Sahara, their mother, is absolutely delighted with her new offspring. “They are just beautiful – they have their father’s ears!”
Fennec foxes are the smallest of the fox breeds, typically weighing only 4-2 lbs. as adults. At birth they weigh approximately 50 grams each! However, they have the largest ear to body ratio of any animal. They use their ears for two things: (1) Hearing, of course! The size of their ears gives them extraordinary hearing, which aids in their search for food. And (2) Their ears have a great many blood vessels that are close to the surface of their skin. As blood circulates through these vessels, it is cooled by the wind that blows on the surface of their ears. This cooled blood is then recirculated back into their bodies, which brings down their temperature. This is important since they are native to the Sahara Desert!
Fennec foxes are arguably the cutest creatures in the animal world, but they are only one of almost 100 different species of animals that call North Georgia Zoo home. The zoo is located at 2912 Paradise Valley Road, Cleveland, GA, 30528. Visit www.northgeorgiazoo.com for more info and to make reservations.