It is a very hot day in the Sahara Desert in Africa. The sun is shining, the sand is hot, and the air is dry. This super-hot place is home to the fennec fox. How can this fox live in these extremely hot conditions? Incredibly, it uses its ears! The fennec fox’s enormous ears give off heat and keep the animal cool. The bigger the ears, the cooler the fox can be.
Surprisingly, the fennec fox’s fur also helps keep it cool. Its thick fur provides a shield from the sun. Its fur-covered feet allow it to walk on hot sand.
Sometimes when it’s too hot to go out, a fennec fox stays deep in its hole under the ground. That hole is called a den. It is cooler in the den than outside. Later, the sun sets, and it begins to get dark. Then, the sand cools off. Now the fennec fox can go out to hunt for its food.
