The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species in the order Tubulidentata. Unlike most insectivores, it has a long snout to sniff out food. The aardvark is not closely related to the pig. It is the sole surviving genus in the family Orycteropodidae.
Aardvarks live in Sub-Saharan Africa. They favor areas with termites and ants like savannas and grasslands but avoid rocky or swampy areas. Aardvarks dig holes to quickly get their favorite meal: termites and ants. They are most active at night. During the day, they sleep curled in a ball in their burrows.
Although they look like anteaters, aardvarks are actually related to elephants, hyraxes, dugongs and manatees. They belong to a group of primitive ungulates called Afrotheria.
Aardvarks use their large front claws to dig burrows up to 13 meters long with multiple entrances. They use these to breed, protect themselves and rest.
An aardvark is an African animal. It has a pig-like snout, long ears, thick fur and powerful claws for digging. Aardvarks are nocturnal. They prefer open habitats like savannas or grasslands with food supplies. Their diet is mostly ants and termites.
How many babies do aardvarks have?
Female aardvarks give birth to a single baby most years after a 7 month pregnancy. Weighing about 2kg at birth, the pink, hairless newborns stay in the safety of their mother’s burrow for their first 2 weeks of life. In captivity, aardvarks live over 20 years. Aardvarks eat mainly ants and termites, preferring termites. An aardvark can swallow 50,000 insects a night. Their strong front claws let them dig fast to reach insects. Aardvarks live alone, emerging at night to find food. During day, they sleep in burrows.
What are the predators of the aardvark?
Main predators of aardvarks are lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, pythons, leopards and humans. Aardvarks can defend itself when attacked using its sharp claws and strong feet.
They are insectivorous, primarily feeding on ants and termites, which they locate using their keen sense of smell.
The aardvark’s fast digging skill helps protect it from predators, such as hyenas and lions. Their large claws are another layer of defense. Humans are the aardvark’s biggest threat.
This predator of aardvark, the python, will use a type of ambush technique when it comes to capturing their prey. They will pounce on it, wrap their coil around the body and sink their teeth in to kill it.
Aardvarks live for up to 23 years in captivity. Their keen hearing warns of predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, hyenas, and pythons.
The savanna is home to predators, including lions, leopards, and hyenas, which pose threats to aardvarks. However, aardvarks’ burrowing abilities and nocturnal habits provide some protection.
Lions, leopards, hyenas, and large snakes are the main predators of aardvark. Their main form of defense is to escape very quickly underground. However, they are also known to be quite aggressive when threatened by these larger animals.
Aardvarks use their strong, sharp claws to try and injure their attacker along with kicking with their powerful back legs.
If attacked in the tunnel, aardvarks can seal it off behind them or turn around and attack with their claws.
What is special about an aardvark?
The aardvark is the only living species of the Tubulidentata order. It has a long snout that ends with a pig-like nose, rabbit-like ears and a tail similar to a kangaroo’s. An aardvark is a medium-sized, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is not closely related to any of those animals. Aardvarks are pale yellowish-grey in colour with short fur on the head and tail and long fur on the legs. Newborn aardvarks often weigh as little as 2kg and are born with hairless, pink skin in the safety of their mother’s burrow. Baby aardvarks spend the first two weeks of their lives in the safety of the underground burrow before beginning to venture out with their mother under the cover of night.
Aardvarks are picky eaters specialized for eating termites. They move from one termite mound to another, dismantling the hills with their powerful claws. Insects are trapped by their long protractile tongue (as long as 30 centimeters), which is covered with thick, sticky saliva. The snout resembles an elongated pig snout. The mouth is small and tubular, typical of species that feed on ants and termites. The hind legs are longer than the front ones, and they have powerful spade shaped feet and claws that are perfect for digging.
Aardvarks have strong front legs with powerful claws. This allows them to dig surprisingly quickly, even in hard, dry soil. The International Union for the Conservation of Species considers the aardvark a species of “least concern,” meaning their populations are stable. The species has robust numbers in protected areas, such as South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Aardvarks may also be susceptible to drought, one of the effects of climate change in Africa.
“Aardvark” is the first word in the English dictionary – ‘A is for aardvark‘, and it’s a fascinating and elusive animal that many travellers desperately want to see. They have poor eyesight but a very keen sense of smell and good hearing. Their spoon-shaped claws are like steel – and used to rip into extremely hard ground and termite mounds. Their burrows, often in termite mounds, can be up to 13m long and have several entrances. Studies show the aardvark is not closely related to the South American anteater, despite some similarities.
Aardvarks are relatively large animals that can weigh up to 80 kilograms with a length of two meters. They have a vaguely pig-like appearance with short legs, beady eyes, long snout and ears. At a glance, you will notice their pale, yellowish-grey coat. Aardvarks have a small, tubular mouth that houses a long, thin tongue, which can be 30 centimeters. If you thought dogs have a sharp sense of smell, you haven’t met an aardvark yet. Many species use the burrows dug by aardvarks to escape heat and predators. Without aardvarks, they would have no refuge.