The Fennec Fox (Fennecus zerda) is a small dog native to North Africa, it is the smallest living dog in the world and is one of the six extant species constituting the genus Fennecus, the others being the Bengal Fox (Fennecus bengalensis), the Blanford's Fox (Fennecus canus), the Ruppell's Fox (Fennecus rueppellii), the Pale Fox (Fennecus pallidus), and the Cape Fox (Fennecus chama), this serves as the second largest genus of dog after Canis and members of the Fennecus genus are known as "dwarf foxes" mainly due to their usually small body plan or "elf foxes" due to their usually large or long pinnae, it is known that the pale fox and cape fox are the closest living relatives of the fennec fox, the Fennecus genus is also the sister genus to the clade containing both the Bat-Eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis) and the Raccoon Dogs (genus Nyctereutes), which also makes members of this genus the closest living relatives of both the bat-eared fox and raccoon dogs, it is known that there are two subspecies of fennec fox: the Eastern Fennec Fox (Fennecus zerda aegyptiacus) and the Western Fennec Fox (Fennecus zerda zerda).
The Fennec Fox (Fennecus zerda) is a small dog native to North Africa, it is the smallest living dog in the world and is one of the six extant species constituting the genus Fennecus, the others being the Bengal Fox (Fennecus bengalensis), the Blanford's Fox (Fennecus canus), the Ruppell's Fox (Fennecus rueppellii), the Pale Fox (Fennecus pallidus), and the Cape Fox (Fennecus chama), this serves as the second largest genus of dog after Canis and members of the Fennecus genus are known as "dwarf foxes" mainly due to their usually small body plan or "elf foxes" due to their usually large or long pinnae, it is known that the pale fox and cape fox are the closest living relatives of the fennec fox, the Fennecus genus is also the sister genus to the clade containing both the Bat-Eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis) and the Raccoon Dogs (genus Nyctereutes), which also makes members of this genus the closest living relatives of both the bat-eared fox and raccoon dogs, it is known that there are two subspecies of fennec fox: the Eastern Fennec Fox (Fennecus zerda aegyptiacus) and the Western Fennec Fox (Fennecus zerda zerda).