Undertoad Friday Jun 16 02:07 PM6/16/2006: Young bat-eared fox kits
Happy Friday! This is a family of foxes, believe it or not - they don't look like it, but these are BAT-eared foxes, an African type, very unique and rarely seen even in zoos. This bunch is at the San Diego zoo. This zoo blog entry details the arrivals, which were kind of unexpected.
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Finally, on June 6, we got the first look at the kits. One of the keepers was feeding the adults near the burrow as usual, and saw three little heads emerge. The babies were marked with the black mask and feet, just like the adults, but their fur was very short. They were about 5 inches (12 centimeters) long, not including the tail, and were very lively, showing interest in the mealworms we tossed to the adults. Fox kits grow fast, and are fully mature at only eight to nine months old. These little guys were not wasting any time. The following day there was a bonus - four little fox heads poked out of the hole! No wonder Mom was so hungry all the time, with four mouths to feed.
As of now, the kits have not ventured out of the rock ring that surrounds their burrow. It shouldn’t be long until they begin exploring the rest of the exhibit. These foxes are most active early and late in the day, and at night. I will post when Desdamona allows them to leave their safe haven, and the best times to view them. Incidentally, the warthogs that share the exhibit with the family should not pose a problem or threat to the kits. They have peacefully coexisted with the adults, and additionally sleep in their bedroom every night, giving the foxes the run of the exhibit. I expect we will see little fox footprints outside the rock ring in the mornings before we actually see them out in the daylight hours.
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Griff Friday Jun 16 02:09 PMThey're so cute, I don't even want to eat them! Happy Friday all! g
Emrikol Friday Jun 16 02:13 PMThose are too cute!
I like bats, and I like foxes, and I like baby animals. It's like a cutegasm.
Ibby Friday Jun 16 02:26 PMall together now --
AWWWW!
xoxoxoBruce Friday Jun 16 03:55 PMI guess they use that ear spread to zero in on insects in the dark.......or fly.
capnhowdy Friday Jun 16 08:29 PMDamn. I was thinking this was a new 'spare time' project. These dudes outa have hypersensative hearing.
I love Fridays.
DucksNuts Friday Jun 16 10:17 PMOhh, they arent so cute when they grow up.
Wonder if I can get a stray one to follow me home?
milkfish Friday Jun 16 10:39 PMI bet they get all the channels on DirecTV.
capnhowdy Saturday Jun 17 12:32 PM
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Originally Posted by DucksNuts
Ohh, they arent so cute when they grow up.
Wonder if I can get a stray one to follow me home?
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Try tying a pork chop around your neck.
Griff Monday Jun 26 07:48 PMWhere is the link for the kit? I'd like to build one.
dar512 Tuesday Jun 27 03:11 PMNot to mention the missing caboodle.
footfootfoot Tuesday Jun 27 11:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Griff
Where is the link for the kit? I'd like to build one.
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Skip it. I ordered the kit and it was missing a bunch of parts, and didn't look anything like the illustration.
capnhowdy Wednesday Jun 28 06:52 PMmine didn't come with the bat ears, so I took the legs off my x ray glasses, covered them with my magic cape, and used them. With the x ray bonus this is one bad fox.
predatormc Wednesday Jun 28 07:15 PMAwh
They wouldn't be so freakin' scared if there wasn't a Sudowodo taking the photo. I know I would be.
Yes, I am 5.
capnhowdy Wednesday Jun 28 07:33 PM5 what?
Highriskgeo Thursday Jun 29 10:34 AM
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xoxoxoBruce I guess they use that ear spread to zero in on insects in the dark.......or fly.
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actually i think their oversized ears are for cooling there body off in the extreme heat of the desert........and of course fashion
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