FENNEC FOXES

Gatorama is excited to welcome two fascinating new residents — Sahara and Sparky, a pair of Fennec Foxes! These tiny desert dwellers are full of energy and curiosity, offering visitors a closer look at one of nature’s most remarkable survivors.

Fennec Foxes (Vulpes zerda) are native to the Sahara Desert of North Africa, where daytime temperatures can soar above 110°F. Their large ears, which can grow up to 6 inches long, serve two important purposes — they help dissipate heat to keep the fox cool, and they provide exceptional hearing to detect prey moving underground.

Despite their small size — weighing only about 2 to 3 pounds — Fennec Foxes are skilled hunters. Their diet includes insects, small rodents, birds, eggs, and fruits. They are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night when the desert is cooler, and they spend much of the day resting in cool underground burrows they dig themselves.

Sahara and Sparky give us a wonderful opportunity to learn about adaptation and survival in extreme environments. Their unique features and behaviors show just how cleverly animals can evolve to thrive in harsh desert conditions.

Be sure to stop by and meet Sahara and Sparky on your next visit.