Foxes

Foxes are animal that appear in The Lion Guard universe. They live in the Pride Lands.

In the Real World
The bat-eared fox is a small, African fox known for its enormous ears, which are over 5 inches (13 centimeters) tall. The ears are full of blood vessels that shed heat and help keep the fox cool; they also give the animal a very good sense of hearing.

Bat-eared foxes are sandy gray with lighter fur on the belly and darker fur around the eyes, muzzle, back of the ears, feet, and tip of its long, bushy tail. The inside of the ears and a band across the forehead are white or buff.

Unlike other dog species, bat-eared foxes don't seem to mind sharing their territory. Up to 72 foxes have been recorded in 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers).

In the Real World
Foxes are eating insects with termites making up to 70 percent of its diet. Besides termites, which it licks up from the ground, the bat-eared fox eats dung beetles and their larvae, grasshoppers, scorpions, spiders, millipedes, rodents, lizards, fruits, and eggs. But insects make up the main part of its diet.

Bat-eared foxes have more teeth (46 to 50) than most mammals, and that's what sets them apart from other fox species. While other members of the dog family have two upper and three lower molars on each side of the mouth, bat-eared foxes have three upper and four lower molars. Specialized teeth chew their creeping, crawling food, and those huge ears can listen for insects moving around.

Can you hear beetles crawling? Bat-eared foxes find prey by walking slowly with their nose close to the ground and ears cocked. Once they locate the insects by sound, the foxes jump or dig quickly to catch them and crunch them up for a tasty, high-protein meal. Bat-eared foxes hang around hoofed animals, because from those animals comes poop—and insects come buzzing around the droppings, providing a ready feast for the foxes. These little canids sometimes travel up to 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) each night when looking for food.

bat-eared foxes live in pairsalong with any pups; in eastern Africa, a fox family may contain an adult male and up to three adult females with their pups. No matter where they live, all communicate with each other using their ears and tail; the foxes also use a variety of soft whistles. Bat-eared foxes have nine calls; seven of these are low-pitched, only meant for use within the group. Adults sometimes scent mark grass or bushes with their urine.

In the rather extreme climate of their native land, bat-eared foxes spend high-temperature days in the relative comfort of their den, venturing out mostly in late afternoon to socialize. Around dusk, social grooming and play increase, and as dusk falls, the foxes leave the den area to look for food. Around midnight, they take a break to rest and then forage again until dawn.

Back at the den site, they socialize and bask in the sun until it gets too hot, when they go back into the den once more. The foxes’ activity pattern is based on the activity level of the harvester termites. In eastern Africa, bat-eared foxes are most active at night; in southern Africa, they are nocturnal during the hot summer months and diurnal in the winter.

The Lion Guard
Foxes appear in paintings in The Lair of the Lion Guard and Rafiki's Tree.