Information on fennec fox social behavior is mainly based on captive animals. The ears are sensitive enough to hear prey that may be underground the soles of its feet are protected from the hot desert sand by thick fur. The massive ears are the largest among foxes relative to body size and serve to dissipate heat, as they have many blood vessels close to the skin (Wikipedia). The fennec perceives its environment primarily through highly developed senses of hearing and smell (Animal Diversity Web). Long, soft hairs cover the soles of the feet, protecting the feet from extreme temperatures and helping the fox walk on loose sand (ARKive, AskNature). Its coat, ears, and kidney functions have adapted to high-temperature, low-water deserts with high daytime temperatures and freezing temperatures at night (Wikipedia).

It is 24-41 cm long with an 18-31 cm tail it stands 18-22 cm tall at the shoulder. The fennec is the smallest fox and weighs about 0.68–1.59 kg vixens weigh about 0.8 kg and males weigh about 1.5 kg. It uses desert grasses and/or light scrub vegetation to bolster, shelter and line its dens. The fennec prefers stable sand dunes, where it can burrow (ARKive, IUCN), but also lives in very sparsely vegetated sand dunes near the Atlantic coast (IUCN). References to fennec sightings in the United Arab Emirates were based on a Ruppell's fox in the Al Ain zoo (IUCN, Wikipedia) there are no confirmed records of the species in the Arabian Peninsula, but the fennec may occur to north Sahelian areas in the south (IUCN). The fennec is adapted to live in harsh, arid sandy deserts and semi-deserts and mountainous regions in northern Africa to northern Sinai in Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan and Tunisia. The species also displays behaviours uncharacteristic of foxes, such as living in packs while most other fox species are solitary (Wikipedia). The fennec lacks the musk glands of other fox species and has only 32 chromosome pairs, while other fox species have between 35-39 (Wikipedia). Vulpes zerda implies that the fennec is a true fox and Fennecus zerda implies that the fennec belongs to its own genus (Wikipedia).

Scientists note re are similarities and differences between the fennec and other fox species, including physical and social traits. The fennec's name comes from the Arabic fanak, meaning fox the species name zerda comes from the Greek xeros, meaning dry, due to the fox's habitat (Wikipedia).

Fennec fox sounds