymnocercus) · Sechuran Fox (L. sechurae) · Hoary Fox (L. vetulus) Lycaon African Wild Dog (L. pictus) Nyctereutes Raccoon Dog (N. procyonoides) Otocyon Bat-eared Fox (O. megalotis) Speothos Bush Dog (S. venaticus) Urocyon Gray Fox (U. cinereoargenteus) · Island Fox (U. littoralis) Vulpes Bengal Fox (V. bengalensis) · Blanford's Fox (V. cana) · Cape Fox (V. chama) · Corsac Fox (V. corsac) · Tibetan Sand Fox (V. ferrilata) · Arctic Fox (V. lagopus) · Kit Fox (V. macrotis) · Pale Fox (V. pallida) · Rüppell's Fox (V. rueppelli) · Swift Fox (V. velox) · Red Fox (V. vulpes) · Fennec Fox (V. zerda)   Family Mustelidae Lutrinae (Otters) Aonyx African Clawless Otter (A. capensis) · Oriental Small-clawed Otter (A. cinerea) Enhydra Sea otter (E. lutris) Hydrictis Spotted-necked Otter (H. maculicollis) Lontra North American River Otter (L. canadensis) · Marine Otter (L. felina) · Neotropical Otter (L. longicaudis) · Southern River Otter (L. provocax) Lutra European Otter (L. lutra) · Hairy-nosed Otter (L. sumatrana) Lutrogale Smooth-coated Otter (L. perspicillata) Pteronura Giant Otter (P. brasiliensis) Mustelinae (including Badgers) Arctonyx Hog Badger (A. collaris) Eira Tayra (E. barbara) Galictis Lesser Grison (G. cuja) · Greater Grison (G. vittata) Gulo Wolverine (G. gulo) Ictonyx Saharan Striped Polecat (I. libyca) · Striped Polecat (I. striatus) Lyncodon Patagonian Weasel (L. patagonicus) Martes (Martens) American Marten (M. americana) · Yellow-throated Marten (M. flavigula) · Beech Marten (M. foina) · Nilgiri Marten (M. gwatkinsii) · European Pine Marten (M. martes) · Japanese Marten (M. melampus) · Fisher (M. pennanti) · Sable (M. zibellina) Meles Japanese Badger (M. anakuma) · Asian Badger (M. leucurus) · European Badger (M. meles) Mellivora Honey Badger (M. capensis) Melogale (Ferret-badgers) Bornean Ferret-badger (M. everetti) · Chinese Ferret-badger (M. moschata) · Javan Ferret-badger (M. orientalis) · Burmese Ferret-badger (M. personata) Mustela (Weasels) Amazon Weasel (M. africana) · Mountain Weasel (M. altaica) · Ermine (M. erminea) · Steppe Polecat (M. eversmannii) · Colombian Weasel (M. felipei) · Long-tailed Weasel (M. frenata) · Japanese Weasel (M. itatsi) · Yellow-bellied Weasel (M. kathiah) · European Mink (M. lutreola) · Indonesian Mountain Weasel (M. lutreolina) · Black-footed Ferret (M. nigripes) · Least Weasel (M. nivalis) · Malayan Weasel (M. nudipes) · European Polecat (M. putorius) · Siberian Weasel (M. sibirica) · Back-striped Weasel (M. strigidorsa) · Egyptian Weasel (M. subpalmata) Neovison (Minks) American Mink (N. vison) Poecilogale African Striped Weasel (P. albinucha) Taxidea American Badger (T. taxus) Vormela Marbled Polecat (V. peregusna)

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