Biography of Fenec

The owners assure that this dwarf fox combines the features of dogs and cats. For example, when the phenyki are happy, they can purr like cats. The phenyki lived out the deserts of North Africa: the animals can be found in a vast territory from the north of Morocco to the Arabian and Sinai peninsulas, and in the southern part they reached the Chad, Niger and Sudan. The habitat of the foxes becomes both fixed sand dunes and mobile dunes near the Atlantic coast.

This is a miniature animal from the family of dog Arabs named Fanak in translation - “Fox”. The fenec, in size inferior to the cat, is attributed to the clan of foxes, but not all biologists recognize this kinship by removing the differences between typical foxes and fenes. So, Feneca DNA consists of 32 pairs of chromosomes, while in other types of foxes - of 35-39 pairs. Foxes are considered loners, and phenyki live in large families.

Given these features, some biologists have identified eared foxes in a separate genus called Fennecus. The animal weighs within 1.5 kg with a height of 18-22 cm. The fluffy tail is almost equal in length with a body reaching 30-40 cm. The ear shells are so large 15 cm that if desired, the pheny could hide his small sharp muzzle in one of them. The teeth, including fangs, are small.

Eyes, vibrissas and nose of the nose are painted in black. Like the rest of the foxes, the fenec is deprived of the sweat glands, but, like them, has a supra -stroke philantic gland at the tip of the tail, responsible for the pungent smell during fright. The feet of Fenec, overgrown with wool, are well adapted to the inhabitation in the desert: thanks to it, the fox does not burn, running through hot sand.

The color of the fur on top is rogue or giving away the phenya allows the fenx to merge with sand dunes. The woolen cover is abundant and soft. In young animals, wool has a shade of ghee. Fenec learned to live in half a desert and deserts, but is not able to do without stunted vegetation. Herbal thickets and shrubs serve foxes with a shelter from enemies, a temporary haven for relaxation and a place for the den.

Fenek adapts to the outside world with the help of an excellent sense of smell, acute hearing and excellent vision, including the night. Sharp teeth help animals to get their food from the ground and sand. Small birds, reptiles, rodents, locusts and other insects, poultry eggs, spiders and multi -tanks become provisions for fenecs. The bruises of the Locators catch a barely audible rustle published by insects even in the thickness of the sand.

The victim caught away from the house, Fenec kills, biting by the neck, and then carries to the den to eat. An excess of provisions Fenec lays in the reserve, remembering the coordinates of the cache. Fenec is enough moisture obtained from berries, meat and leaves: his kidneys are adapted to dry climate and do not suffer from without water. The diet should always have tubers, roots and fruits that provide the animal with the daily fluid norm.

In nature, animals live 10-12 years. These are public animals adapted for group life. The family usually consists of parents who have not reached the puberty of cubs and several adolescents. The beasts are marked with urine and feces, and adult males do this more often and more abundantly. Most cohesion of the family is facilitated by common games, the nature of which depends on the season and time of day.

In game amusements, small phenys show outstanding dexterity and agility, jumping up to 70 cm in height and more than 1 m in length. Fenek leads mainly a night lifestyle, he is used to hunting alone. The fox needs a cozy place that would cover it from the scorching sun. Such a place becomes a long hole over 6 m, which it can effortlessly dig over the night under the roots of shrubs. This structure can hardly be called a hole, since it is not like a simple deepening, but combined from many cavities, tunnels and spare exits intended for emergency evacuation of the fenec when attacking the enemy.

Often the Nice system is so complex that several family clans can accommodate in it, completely without interfering with each other. Fenec feneck fertility occurs at the age of 6-9 months, while the males are ready to mate earlier than females. In the reproduction season, which usually falls on Jan Var-February and lasts 4-6 weeks, male individuals demonstrate increased aggressiveness, intensively pouring their territory with urine.

The ruts of the Fenecs last two months, and the sexual activity of females - only two days. The female declares her desire to mate the tail movement, taking it horizontally to the side. After mating, animals form a constant married couple, as they belong to monogamous. The Fenecs are relied by a separate land plot. Fenec are littered once a year.

Repeated birth of puppies is possible only in case of death, especially in the presence of feed in large volumes. By the time of birth, the nest in the hole is lined with feathers, grass and wool. The newborn puppies are covered with a weightless fluff of peach color, blind, helpless and weigh about 50 g.At the time of birth, the ears of the fenecs are rolled up, like a dog’s puppies.

At two weeks of age, the puppies open eyes and tiny ears begin to puff. From this moment, the ear shells would grow much more than other parts of the body, becoming more than a day by day. For a fairly short period, the ears become disproportionately huge. The female does not allow their father to the puppies, allowing him only to get food until they turn 5-6 weeks. At this age, they can get acquainted with their father, get out of the den, play near him or explore the surroundings.

Three -month puppies are already capable of traveling over long distances. By the same time, the female ceases to produce milk. It is generally accepted that the main enemies of the dwarf fox are the deserted lynxes of Karakala and Filin. Eyewitnesses of hunting of these predators on the eared chanterelles have not yet been found, and this is explainable: thanks to sensitive hearing, Feneca will learn about the approach of the enemy in advance and instantly hides in his confusing burrows.

It is known that the fenecs are included in Appendix II of the Cites Convention, which regulates the international trade in the species of wild fauna and flora, which are on the verge of disappearance. Paradox: Scientists have data on the area of ​​the dwarf fox populations, but still do not have accurate information about their number and status. Language of the article:.