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Friend of the Week #101: Bat-eared Fox! The Bat-eared Fox is a mostly nocturnal canid native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They have light brown fur with dark legs and a bright sand-coloured neck. The back of their large ears is black while the inside is white. Their face and bushy tail are also darker coloured. Their bodies (including their head) are around 55 centimeters long, with their ears measuring another 13 centimeters.

Bat-eared Foxes use their large ears to both cool their bodies and to locate their prey. They're often seen walking slowly with their nose close to the ground. They can hear insects through the ground and [immediately jump] to use their claws to dig into the ground once they located prey. Their diet consists of mainly termites but also dung beetles and other critters, rarely fruits and eggs.

Bat-eared Foxes are monogamous and breed annually. After a 2 month pregnancy, the female gives birth to 3-6 pups, usually in October to January. They have multiple dens in their home range which they often dig out themselves. The males usually take a bigger roles in guarding and caring for the young, as the mother needs more food to produce milk for the pups.

Bat-eared Foxes are not territorial and multiple family groups are often seen not far from one another. They stay close to herds of herbivores as their droppings attract insects and they don't see each other as threats. Contrary to belief, the foxes are beneficial to farmers as they keep termites controlled. They are ocassionally hunted for their pelts. Larger carnivores like lions and hyenas prey on adults while pups are also vulnerable to jackals and eagles.

Kemono Friends' Bat-eared Fox appeared in most of the main Kemono Friends media. In the nexon game, she liked quiet places and listening to nature and disliked noise, as she has very good hearing. She would spend her time walking in the forest with Moose. In Festival she was obtainable wearing a Yukata - traditional Japanese summer garment. In Pavilion, she sits down at and plays the piano.