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www.thevillagenews.co.za
17 March 2021
MY ENVIRONMENT
Bat-eared fox – daddy daycare By Dr Anina Lee
I
love bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis). They are adorable-looking, they control termite numbers, they are monogamous, and the father cares for the kids. Let me elaborate. The bat-eared fox is the only living species of the genus Otocyon. They are neither dogs (Genus Canis) nor true foxes (Genus Vulpes). The generic name Otocyon is derived from the Greek words otus for ear and cyon for dog, while the specific name megalotis comes from the Greek words mega for large and otus for ear.
Bat-eared foxes occur only in Africa, in two distinct regions with two different subspecies. Subspecies Otocyon megalotis virgatus occurs in East Africa, from Sudan down to Tanzania.
predators like lions, caracal and jackals. In winter, they may hunt during the day as well. These cute little canids are relatively small – no more than 3–5 kg and less than half a metre tall. They have thick grey coats, and tails, legs and faces are black. The most remarkable features are the huge ears – black on the outside and whitish inside. These ears are used to regulate the body temperature (a bit like an elephant), but most importantly, they are used to locate prey. Their prey consists predominantly (80–90%) of harvester termites, but they will also eat other insects, arachnids, lizards and fruit. This makes them the only genuinely insectivorous canid. Bat-eared foxes have up to 50 small sharp teeth, which is more than typical mammals but perfect for eating insects. Using their big ears, these little foxes can accurately locate any insects rustling in the grass and even moving underground. Then they use their specially adapted claws to dig up their prey.
Otocyon megalotis megalotis appears in the southern part of Africa, ranging from Angola through Namibia and Botswana and all the way to the Cape Peninsula and Cape Agulhas in South Africa.
What I find most interesting about these bat-eared beauties is their mating and social behaviour. They are very social animals, sometimes foraging in large groups, without competing for food. They form monogamous pairs that are rarely unfaithful.
Bat-eared foxes are adapted to arid or semi-arid environments. They are commonly found in grasslands, and the drier regions of the savannas, preferring bare ground and areas where the grass is kept short by grazing ungulates. They are mainly nocturnal, thus avoiding day-time
A couple produces a litter of up to six pups in an underground den, either dug themselves or adapted from someone else’s old burrow. The mother suckles the pups for quite a long time – more than twice as long as dog or cat mothers. This is because bat-eared foxes do not
regurgitate half-digested food for the young, which are entirely reliant on milk until they can forage for themselves. If the mother is to produce so much milk for the kids, she has to be away from the den for long periods to forage for herself – and dad had better mind the kids while she is away. Bat-eared foxes are among the 10% or so of mammals that regularly provide paternal care to their young. Dads in this species are so dedicated that they spend even more time than females near their home dens. These furry fathers play a role in nearly every aspect of child-rearing: grooming the cubs’ fur, engaging them in play and teaching them to stalk terrestrial insects with their bat-wing-shaped ears. There is a high correlation between the time fathers spend with their offspring and their survival rate. In this species, fathers matter. While paternal care is quite rare among animals, one thing is clear: the likelihood of paternal care is much higher in monogamous animals. Nearly 60% of mammals who choose long-term mates have males caring for their young. That makes sense – pair-bonding increases the certainty of the paternity of the female’s offspring, so there is a greater incentive for the male to invest his time in daycare! If the investment that fox fathers make in their offspring is so advantageous for the kids, how much more so is it for human fathers. Not only does it benefit the children, but invested fathers are just so foxy.
The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) is an adorable-looking little canid that is neither dog nor true fox. The most remarkable feature is their huge ears. PHOTO: Shadows of Africa Bat-eared foxes form monogamous pairs and the fathers play a role in nearly every aspect of child-rearing. They spend even more time than females near their home dens providing daddy daycare. PHOTO: Critter Science
