The Fennec fox is a lovely, clean, pleasant and loving animal that may be easily domesticated. Nonetheless, you cannot anticipate to easily take this beautiful creature home. Fundamentally, this is because the animal would die very quickly in its new habitat that we call home.
If it survives, it will probably lead a miserable life even though you give it plenty of love and care. Besides, in lots of international locations, the possession of Fennec foxes is illegal. This is largely because of the fact that the Fennec fox is native to the Sahara deserts, however in addition they exist within the Arabian Peninsula.
The importance of habitat
Habitat is essential in tracing the outlines of the evolution of fauna and flora species which adapt to the environment. More precisely, zakarianul01 the radical nature of the unbearable desert local weather is the principle factor which, via millennia, has fine-tuned the physical frame and habits of the Fennec fox.
Would you keep an Emperor penguin as a pet in your house? Could you provide an intensive frozen rocky place at -40 °C, battered by endless blinding blizzards? I do not think so. Not even a zoo can optimally recreate that habitat.
In the identical way, it will not be doable for us to recreate the desert in our homes. The Fennec fox could possibly be an excellent pet in an oasis positioned in the desert or on the outskirts of 1; however because it has been especially adapted to outlive within the Saharan heat, it would degenerate in our delicate climate.
The morphology of the Fennec fox
The Fennec fox is the smallest of the canidae family, even smaller than a Chihuahua dog. It weighs between 1 and 1.5 kg (2.2 and 3.three lbs). Its body measures no more than 21 cm (0.6 ft) as much as its tail. An adult Fennec fox doesn’t measure any more than forty one cm (1.three ft), and its tail is between 20 and 30 cm (0.6 and 1 ft). It has furry pads on its ft to prevent them from burning on the hot sand.
Nevertheless, the physical characteristic that distinguishes it from other foxes is its pair of spectacular hyper-developed ears. These ears have a purpose. The primary is to vent heat gathered in their tiny body. The second function is to capture even the slightest sound produced by their prey.
The Fennec fox’s dense coat is sand-colored on the back and sides whilst the stomach is a greyish-white and wispier than the hair on its back.
Behavioural habits of the Fennec fox
The Fennec fox is nocturnal. Their weight loss program consists of rodents, reptiles, bugs, eggs, birds and fruit similar to dates, blackberries and berries. They’re capable of jumping a considerable height which helps them hunt and battle when predators attack.
The caracal and African owl are their foremost rivals. Fennec foxes live in underground burrows (up to 10 meters deep), where the temperature is lower than that of the outside. Within the wild they live for approximately 10-12 years.
The domesticated Fennec fox
When you’ve got been irresponsible and made the mistake of adopting a Fennec fox, because you’ve seen it in a television advert and find it very cute, you need to know that the Fennec fox is strictly nocturnal. If you confine it in a cage at evening, it will die.
If you happen to let it loose, it will tear apart cushions in an attempt to hide meals or make a hole within the sofa or mattress to make a burrow so it feels comfortable and warm in your home.
The Fennec fox can dig as much as 6 meters (19.6 ft) of earth per day. If kept in a backyard, it will most likely escape and any canine could go after it. When you live in a flat, life will probably be worse for it. The Fennec fox has a fantastic jumping ability and may get on any table or shelf, destroying everything on them.