Bat-eared Fox Skull Replica
$121.00
Prey is located primarily by auditory means, rather than by smell or sight. Foraging patterns vary between seasons and populations.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Bat-eared Fox Skull Replica Information
Bat-eared fox skull replica measures 4.4 inches. Otocyon megalotis is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). Made in USA.
Bat-eared fox is a species of fox found on the African savanna, named for its large ears, which are used for thermoregulation.
Although not commonly used, other vernacular names include big-eared fox, black-eared fox, long-eared fox, Delalande’s fox, and motlosi.
Description
The limbs are dark, shading to dark brown or black at their extremities. The muzzle, the tip and upperside of the tail and the facial mask are black.
The insides of the ears are white. Individuals of the East African subspecies, O. m. virgatus, tend toward a buff pelage with dark brown markings, as opposed to the black of O. m. megalotis.
The proportionally large ears of bat-eared foxes, a characteristic shared by many other inhabitants of hot, arid climates, such as the desert cottontail, help to distribute heat. They also help in locating prey.
Hunting & Diet
The bat-eared fox is the only truly insectivorous canid, with a marked preference for harvester termites (Hodotermes mossambicus) which can constitute 80–90% of its diet.
When this particular species of termite is not available, their opportunistic diet allows a wide variety of food items to be taken they consume other species of termites, other arthropods such as ants, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, millipedes, moths, scorpions, and fungi.
Berries, seeds, and wild fruit also are consumed. The bat-eared fox refuses to feed on snouted harvester termites, likely because it is not adapted to tolerate the termites’ chemical defense.
Scientific Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Canidae
- Subfamily: Caninae
- Genus: Otocyon S. Müller, 1835
- Species: O. megalotis
- Binomial name: Otocyon megalotis (Desmarest, 1822)
- Temporal range: Chibanian–Recent 0.3–0 Ma
- Conservation status: Least concern (IUCN 3.1)
Complete your exhibit with our high-quality fennec fox skull, red fox skull, and grey fox skull specimens. Shop for more museum-quality replicas in our fox and wolf replica store.
Additional information
| Weight | 1.8 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4.4 in |
