Aardwolf

The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a small, insectivorous mammal, native to East Africa and Southern Africa. Its name means "earth wolf" in the Afrikaans / Dutch language. It is also called "maanhaar jackal" in Afrikaans,Oxford English Dictionary Online or civet hyena, based on the secretions (civet) from their anal glands.Rieger, Ingo 1990. Hyenas. In Parker, Sybil P. (ed) Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals, vol 3. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 

The aardwolf is in the same family as the hyenas. Unlike many of its relatives in the order Carnivora, the aardwolf does not hunt large animals, or even eat meat on a regular basis; instead it eats insects, mainly termites – one aardwolf can eat about 250,000 termites during a single night by using its long, sticky tongue to capture them.Mills, Gus & Harvey, Martin 2001. African predators. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, p71. Anon 1998. Wildlife Fact File, Group 1. IMP Publishing, card 144. 

The aardwolf lives in the scrublands of eastern and southern Africa – these are open lands covered with stunted trees and shrubs. The aardwolf is nocturnal, resting in burrows during the day and coming out at night to eat.

Anal gland scent-marking plays an important role in mating-season in both sexes as it is the primary communication method.

 References 

Category:Hyaenas
Category:Mammals of Africa