The Sahara is the world's hottest desert, and the third largest desert after Antarctica and the Arctic. At over 9,400,000 square kilometres (3,600,000 sq mi), it covers most of North Africa, it is home to The fennec fox which is a small nocturnal fox found in the Sahara of North Africa. Their nocturnal habits help them deal with the searing heat of the desert environment, and some physical adaptations help as well. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat. Their large ears, which are usually 6 inches long (15 centimeters), help dissipate excess body heat on hot days in the desert. Their sandy fur helps to reflect heat, and also provides excellent camouflage come night time their thick fur helps insulate them from the cold desert nights. Fennec foxes also have thick fur on the soles of their feet, which insulate against the hot sand of the desert. This extra fur on the soles of their feet also affords them excellent traction in the loose sand.