Fennec Foxes

The fennec fox is a small breed of fox that lives in the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa. The African fennec fox has large ears and usually has a soft coat that is sandy in color, which lets them blend in to their desert surroundings.

Fennec foxes are considered the only breed of fox that can reasonably be kept as pets.

They only have a 52 day gestation period, so they give birth quite quickly. They usually have 2-5 kits per litter. The babies drink their mother's milk for only about a month before they move to solid food. The mother generally keeps the father out of the den until the kits are a bit older.

There are reputable fennec fox breeders in the United States and Canada, so if you're interested in owning a fennec, you might be able to obtain one locally.

Fennex foxes are omnivores. These omnivorous animals primarily eat insects and small rodents, as well as birds and their eggs. They also eat desert plants, which is their primary source of water. Fennec foxes will drink water when it's available, but they don't need to. Fennecs can live months or even YEARS without drinking water, living only on the water they get from the plants they eat. These plants consist of berries and other fruits, grasses, and some types of roots.

When domesticated, they usually eat a diet consisting of meaty dog and cat foods, raw meat, mealworms, and insects.

It depends on the jurisdiction. Some locations do allow private citizens to own fennec foxes, and some don't. Since these are wild animals, they are probably not allowed in most locations, but you should check to be sure.

Domesticated fennec foxes aren't really available widely, because fennec breeders can't operate in many jurisdictions.

The price of fennec foxes varies from as low as $1,000 to as high as $20,000! You can occasionally find them cheaper that $1,000, but it's best to purchase from a reputable breeder so you don't end up with a sick animal.