The fennec fox was scientifically described as Canis zerda by Eberhardt Zimmermann in 1780. In 1788, Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave the species the synonym of Canis cerdo with the type locality being the Sahara Desert. A few years later, Friedrich Albrecht Anton Meyer assigned the name Viverra aurita to the species in 1793; the type locality was Algeria. Subsequent synonyms include Fennecus arabicus by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest in 1804, Megalotis cerda by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1811 which was based on earlier descriptions by Gmelin, and another synonym by Desmarest (Fennecus brucei) in 1820; the type locality was Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan. In 1827, the species was given another synonym (Canis fennecus) by René Lesson whose work was largely based off the species scientific description in 1780. In the 1840s, the species received synonyms by Pierre Boitard in 1842 (Vulpes denhamii) and John Edward Gray in 1843 (Vulpes zuarensis). The type locality of these were "interior of Africa" and Egypt, respectively. More than a 100 years later in 1978, Gordon Barclay Corbet renamed the species to Vulpes zerda, which is its current scientific name. It was also originally assigned to the Canis genus, but following molecular analysis it was moved to Vulpes despite it having a few distinct morphological and behavioral traits.
The fennec fox was scientifically described !as Canis zerda by Eberhardt Zimmermann in 1780. In 1788, Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave the species the synonym of Canis cerdo with the type locality being the Sahara Desert. A few years later, Friedrich Albrecht Anton Meyer assigned the name Viverra aurita to the species in 1793; the type locality was Algeria. Subsequent synonyms include Fennecus arabicus by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest in 1804, Megalotis cerda by Johann, Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1811 which was based on earlier descriptions by Gmelin, and another synonym by Desmarest (Fennecus brucei) in 1820; the type locality was Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan. In 1827, the species was given another synonym (Canis fennecus) by René Lesson wh,ose work was largely based off the species scientific description in 1780. In the 1840s, the species received synonyms by Pierre Boitard in 1842 (Vulpes denhamii) and John Edward Gray in 1843 (Vulpes zuarensis). The type locality of these were "interior of Africa" and Egypt respectively. More than a 100 years later in 1978, Gordon Barclay Corbet renamed the species to Vulpes zerda, which is its current scientific name. It was also originally assigned to the Canis genus, but following molecular analysis it was moved ,to Vulpes despite it having !a few distinct morphological and behavioral traits.