# Bat-eared fox (*Otocyon megalotis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/bat-eared-fox  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) is a mammal in the family Canidae, order Carnivora, and the genus Otocyon. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial carnivore with a cathemeral activity pattern, and adults weigh from 3 to 5.3 kg, with a representative value of 4.15 kg. Gestation lasts 68 days, litters have from 1 to 6 young with a representative value of 4, and there are 2 litters per year. The bat-eared fox is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category, and its lifespan is 13.8 years, with values up to 17.9 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3 kg – 5.3 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 13.8 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 17.9 years |
| Main food | arthropods |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 60.9 days – 68 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 – 6 |
| Age at maturity | 8.5 months – 12 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 2 |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Canidae
- genus: Otocyon
- species: *Otocyon megalotis* (Desmarest, 1822)

Synonyms: *Canis megalotis*, *Otocyon megalotis canescens*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the bat-eared fox?

The bat-eared fox is a mammal in the family Canidae, part of the order Carnivora and suborder Caniformia.

### How heavy is a bat-eared fox?

Adult Bat-eared foxes weigh from 3 to 5.3 kg, with a representative value of 4.15 kg, placing them in the medium size class.

### What does the bat-eared fox eat?

The bat-eared fox is a carnivore.

### Is the bat-eared fox endangered?

No. The bat-eared fox is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a bat-eared fox live?

The bat-eared fox has a lifespan of 13.8 years, with values up to 17.9 years reported.

### How many young does a bat-eared fox have?

A bat-eared fox litter has from 1 to 6 young, with a representative value of 4, and there are 2 litters per year after a gestation of 68 days.

### When does a bat-eared fox reach sexual maturity?

The bat-eared fox reaches sexual maturity at 312 days, with values from 258.7 to 365.2 days (1 year) reported.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/bat-eared-fox