Powerful claws for digging into ground or termite nests. Acute sense of smell and hearing. Secondary consumer, primary consumer, seed disperser for aardvark cucumber, soil aerator, provides habitats for other species via burrowing activities. Burrows have several entrances and may be up to 40 ft. in length. Male late fall and winter, gestation 7 months, usually one offspring.
Births occur during rainy season when food is plentiful.
Mother and young form family unit until maturity. Females remain near mother, males leave area. Lions, leopards, hunting dogs. When insects are scarce they will eat soft-bodied insects and fruit. They have more olfactory lobes, nine total, than any other mammal.