Home › Mammalia › Canidae › Bat-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis)
SPECIES PROFILE
Bat-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis)
Otocyon
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Eastern and southern Africa
DIET
Insectivorous
HABITAT
Short-grass savanna and semi-desert
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Carnivora
FAMILY
Canidae
GENUS
Otocyon
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 60 cm + 30 cm tail; 3-5 kg
COLORATION
Sandy-grey with a black face mask, legs and enormous ears
ADAPTATIONS
Giant ears detect termites moving beneath the soil
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Short-grass savanna and semi-desert
DIET
Insectivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Eastern and southern Africa
REPRODUCTION
2-5 pups
DIET DETAILS
Termites and beetles
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Roadkill, disease
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Its outsized ears act like radar dishes, hearing termites chewing underground.
2
It eats mostly harvester termites and rarely needs to drink at all.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Karoo National Park
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
May-September
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Scan open plains at dawn and dusk; the huge ears swivel to pinpoint insects underground.
