A fennec fox weighs about as much as a large apple — only around 1.5 kg. Despite being so small, it is a brilliant survivor in the desert. Its large ears work like radiators, releasing body heat to keep the fox cool when the desert temperature soars. The ears also help it hear insects and small lizards moving underground, so it can dig them up for a meal.
Fennec foxes are nocturnal, which means they sleep through the hottest part of the day and come out to hunt at night. Their thick, sand-coloured fur keeps them warm when desert temperatures drop after dark, and the fur on the bottom of their paws acts like snow shoes on the hot, shifting sand. They are extraordinarily fast runners and can jump remarkably high for their size.
Fennec foxes live in small family groups and communicate with each other using a wide range of yips, barks, and purrs. They dig burrows to sleep in during the day, and the whole family often piles in together. In Tunisia the fennec fox is a source of great national pride and appears on the jerseys of the national football team, giving Tunisian footballers their nickname — 'Les Aigles de Carthage' notwithstanding — informally called 'the Fennecs'.