The fennec fox, or fennec (Vulpes zerda) or sand fox, is a small crepuscular fox found in the Sahara Desert of North Africa, the Sinai Peninsula, South East Israel (Arava desert) and the Arabian desert. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which also serve to dissipate heat. Its name comes from the Berber-Arabic word (fanak), which means fox. [citation needed] The fennec is the smallest species of canid. Its coat, ears, and kidney functions have adapted to high-temperature, low-water, desert environments. Also, its hearing is sensitive enough to hear prey moving underground. It mainly eats insects, small mammals, and birds.