How to Catch a Fox in North Africa

Fennec fox in Algeria

I spent a part of my youth in North Africa, and occasionally someone would have a pet Fennec fox they had acquired from someone in the market.

I never knew how they were caught, but know I do.



The Fennec only weighs about 3 pounds, and it lives on a diet of beetles and scorpions, with the occasional mouse, plant root, or stray bit of carrion tossed in to the mix.

There is some confusion as to whether a Fennec is a true Vulpes fox, or if it should be given its own genus, Fennecus. The animals do not appear to be too closely related to other Vulpes; they have a different number of chromosomes (32 versus 32-25 for true fox), and also lack scent glands.

I never thought Fennecs made good pets, as they tend to sleep all day and all the ones I ever saw (wild-caught, no doubt) were very nervous and jumpy. I suppose there was a reason they were rare in the market. Who wanted to buy a live wild animal that could not be eaten and that was clearly miserable in captivity? Not many!

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