more like big-eared fox! more often than not they are called bat-eared foxes. the bat the name references is the egyptian slit-faced bat, which is common in the regions the foxes also live in. they can be found in arid/semi arid regions of eastern and southern africa.
a big portion of their diet comes from bugs and that's where those big ol' ears come in handy! they get nose down to the ground and point their ears forward to HEAR the bugs scuttling along! its believed their ears also help them with thermoregulation!
a cute little fact for me. when pups are born they're more often looked after by the adult male than the female; grooming, guarding and playing early on is the male's job. the female is able to forage for longer. that way she can get nourished and better nourish the pup :3 the responsibility of watching over the pups does become more balanced once they grow up a bit more.
Like its namesake, the bat-eared fox is almost completely insectivorous. Up to 90% of its diet are harvester termites, which it locates using its oversized ears! When termites aren't available, this species will forage for a number of other insects including ants, beetles, crickets, and scorpions.
(Image: A bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) by Yathin Krishnappa via Wikimedia)
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Part two of my animal headshot series, bridging the gap between foxes and dogs by exploring Lycalopex and some of the smaller genera— Chrysocyon, Atelocynus, Cerdocyon, Speothos, Otocyon, and Nyctereutes!
[I.D.: Left panel is a chibi colored sketch of my bat-eared fox, Prue, smiling with her hands covered by oversized sleeves. Right panel is a grayscale half body sketch of my ouessant sheep, Vermilion, standing at a 3/4 to the left, smiling and making hearts near his head. End I.D.]
Tried out a different style. Not too sure I like it though. However, I might reuse the technique I used for painting the fur pattern. Utilized the "color jitter" option is CSP, which made painting these details much quicker. Even though it's a bit hard to control.