Bat-eared fox
Bat-eared fox[1] | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Canidae |
Subfamily: | Caninae |
Genus: | Otocyon S. Müller, 1835 |
Species: | O. megalotis
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Binomial name | |
Otocyon megalotis (Desmarest, 1822)
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Subspecies | |
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range | |
Synonyms[3] | |
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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[1] and considered a basal canid species.[4] Fossil records indicate this canid first appeared during the middle Pleistocene.[5]
It is named for its large ears, which have a role in thermoregulation.[3] The bat referred to in its colloquial name is possibly the Egyptian slit-faced bat (Nycteris thebaica), which is abundant in the region and has very large ears.[6] Although not commonly used, other vernacular names include big-eared fox, black-eared fox, long-eared fox,[7] Delalande's fox, cape fox,[note 1][8] and motlosi.[3]
Systematics and evolution
The bat-eared fox is the only living species of the genus Otocyon. Its scientific name, given by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest, was initially Canis megalotis (due to its close resemblance to jackals), and later changed by Salomon Müller which placed it in its own genus, Otocyon; its huge ears and different dental formula warrant inclusion in a genus distinct from both Canis and true foxes (Vulpes).[6] The generic name Otocyon is derived from the Greek words otus for ear and cyon for dog, while the specific name megalotis comes from the Greek words mega for large and otus for ear.[3]
Due to its different dentition, the bat-eared fox was previously placed in a distinct
Subspecies
Currently, there are two recognized subspecies:[9]
Image | Subspecies | Distribution |
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Otocyon megalotis megalotis (Desmarest, 1822) | Southern Africa | |
Otocyon megalotis virgatus (Cabrera, 1910) Rothschild, 1902 | East Africa. |
Fossils
Otocyon is poorly represented in the fossil record. It is suggested the genus forms a clade with Prototocyon, an extinct genus of canid. However, the generic distinction between Prototocyon and the extant Otocyon is doubtful.[11][12] Fossils of an extinct fox-like canine known as Otocyon recki, have been found in sediments of the Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, dating back to the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene.[3] However, it is now often placed in Prototocyon.[13][14]
Description
Bat-eared foxes are relatively small canids, ranging in weight from 3 to 5.3 kg (6.6 to 11.7 lb). Head and body length is 46–66 cm (18–26 in), tail length is 23–34 cm (9.1–13 in), shoulder height is 30–40 cm (12–16 in),[15] and the notably large ears are 11–13 cm (4.3–5.1 in) long.[16]
Generally, the pelage is tan-colored, with gray agouti guard hairs,[15] 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.[3] Individuals of the East African subspecies, O. m. virgatus, tend toward a buff pelage with dark brown markings, as opposed to the black of O. m. megalotis. 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.[16]
Range and distribution
The bat-eared fox has a disjointed range of distribution across the arid and semi-arid regions of Eastern and Southern Africa, in two
Habitat
Bat-eared foxes are adapted to arid or semi-arid environments. They are commonly found in short grasslands, as well as the more arid regions of the savannas, along woodland edges, and in open acacia woodlands.[16] They prefer bare ground and areas where grass is kept short by grazing ungulates[3] and tend to hunt in these short grass and low shrub habitats. However, they do venture into areas with tall grasses and thick shrubs to hide when threatened.[17]
In addition to raising their young in dens, bat-eared foxes use self-dug dens for shelter from extreme temperatures and winds. They also lie under acacia trees in South Africa to seek shade during the day.[3]
Diet
Bat-eared foxes are considered the only truly
When this particular species of termite is not available, their opportunistic diet allows a wide variety of food items to be taken:
Generally, bat-eared foxes meet their water requirements by the high water content of their diet. Water constitutes a critical resource during lactation.
Dentition
The teeth of the bat-eared fox are much smaller and reduced in shearing surface formation than teeth of other canid species. This is an adaptation to its
Foraging
Bat-eared foxes usually hunt in groups, often splitting up in pairs, with separated subgroups moving through the same general area.[23] When termites are plentiful, feeding aggregations of up to 15 individuals from different families occur.[24] Individuals forage alone after family groups break in June or July and during the months after kits birth.
Prey is located primarily by auditory means, rather than by smell or sight.[23] Foraging patterns vary between seasons and populations, and coincide with termite availability. In eastern Africa, nocturnal foraging is the rule, while in southern Africa, nocturnal foraging during summer slowly changes to an almost solely diurnal pattern during the winter. Foraging techniques depend on prey type, but food is often located by walking slowly, nose close to the ground and ears tilted forward.[9] It usually occurs in patches, which match the clumped prey resources, such as termite colonies, that also occur in patches. Groups are able to forage on clumps of prey in patches because they do not fight each other for food due to their degree of sociality and lack of territoriality.[17]
Behavior
In the more northern areas of its range (around Serengeti), they are nocturnal 85% of the time. However, around South Africa, they are nocturnal only in the summer and diurnal during the winter.[25]
Bat-eared foxes are highly social animals. They often live in pairs or groups, and home ranges of groups either overlap substantially or very little. In southern Africa, bat-eared foxes live in monogamous pairs with kits, while those in eastern Africa may live in pairs, or in stable family groups consisting of a male and up to three closely related females with kits.[26] Individuals forage, play, and rest together in a group, which helps in protection against predators. They engage in frequent and extended allogrooming sessions, which serve to strengthen group cohesion, mostly between mature adults, but also between young adults and mature adults.[3]
Visual displays are very important in communication among bat-eared foxes. When they are looking intently at something, the head is held high, eyes are open, ears are erect and facing forward, and the mouth is closed. When an individual is in threat or showing submission, the ears are pulled back and lying against the head and the head is low. The tail also plays a role in communication. When an individual is asserting dominance or aggression, feeling threatened, playing, or being sexually aroused, the tail is arched in an inverted U shape. Individuals can also use
Reproduction
The bat-eared fox is predominantly socially
Pups in the
Conservation threats
The bat-eared fox has some commercial use for humans. They are important for
Notes
- ^ Note that cape fox is the common name for a true fox from South Africa, Vulpes chama.
References
- ^ OCLC 62265494.
- ^ . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ S2CID 198969264.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-170563-2.
- S2CID 128684576.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-84418-5.
- ISBN 978-0-360-00166-4.
- ^ Robinson, Stephanie. "Draft Terms of Reference – Bat-eared Fox" (PDF). p. 30.
- ^ ISBN 978-2-8317-0786-0. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-09-01.
- PMID 33473804.
- PMID 29191415.
- S2CID 84695745.
- ISBN 9780231135290.
- ISBN 9780520257214.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8018-8033-9.
- ^ ISBN 0-12-639375-3.
- ^ .
- ISSN 1616-5047.
- ^ a b Stuart, Chris T.; Stuart, Tilde; Pereboom, Vincent (2003). "Diet of the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), based on scat analysis, on the Western Escarpment, South Africa".
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ a b "Otocyon megalotis (Bat-eared fox)". Animal Diversity Web.
- S2CID 34319584.
- JSTOR 1382362.
- ^ a b Nel, J.A.J. (1978). "Notes on the food and foraging behavior of the bat-eared fox, Otocyon megalotis".
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ISBN 978-1-4729-8267-4.
- ^ Thompson, Paul. "Otocyon megalotis,bat-eared fox". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-8994-8.
- ISBN 978-0-520-08085-0.
- .
- S2CID 53148426.
- ^ Thomson, Paul. "Otocyon megalotis (bat-eared fox)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ "Bat-eared fox articles – Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2022-12-19.