How to keep fennec at home. Desert fennec fox. Long-eared desert fox as a pet. Living in the wild

By the way, even in distant Africa there is a little fox-sister. Meet the dwarf fennec fox.

Fennec fox - African fox

The smallest fox on Earth lives in the northern deserts of Africa and in the center of the Sahara. Its name - fennec - is translated from Arabic like "fox".

The unusual appearance of the dwarf fennec fox

In size this predatory animal smaller than even a domestic cat. The body and tail are the same length, up to 40 cm, height from 17 to 22 cm, and weight only 1.5 kg. The unexpectedly large ears give a touching expression to the small, pointed muzzle. No predator has such a structure of ears, when their size is much larger than the head. Just imagine ears 15 cm long! They help fennec cats not only hear well, but also cool down.

The eyes are also large and expressive, but the teeth are small and sharp, helping to gnaw on small animals.

Like all adult foxes, the body is covered with soft, thick fur of a beautiful reddish hue, the abdomen and lower parts of the paws are white. Here are the cubs in full white. The lower part of the paw is also covered with hair, which allows it to move on hot sand.

Lifestyle of African foxes

If in sandy desert There are small thickets of bushes, then you can be sure that there is a fennec burrow somewhere nearby. Animals dig holes with branched passages themselves.

Several families can live in one den, as fennecs lead a gregarious lifestyle. In addition to the male and female, the family has 7–8 cubs, very small ones and teenagers from the previous litter.

When the breeding season begins, which happens once in the first months of the year, the males turn into fierce defenders of their territory. They leave marks with urine and get into fights with anyone who encroaches on its boundaries.
The female carries offspring for about 50 days. The fennec drags soft grass, feathers, and pieces of wool into one of the branches of the hole. There are sometimes very few cubs, 1–2 or more, 5–6. They are small, helpless and blind. But they grow quite quickly, at 2 weeks their eyes open, and after another 3 they slowly, carefully look out of the hole and even walk around it.

The role of the male during this period is only to feed the entire family, but the female does not let him into the nest.
When little fennec foxes turn 3 months old, they freely, without fear, move away from the hole and even get food themselves.

They become fully grown by 9 months and form their own family. It happens that they stay with their mother and raise younger, later born brothers and sisters.

Fenechs communicate very actively with each other using a variety of sounds. Like all members of the canine family, they can not only bark, but also squeal, grumble, whine and howl.

What do fennec foxes eat?

Miniature fennecs cannot hunt large animals, so small desert inhabitants become their prey. These are small rodents such as jerboas, gerbils, and can also eat carrion, bird eggs, and various insects (), which are dug out of the sand.

Sometimes they eat and plant foods, mainly roots and ripened fruits. In case of hunger, it stores food for future use. The animal has adapted to life in the desert - the fennec almost never drinks water; the liquid contained in its food is enough for it.
Due to the fact that the color of the fur merges with the color of the sand, and also the fact that when in danger, the fox buries itself in the sand with lightning speed, as if it were falling through, they have almost no enemies.

It is small in size and very mobile. Scientists still cannot come to a consensus on which order the fennec belongs to in the hierarchy of animals.

There are two versions: dry foxes or a separate species of Fennecus, which is distinguished not only by its specific appearance and body structure, but also social features. While scientists are arguing, some lovers of domestic exotics are accustoming fennec foxes to life in captivity. Oddly enough, this turned out to be much easier to do than initially expected. Little foxes are not picky eaters and are very affectionate. How does the fenech behave at home and what kind of environment needs to be created for its maintenance - we will tell you all about this in this article.

General information

Desert miniature foxes have their own characteristics. First, they are born

babies are always white, but over time the skin becomes fawn or Secondly, the ears of a fennec fox can reach 15 centimeters with a body length of 30 centimeters. Thirdly, the animals, despite their small size, are very active and jumping: they can jump 70 centimeters in height. This ability helps the fox effectively hunt and catch even

Fennec at home

As mentioned earlier, this animal gets along well in captivity. If you take it to your home in childhood, then be prepared that at first your pet fennecs will need constant attention and even hand-feeding. Later, when the fox gets used to it, it will become more independent and less dependent. What conditions need to be created for the fennec to feel as comfortable as possible at home?

1. Provide a place for the animal. It is better if it is a separate room, even if it is small. You can try to recreate a natural environment for a fennec cat. If it is not possible to allocate a room for the animal, then build a spacious enclosure in which the fox can play.
2. Buy a spacious cage. Even if you have allocated a special place for the animal, you cannot do without it. You will need it in case you leave the animal alone at home.
3. Remove from the floor all things or objects that could be dangerous for the fennec cat. This is important when you let the animal run around the apartment. Keep in mind that a loose wire or a bag of cereal that has fallen on the floor could become your pet's prey.
4. IN winter period Fenech at home requires special care and attention. Keep the animal only in a heated room, otherwise you risk catching a cold and even killing it. Majority deaths associated specifically with hypothermia.

What does fennec fox eat at home?

• live food and small rodents);
• raw meat;
• vegetables;
• fruits.

Sometimes you can add eggs, fish, milk, and kefir to your diet.

So, now you know that the fennec fox feels great at home, but requires maximum care and attention. This information will be useful to you if you decide to purchase such a pet for yourself.

Fennec fox is a tiny fox that lives in deserts North Africa. The name of the animal comes from the Arabic fanak - “fox”. The weight of the chanterelle is about 1.5 kg, its body length is 30-40 cm, not including the tail. The tail of fennecs is very long - up to 30 cm.

Where the fennecfish lives, it always stands heatwave. Their special ears, 15 cm long, help cool the animal’s body and protect it from the heat. And the fluff on the animal’s feet allows it to run on hot sand.

Fenech prefers to live in thickets of grass or small bushes. They serve the fox both as shelter and as a source of food. The animals dig holes for themselves with a large number of passages and live in families. Fennecs lead night look life.

Fennec, or steppe fox, feeds on the roots and fruits of plants, insects, and small vertebrates. Without water, an animal can be very for a long time, he gets the necessary fluid from the berries and plants he eats. In addition, fennecs are very thrifty; they always have food in stock.

At 8-9 months, fennecs reach puberty. These foxes breed once a year. A fennec cub weighs only 50 grams at birth. Until the puppies are two weeks old, the mother remains with them in the den, and the male brings them food. Each pair of fennecs settles in a separate area; these animals are monogamous.

Fenech habitats: Central Sahara, Sinai and Arabian Peninsulas, northern Morocco, as well as Sudan and Niger.

Fenech is the only fox that can be kept at home. But keeping a pet fennec is much more difficult than keeping a dog or cat.

These animals are nocturnal, so at night they can cause disturbances to their owners, that is, at night it is better to leave the fennec in a separate room.

Fennec foxes get along well and calmly with other pets at home. But, since the fennec is still a wild animal, and he began to live with people only recently, sometimes other domestic animals can provoke the fox cub into aggression. For the same reason, you should not get a fennec cat if you have very small children at home. But cats and fennec foxes can even play together.

These foxes are very active and need a lot of space, so a small apartment is not suitable for them. The ideal would be a spacious enclosure or a separate room in which the living conditions of the fox cub will be as close to natural as possible. Don’t forget about the Fenech’s keen hearing. High noise can damage the animal's hearing, so it is necessary to protect it from loud sounds.

Also, the house where the fox lives should be very warm, because it comes from hot places. If a fennec catches a cold, it is very difficult to cure it, and sometimes it can die due to a cold.

On average, fennecs live 10-15 years. With good handling and proper care, this beautiful fox can live longer.

Fennec cat care

It is better to take a fennec cat into your home as a small child and start raising it right away. You should not shout at the fox or make sudden movements in front of him. These foxes are very shy. They are difficult to train; their natural instincts will always dominate. But they quickly get used to the tray.

When getting a fox cub at home, many do not know what the fennec fox eats outside the wild. You can feed them minced meat (cereals + lean meat), sometimes pamper them with insects and mice. You can also feed dry kitten food. It is better not to give food from the table to foxes.

Take care in advance of toys that can be chewed. Otherwise, the fennec will begin to chew furniture and wires. He will also appreciate a small container of sand.

Fenechs need to be vaccinated on time. All vaccines used for dogs are suitable.

Exotic animals in the house are no longer uncommon. Greater preference is given to wild animals. Fennecs are becoming more and more popular, but due to the high cost, few can afford such a miracle. The main thing is to understand that the animals will not behave like domestic cats. Yes, they are partial to affection and games, but those living in the wild have their own rules. Before you get a fox cub, information about where and how it lives in nature will be useful.

Fenech: what kind of animal is this?

Fennec fox is a small fox that lives in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Compared to a cat, this animal is smaller in size. The weight of the animal reaches 1.5 kg, grow up to 40 cm in length.

Among predators, the fennec has the largest ears in relation to the volume of the head. Foxes need ears of this size to survive in the desert. Firstly, the animal hears any movements and rustles well of his prey. Secondly, the ears serve as a thermostat: blood vessels are close to the skin and relieve the body of excess heat. And the fluff on the feet helps the fenech to move along the hot sand.

Fennecs live in families in burrows, digging out many moves for himself. After the birth of the cubs, the mother fox takes care of them without letting the male into the hole. All he has to do is provide them with food.

They feed on plant roots and their fruits, insects, carrion, bird eggs and small vertebrates. Animals can survive without water for a very long time., getting the necessary moisture from food.

This is how fennecs live in the wild. And for anyone who wants to keep such a fox at home, it will be useful to learn how to behave with the animal, what to feed it and how to care for it.

Creating comfortable conditions for the fennec fox

To properly care for a fennec fox at home, it is important to know about its natural features. They can't stand bright things sunlight, and in the desert they hide in holes and come out only closer to dusk.

They sleep quietly during the day, and at night they are capable of causing a real pogrom. They run around, constantly looking for something, and show increased interest in everything. Besides fennecs are excellent diggers, and sensing danger, they quickly bury themselves in the sand as if they were not there.

For this reason, you will have to allocate a place where your pet can frolic with the sand. If this is not done, he will try to dig a tunnel in the sofa and in the floor. And he can even build a hole out of the owner’s things. And if he finds a bag of something loose, he will try to take it throughout the house. Moreover, this fox loves to climb onto the table and throw things off there, thereby causing a lot of noise and chaos.

The fennec fox is still a wild animal and leaving it alone in an apartment is not always safe. A good solution would be to buy a cage. Let it be a spacious enclosure so that there is somewhere to frolic in the absence of the owner.

The restless fox wants to explore everything that surrounds her. Here are the main caveats:

1. By locking the windows and doors, a runaway fennec cat will not be easy to find.
2. Remove breakable objects as high as possible.
3. Hide the wires, the little fox will not be able to resist chewing them.
4. Heat the room as best as possible; a heat-loving animal can easily get sick, and it is not easy to treat.
5. Avoid sudden movements and screams in the presence of your pet (fennecs are shy and sensitive, and loud sounds will damage his hearing).

What to feed your fennec cat?

Healthy appearance fox breeding is impossible without proper nutrition. Fenech is a picky animal, its menu is quite varied. Vegetables and fruits are an essential part of the daily diet. It is better not to feed your pet from the common table, but to prepare cereals with lean meat for it. Already adult pets can be given a little boiled chicken breast. And don’t forget to indulge in insects, small rodents and lizards.

Experienced breeders know one more thing Fox cubs' favorite treats are figs and dates. And as the main complementary food, dog food with vegetables is suitable.

Over time, it will become clear what kind of food the animal loves. By the way, quail eggs they eat with great pleasure.

6 notes for the future owner

We must also be prepared for the fact that these foxes squeal almost non-stop. So, they communicate with each other. A loving owner will get used to this over time, and will never regret that such restless and cheerful animals live in his house.

The fennec fox is a small animal, smaller than a domestic cat, which is a breed of fox, found in the deserts of North Africa. Zoologists assigned them to the canine family and discovered special social behavior in the little foxes. The fennec fox adapts perfectly to life in captivity, is very affectionate and flexible, and does not mind communicating with humans. Unfortunately, such animals are sold extremely rarely, so they are very expensive.

Little Fox, Can be kept at home. They feel great and reproduce quickly. If you raise a fennec cat correctly, you can get a loyal, affectionate, unusually smart pet.

The floor in the room should be covered with sand; foxes love to dig holes. And they can dig almost five meters in a short time. It is very difficult for a fox cub to relieve himself in a litter tray; it will take a lot of time and nerves to accustom him to this. Accordingly, until the animal is accustomed, there will be a persistent unpleasant smell in the room. The problem is that there are very few veterinarians specializing in foxes.

There will be no problems feeding the fennec. Animals are omnivores. They eat eggs, reptiles, small vertebrates, bugs, spiders, small birds. The fennec fox, a desert fox, is genetically predisposed to obtain all its necessary water supply from food. Roots, tubers, and fruits of plants are sources of necessary moisture for the animal.

At home, the pet is fed mainly meat products, include fruits and vegetables in the diet, you can sometimes give kefir, fish, eggs. The little fox will notice which product he prefers. The animals weigh only one and a half kilograms, the length of the body is approximately 30 cm, while the ears are about 15 cm. There are many blood vessels in the ears of the fennec cat; he needs large ears not only to hear well, but also serve as a natural cooler in the hot desert.

Woolen paws protect against burns from hot sand. After birth, the tiny animals are white. As the animal grows older, its color changes slightly and becomes a reddish hue. The long silky fur of the animals is very pleasant to the touch. The little fox is very sensitive and timid.

Video. Fennec at home