The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) is a medium-sized canid that calls sub-Saharan Africa its home. Adult individuals typically weigh less than 6 kg and measure between 70 and 90 cm from nose to tail. Within the canid family, the bat-eared fox stands alone as the sole representative of the genus Otocyon. Its closest relatives include domestic dogs, wolves and foxes. Thanks to its eponymous and extraordinary set of ears, however, the bat-eared fox cannot be mistaken for any other species (Figure 1).
Besides its distinctive appearance, the bat-eared fox stands out in the canid world due to its dietary preferences. As a myrmecophagus species, the bat-eared fox primarily subsides on ants and termites. Remarkably, approximately 90% of its diet consists of harvester termites (hodotermitidae). Equipped with radar-like ears, Otocyon m. possesses an exceptional sense of hearing, allowing it to efficiently locate insects both on the ground and beneath the soil, thus facilitating access to food. These remarkable ears serve not only as tools for securing sustenance but also as a means of thermoregulation. While its ears range among the largest relative to body size (only surpassed by the Fennec, Vulpes zerda), the bat-eared fox also has the dubious honor of exhibiting the smallest relative brain size among its kin. Nevertheless, scientific experiments have uncovered an impressive capacity for problem-solving and innovation in this species (Petelle, Jacobs, and Le Roux 2023).
Figure 1: A pair of bat-eared foxes photographed on Chief’s Island in Botswana.
Bat-eared foxes inhabit two distinct regions within the sub-Saharan landscape: one in the North-East, encompassing Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia, and the other in the South-West, mainly including Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa (as shown in Figure 2). Intriguingly, these ranges closely align with the distribution of harvester termites, underscoring the species’ strong reliance on this food source (Koop and Velimirov 1982; Malcom 1986). As a result, the species’ range also overlaps with that of other myrmecophagus species, such as the aardvark (Orycteropus afer), aardwolf (Proteles cristatus), and Temminck’s pangoling (Smutsia temminckii) (Pietersen and Robertson 2023).
Figure 2: Distribution of the bat-eared fox across sub-Saharan Africa. The species occupies two distinct ranges, on in North-Eastern Africa, another one in South-Western Africa (resulting in the two subspecies megalotis and virgatus). Notably, these ranges coincide with the spatial distribution of harvester termites (hodotermitidae), which constitute the bat-eared foxes’ primary source of food.
Within the two ranges, the bat-eared fox prefers short-grassed Savannah habitat and can often be found frisking around in front of their burrows at dawn and dusk (Malcom 1986). These creatures are active both day and night, their activity patterns dependent on insect availability. At Nxai Pan in Botswana, where insects are most abundant around noon, bat-eared foxes tend to be diurnal, while in most other regions, they are primarily nocturnal (Koop and Velimirov 1982). During periods of inactivity, they retreat to their burrows for rest.
Bat-eared foxes live in monogamous bonds that last for a lifetime. Pairs with offspring are called families and may consist of up to 15 individuals, yet on average contain 3 to 4 individuals. Pups are born after a gestation period of 60 to 70 days, the timing of which synchronizes with the season of peak insect abundance, thus ensuring a readily available food source for the newborns. Impressively, the species displays a high degree of tolerance towards other families, often allowing them to share feeding areas without territorial disputes (Koop and Velimirov 1982; Malcom 1986). The size of a family’s home-range varies greatly based on food availability, spanning from 0.3 to 3.5 km² (Malcom 1986).
Bat-eared foxes rarely survive past an age of 9 years, with their primary cause of mortality being predation by other carnivores. Natural predators include lions (Panthera leo), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), leopards (Panthera pardus), spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), and black-backed jackals (Lupulella mesomelas). Although bat-eared foxes may occasionally display acts of bravery, charging and lunging at jackals or hyenas to protect their burrows, they often retract at the last moment, avoiding actual combat (Emmet 2018).
Figure 3: A family of bat-eared foxes rallying and playing.
Interestingly, there’s a documented instance from Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe where a pack of African wild dogs began specializing in hunting bat-eared foxes (Rasmussen 1996). This unexpected specialization occurred after the dominant female of the pack passed away, causing the pack to adapt to a different prey source. Intriguingly, this specialization reached a level where impalas, wild dog’s primary source of prey in the area, no longer perceived them as a threat, knowing they were specialized on another species.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently classifies the bat-eared fox as a species of “least concern”, suggesting that, for the time being, these unique canids face no immediate threats to their survival.
References
Emmet, Megan. 2018. Nature Unpacked. South Africa: Briza Publications.
Koop, K., and B. Velimirov. 1982. “Field Observations on Activity and Feeding of Bat-Eared Foxes (Otocyon Megalotis) at Nxai Pan, Botswana.” African Journal of Ecology 20 (1): 23–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.1982.tb01079.x.
Malcom, J. R. 1986. “Socio-Ecology of Bat-eared Foxes (Otocyon Megalotis).” Journal of Zoology 208 (3): 457–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1986.tb01907.x.
Petelle, Matthew B., Paul J. Jacobs, and Aliza Le Roux. 2023. “Innovative Problem-Solving in a Small, Wild Canid.” Animal Cognition 26 (2): 405–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-022-01678-6.
Pietersen, Darren W, and Mark P Robertson. 2023. “Dietary Niche Breadth and Overlap of Four Sympatric Southern African Myrmecophagous Mammal Species, as Inferred from the Literature.” African Zoology 58 (2): 29–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2023.2231974.
Rasmussen, G. S. A. 1996. “Predation on Bat-Eared Foxes Otocyon Megalotis by Cape Hunting Dogs Lycaon Pictus.” Koedoe 39 (1): 127–29.