Bat-eared Fox

African savanna · canine mystery · super hearing

Giant ears galore. The bat-eared fox has absurdly huge ears compared to its body size, which is probably where it got its funny name. Scientists think it might have been named after the Egyptian slit-faced bat, another big-eared creature that lives in the same African region.

Not a real fox. Even though it's called a fox, the bat-eared fox isn't genetically a true fox like other fox species. It's actually in its own special category called Otocyon, making it unique and one-of-a-kind among all living canines.

African savanna home. Bat-eared foxes live on the African savanna, and scientists have discovered there are two separate populations that each count as their own subspecies. This means the bat-eared fox is found in multiple regions across the continent.

Ancient canine. Fossils show that bat-eared foxes first appeared during the middle Pleistocene, which was millions of years ago, making them an old and established species.