The national animal of Algeria is the fennec fox. These small crepuscular foxes roam in much of the deserts of North Africa, from the Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula. They have huge, distinctive ears which help them listen for prey beneath the surface and help to dissipate heat. They are the smallest species of fox.
Algeria’s national animal, then, is one that is instantly recognizable. Its ears are so large that they are virtually impossible to ignore and you will not forget them in a hurry.
Even the country’s national football team is named after this animal so it is clear to see how important a symbol these little foxes are.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Algeria?
The national animal of Algeria is the fennec fox.
These desert foxes roam all around North Africa and have a fairly huge range.
They can be found more or less across the whole of North Africa and in parts of the Sahara Desert, though given their size they are fairly elusive and don’t tend to come close to densely inhabited areas.
They are specialized desert dwellers, well adapted for both living and hunting in the harsh, hot environment.
They have sand-colored fur, which both reflects sunlight during the day to keep the fox cool and keeps them warm at night—all while also keeping them camouflaged.
Without a doubt, their most distinctive feature, though, is their ears.
These ears are proportionately huge, being around 4 to 6 inches in length.
These ears serve two main purposes.
On the one hand, they are vital for finding prey.
Like their Arctic fox cousins, fennec foxes must listen below the surface of the environment they live in for their prey; sand for them, snow for the Arctic.
These ears help them to detect minute changes under the surface which indicate prey.
Fennec foxes have the greatest ear-to-body ratio in the canid family.
They are also the smallest member of the Canid family.
On the other hand, these huge ears are also important for dissipating heat.
Again, they are very well equipped to live in the desert.
They also have paws that are covered in dense fur, meaning they can easily walk on the hot sand and soil during the day.
They are omnivorous, and mainly hunt vertebrates like rodents, lizards, and skins, though they also eat small birds and their eggs as well as fruit, leaves, roots and tubers.
Why is the fennec fox the national animal of Algeria?
The fennec fox is considered to symbolize many things in Algeria, but on a simpler level the country is simply very closely intertwined with the life of this fox.
They are an iconic national animal that everyone recognizes and which, unsurprisingly, has been very popular both locally and internationally.
They are extremely popular just on the basis of their appearance.
Their desert life is also an important part of Algerian culture.
The fennec fox is sometimes said to be a symbol of unity and freedom in Algeria.
It’s certainly easy to see how the animals could be symbols of freedom, endlessly roaming the deserts as they do.
This is a very important sentiment to Algeria and its people, so the perceived liberty of the fennec fox is an important part of its national symbolism.
The truth is, though, that the main reason the fennec has become the country’s national animal is simply because it is so popular.
They are beloved by just about everyone and are generally not known to bother people or livestock, which has kept them from being considered pests—they are too small to threaten most livestock!
For this reason, though, many have also unsurprisingly wanted to keep them as pets—can you do this?
Can a fennec fox be a pet?
Some people certainly do keep them as pets, but there are countless reasons why keeping wild animals as pets is not a good idea.
Firstly, it’s going to end up being bad for the species. If there is great demand for the pet, then illegal trade will start trafficking them out of the country.
Wild animals are best left in the wild.
There are plenty of safaris you can go on to them in the wild if not at a zoo.
Let them live in the wild!
How long do fennec foxes live?
It naturally depends on a lot of factors, but they generally live for around ten years in the wild.
Some kept in captivity have lived to be as long as 14 years, though this is certainly rare and they are not very likely to achieve this old age in the wild.
There are obviously many factors to living in the wild that will take their toll over time and ultimately lead to a shorter life.
Still, though, a decade is a fairly long time for something to live in such a harsh environment.
So, while you’re best not to try and take one home as a pet, it’s easy to see why you would want to.
They are incredibly cute and their disproportionately large ears make them incredibly unique and iconic in appearance.
They make a fantastic national symbol for Algeria as the country’s national animal, and they would have been hard-pressed to pick an animal that is more instantly recognizable even to many who may never have seen one before.