Editing Fennec fox (section)

=== Behaviour ===
{{listen|filename=Fennec Singing.ogg|pos=right|title=A fennec fox call|description=|format=[[Ogg Vorbis]]}}
[[File:Desert fennec . Sahara fox in Morocco.jpg|thumb|Fennec fox in the Moroccan Sahara]]

Fennec foxes are primarily nocturnal, displaying heightened activity during the cooler nighttime hours.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carlstead |first=K. |date=1990 |title=Husbandry of the Fennec fox: ''Fennecus zerda'': environmental conditions influencing stereotypic behaviour |journal=International Zoo Yearbook |volume=30 |issue=1 |page=202 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1990.tb01164.x|doi-broken-date=19 December 2024 }}</ref> This behaviour helps them escape the extreme Saharan heat and reduces water loss through panting.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Maloiy |first1=G. M. O. |last2=Kamau |first2=J. M. Z. |last3=Shkolnik |first3=A. |last4=Meir |first4=M. |last5=Arieli |first5=R. |date=1982 |title=Thermoregulation and metabolism in a small desert carnivore: the Fennec fox (''Fennecus zerda'') (Mammalia) |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=198 |issue=3 |pages=279–291 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1982.tb02076.x}}</ref> A fennec fox digs its den in sand, either in open areas or places sheltered by plants with stable [[sand dune]]s. In compacted soils, dens are up to {{cvt|120|m2}} large, with up to 15 different entrances. In some cases, different families interconnect their dens, or locate them close together. In soft, looser sand, dens tend to be simpler with only one entrance leading to a single chamber.<ref name=Asa_al2004/>

Captive individuals reside in family groups. Fennec foxes exhibit playful behavior, especially among younger individuals.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Dempsey |first1=J. L. |last2=Hanna |first2=S. J. |last3=Asa |first3=C. S. |last4=Bauman |first4=K. L. |date=2009 |title=Nutrition and behavior of Fennec Foxes (''Vulpes zerda'') |journal=Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice |series=Nutrition and Behavior of Uncommon Species |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=299–312 |doi=10.1016/j.cvex.2009.01.004|pmid=19341956 }}</ref>