FIELD GUIDE: MAMMALS

BAT EARED FOX

 Scientific name: Otocyon megalotis

 Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Phylum: Chordata

Genus: Otocyon

Kingdom: Animalia

 Vulnerability: Least concern

The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) is a species of fox found on the African savanna. It is the only extant species of the genus Otocyon and considered a basal canid species. Bat-eared foxes are relatively small canids, ranging in weight from 3 kg to 5.3 kg. Head and body length is 46–66 cm, tail length is 23–34 cm, shoulder height is 30–40 cm,and the notably large ears are 11–13 cm long.[16]

Generally, the pelage is tan-colored, with gray agouti guard hairs, giving its grizzled appearance, appearing more buff on the sides.[9] The undersides and throat are pale. The limbs are dark, shading to dark brown or black at their extremities. The muzzle, the tip and upperside of the tail and the facial mask are black. The insides of the ears are white. Proportionally large ears of bat-eared foxes, a characteristic shared by many other inhabitants of hot, arid climates, help to distribute heat. They also help in locating prey.