Bat-eared Fox Profile: The Big-Eared Insect Hunter of the Savanna

Often seen in pairs or family groups, it feeds mostly on termites and beetles, which is unusual for a member of the dog family. Its ears can reach a remarkable size relative to its head.

This profile covers identification, diet, family life and the best places to see it.

This guide is part of our animals of Uganda and East Africa guide. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Identification

The bat-eared fox is a small canid with a pale buff-grey coat, black legs, a black mask across the face and a bushy black-tipped tail. The enormous ears are black-edged and can be swivelled to track the sounds of insects underground. It has more teeth than most canids, with small and numerous cheek teeth suited to crushing insects. Compared with jackals, it is much smaller and more delicate, with a fine, pointed muzzle and a unique, wide-eared silhouette.

Habitat

These foxes prefer open short grassland, lightly wooded savanna and dry scrub, where termite colonies and dung beetles are abundant. They avoid thick forest and very tall grass, which hide prey and limit their hearing. Their distribution in Africa is divided into two populations, one in eastern Africa and one in southern Africa, and East African animals are found from southern Ethiopia and Somalia through Kenya and Tanzania. Rain and grazing patterns shape where they feed.

Diet and Foraging

The fox walks slowly with its nose low and its ears angled forward, then pauses, listens and digs rapidly where it hears movement. Harvester termites are a staple, and beetle larvae, grasshoppers, scorpions, small rodents, eggs and fruit are eaten when available. Foraging time is spent at dawn, dusk and often during the day in cool seasons, and at night in hot or hunted areas. Their reliance on insects makes them useful to grassland ecosystems.

Family Life

Bat-eared foxes are unusually sociable for foxes. Many live in monogamous pairs, while some form small groups with several females sharing a den. They give birth in burrows, often old aardvark holes, and both parents care for the pups. Fathers do much of the guarding and grooming. Pups appear above ground a few weeks after birth and play near the entrance, which is when visitors have the best viewing. Soft whistles and chirps keep the family in touch.

Threats and Conservation

The species is not globally threatened, but it faces risks from disease, including rabies and canine distemper, from road traffic, from hunting for fur and from predation by eagles, leopards and larger carnivores. Habitat conversion and overgrazing may change insect numbers. Protected plains such as the Serengeti are important refuges. See responsible and conservation travel.

Where to See Bat-eared Foxes

The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater have excellent sightings, as do Kenya's Masai Mara and Amboseli and Tanzania's Tarangire. Dens are often visible from the roadside. Uganda is not a classic site for this species, so it is best paired with a Kenya or Tanzania extension.

Viewing and Photography Tips

Look for the ears first, often poking above the grass. Early morning and late afternoon give the most active, photogenic scenes, especially when pups are out. Stay in the vehicle and keep noise low. See safari photography tips.

Related Species

Compare with the jackal, the aardvark, whose burrows it often uses, and the mongoose.

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