Why does the fennec have such big ears?

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The fennec fox's ears, which reach around ten centimeters for an animal weighing barely more than one kilo, fulfill two vital functions in the desert: evacuating body heat and locating invisible prey, even under the sand.

A radiator and a radar at the same time

The pinnae are covered with a dense network of blood vessels close to the skin: when the temperature rises, the blood cools there before returning to the body - the principle of a radiator. It is a classic adaptation of animals from warm environments, taken here to the extreme: in proportion to its head, the fennec has the largest ears of all canids.

These same flags make him a formidable nocturnal hunter: they capture the minute vibrations of insects and rodents moving beneath the surface, which allows him to dig in exactly the right place, in complete darkness.

An animal from southern Tunisia

The fennec lives throughout the Sahara, including in the far south of Tunisia. It complements its large ears with hair-covered pads for walking on hot sand, and an astonishing ability to dispense with open water by dragging it from its prey.

Published on 31 July 2026 · Updated on 13 August 2026

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