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Habitat and Behaviour This is a fox of sandy desert, including stable
sand dunes as well as dunes near the Atlantic coast in Morocco
(Western Sahara). It eats a wide range of both animal and plant
foods, including insects, small rodents, lizards, small birds, wild fruits
and some tubers. It is said to also forage around human settlements.
Fennec Foxes are solitary hunters that obtain much of their animal
prey by digging, with most activity occurring at night. Their large
ears allow them to hear movement below the surface. During the day
they shelter in burrows that can be complex, with up to 15 entrances
in relatively compact sand. They live as mated pairs with pups of the
season and even of the previous litter. Mating takes place in January–
February, with births occurring in March–April. Litters may contain
1–5 pups, each averaging 45 g in weight.
Distribution and Status The nature of the Fennec Fox’s chosen
habitat is its best protection. It occurs throughout the Sahara, from
the Atlantic almost to the west bank of the Nile, in the north in places
to the Mediterranean and southwards to the northern Sahel Belt. It
is found wherever there is suitable habitat in Mauritania, Mali, Niger,
Chad and Sudan to the west of the Nile, and extends into the northern
Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. Although two records exist from the north-
eastern Arabian Peninsula (Kuwait and near Basrah, Iraq), its natural
presence here needs to be confirmed. A number of early records were
confused with the superficially similar Rüppell’s Fox.
Conservation Areas Ahaggar NP, Tassili n’Ajjer NP (Algeria); Sidi Toui
NP (Tunisia); Nefhusa NP, Zellaf NR (Libya); Bir El Abd CA (Egypt); Banc
d’Arguin NP, Diawling NP (Mauritania); Aïr and Tenere NR (Niger).
GOLDEN JACKAL Canis aureus
Identification Also known as the Common or Asiatic Jackal, this is
the only jackal to occur across North Africa and the Middle East. It
has a typical jackal appearance, with variable coat coloration. The tail
tip is always dark or black. The coat colour is commonly pale golden-
brown with a liberal sprinkling of black and grey hairs on the back and
sides – the colour may vary between individuals, populations and
even seasonally. The head, backs of the ears and legs are often fawn
to reddish, and the underparts are paler. Some animals have a fairly
dark back saddle that could cause them to be confused with the Black-
backed Jackal (C. mesomelas), but the closest region in which these
two species overlap is in Eritrea.
Size Shoulder height 38–50 cm.
Weight 6–15 kg.
Habitat and Behaviour The Golden Jackal occupies a wide range of
habitats from desert to forests, from sea level to 3,800 m (12,500 ft),
and it is commonly seen in the vicinity of human settlements. It
eats animals and plants, including young antelopes, hares, rodents,
insects and carrion, as well as wild and cultivated fruits. Where
food is abundant, up to 20 jackals may be found together, but these