Aardvarks | Wild Kratts Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Share The Aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike otherinsectivores, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding areas that are mainly rocky. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. It receives a "least concern" Did Yow Know That Aardvarks Name Means "Earth Pig" But there Actually Related To Elephants. And they Build Burrows For not for them selfs but for other animals. Aardvarks Appears In The Episode Aardvark Town.

In this episode, the Kratt brothers are in the African savanna, creating a digital map of the animal burrows in the region, when they stumble upon an aardvark and its baby. After the mother fights off a hyena and the Kratt brothers flee the scene, they find out that the baby aardvark has stowed away in Chris’s backpack. The Kratt brothers decide to find a way to reunite it with its mother. But after searching in several burrows, the Kratt brothers find out that the aardvark’s mother and other burrow-dwelling animals are being collected by inventor Zach Varmitech, who plans to use the aardvark to dig a pool for him. About: Aardvark About: Aardvark An Entity of Type : EukaryoticCell , from Named Graph : , within Data Space : dbpedia.org The aardvark (/ˈɑːrd.vɑːrk/ ARD-vark; Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa.

It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike other insectivores, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding mainly rocky areas. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. It receives a "least concern" rating from the IUCN, although its numbers seem to be decreasing. Property خنزير الأرض أو شفّاط النمل أو آكل النمل، (بالإنجليزية: Aardvark) أو أبو ذقن، حيوان من الثديات يعيش في أفريقيا من آكلات النمل. (ar) The aardvark (/ˈɑːrd.vɑːrk/ ARD-vark; Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa.

It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike other insectivores, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding mainly rocky areas. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. It receives a "least concern" rating from the IUCN, although its numbers seem to be decreasing. (en) El cerdo hormiguero u oricteropo (Orycteropus afer) es un mamífero placentario nativo de África, donde vive en sabanas y zonas boscosas donde encuentra alimento. Es un animal solitario y nocturno. Es la única especie viviente de su orden, aunque se conocen otras especies fósiles.

Es considerado un fósil viviente porque conserva caracteres primitivos que se han perdido en euterios más avanzados, como por ejemplo la presencia de diez cromosomas. Su similitud con los osos hormigueros americanos y los pangolines es solo aparente y debida a la convergencia evolutiva. Todos han desarrollado adaptaciones a su estilo de alimentación consistente en atacar directamente nidos de hormigas y termitas, como por ejemplo una lengua muy larga y unos dientes especialmente modificados. Los parientes más cercanos del cerdo hormiguero son las musarañas elefante, junto con los sirénidos, hiracoideos, tenrecs y elefantes. (es) Das Erdferkel (Orycteropus afer) ist eine Säugetierart und stellt den alleinigen rezenten Vertreter der Gattung Orycteropus, der Familie der Orycteropodidae und der Ordnung der Tubulidentata (Röhrenzähner) dar.

Innerhalb der Systematik der heutigen Höheren Säugetiere sind die Röhrenzähner somit die einzige Ordnung, die nur eine Art beinhaltet. Äußerlich markant sind der kräftige Körper des Erdferkels mit aufgewölbtem Rücken und muskulösen Beinen sowie die röhrenförmig verlängerte Schnauze und der fleischige Schwanz. Das Verbreitungsgebiet der Art umfasst das gesamte subsaharische Afrika. Die Tiere bewohnen offene und geschlossene Landschaften. Sie leben einzelgängerisch, sind nachtaktiv und graben im Erdreich, was insgesamt die Beobachtung erschwert. Die Lebensweise des Erdferkels ist daher nur ungenügend untersucht. Seine Nahrung besteht aus staatenbildenden Insekten, was eine hochspezialisierte Anpassung darstellt.

Das ausgeprägte Verhalten führt dazu, dass lockere Böden und eine ausreichende Menge an Ameisen und Termiten Grundvoraussetzungen für die Anwesenheit des Erdferkels in einer bestimmten Region sind. Die Verwandtschaftsverhältnisse des Erdferkels zu anderen Gruppen der Höheren Säugetiere waren lange Zeit ungeklärt. Anfangs wurde die Art aufgrund ihrer spezialisierten Ernährungsweise zusammen mit den ähnlich lebenden Schuppentieren, den Ameisenbären und den Gürteltieren in ein gemeinsames Taxon namens Edentata gestellt. Allerdings beruhen die Ähnlichkeiten der einzelnen Vertreter weitgehend auf konvergenter Evolution, nicht auf Verwandtschaft. Später favorisierten zahlreiche Forscher eine nähere Beziehung zu den Huftieren. Erst molekulargenetische Untersuchungen Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts erbrachten, dass das Erdferkel tatsächlich eine Verwandtschaftsgruppe mit originär afrikanischen Tieren bildet.

Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen lassen auch eine stammesgeschichtlich frühe Abspaltung des Erdferkels von den anderen Linien dieser Verwandtschaftsgruppe annehmen. Fossilfunde sind allgemein selten und geben momentan nur die letzten 20 Millionen Jahre der Entwicklungsgeschichte wieder. Innerhalb dieser erreichten aber Vorfahren des Erdferkels auch das heutige Europa und Asien, wo sie allerdings heute wieder ausgestorben sind. Der einzige rezente Vertreter gilt in seinem Bestand als ungefährdet. (de) Orycteropus afer L'Oryctérope du Cap (Orycteropus afer), parfois appelé « cochon de terre » par traduction de son nom en afrikaans Erdvark, est un mammifère essentiellement termitivore d'Afrique, qui joue un rôle écologique important en contrôlant l'extension des populations de termites. Il ne s'agit toutefois pas d'un fourmilier, ces derniers appartenant au super-ordre des xénarthres.

Orycteropus afer est la seule espèce survivante du genre Orycteropus et unique membre de l'ordre des tubulidentés dont bien d'autres espèces ayant existé ont été découvertes à l'état fossile. (fr) L'oritteropo (Orycteropus afer Pallas, 1776) è l'unica specie vivente dell'ordine dei Tubulidentati. In molte lingue è noto con il nome afrikaans di aardvark (letteralmente "maiale di terra"). (it) ツチブタ（土豚、Orycteropus afer）は、動物界脊索動物門哺乳綱ツチブタ目（管歯目）ツチブタ科ツチブタ属に分類される哺乳類。ツチブタ目・ツチブタ科・ツチブタ属それぞれの唯一の現生種である。 (ja) Het aardvarken (Orycteropus afer) is een zoogdier dat voorkomt in vrijwel geheel Afrika ten zuiden van de Sahara.

Ondanks de naam en vage gelijkenis is het aardvarken geen familie van het varken, maar nauwer verwant aan dieren als de olifanten, zeekoeien en klipdassen. Het is de enige overlevende vertegenwoordiger van de orde der buistandigen (Tubulidentata). Het aardvarken is makkelijk te herkennen aan zijn grote oren, korte poten en varkenssnuit. Zijn voedsel bestaat voornamelijk uit termieten en mieren. Het aardvarken heeft een weinig behaarde huid. (nl) Mrównik afrykański, mrównik, prosię ziemne (Orycteropus afer) – gatunek łożyskowca z rodziny mrównikowatych, występującego w Afryce. Zwierzę to prowadzi samotniczy tryb życia i jest znakomicie przystosowane do grzebania w ziemi. Tendencja rozwojowa ich populacji nie jest znana.

(pl) O oricteropo (nome científico: Orycteropus afer) é um mamífero africano, o único representante vivo da ordem Tubulidentata, da família Orycteropodidae e do seu género. Este animal distribui-se por todas as planícies e savanas do sul de África. O nome aardvark, pelo que é conhecido em vários países, significa "porco-da-terra" em africâner (aarde, "terra", e vark, "porco"), mas este animal não está relacionado com a família Suidae. Também é conhecido como aardvark, jimbo, porco-da-terra, porco-formigueiro, timba, timbo, orictéropo, ou oricterope (pt) Трубкозу́б, или африканский (капский) трубкозуб (лат.

Orycteropus afer) — млекопитающее, единственный современный представитель отряда трубкозубых (Tubulidentata).Первоначально трубкозуб из-за ряда бросающихся в глаза особенностей строения был отнесён к тому же семейству, что и южноамериканские муравьеды, однако поверхностное сходство с ними оказалось результатом конвергентной эволюции — приспособления к питанию термитами и муравьями. Эволюционное происхождение отряда трубкозубых остается неясным; вероятно, он близок к сиренам, даманам и хоботным. Старейшие ископаемые остатки трубкозубых, найденные в Кении, датируют ранним миоценом.

В конце миоцена и начале плейстоцена представители отряда, схожие с современным видом, проживали в Южной Европе и Западной Азии, а также на Мадагаскаре (Plesiorycteropus).К началу XXI века трубкозубы сохранились только в Африке, где распространены повсеместно к югу от Сахары, за исключением джунглей Центральной Африки. Популяции в долине Нила и в горном массиве Тассили (Алжир) вымерли.Научное название вида происходит от Orycteropus, греч. «роющие конечности», и afer, производного от «Африка».В своё время голландские колонисты дали трубкозубу название «аард-варк», что значит «земляной поросёнок» (это же название перешло и в английский язык).

Трубкозуб прекрасно роет норы, его считают одним из лучших «землекопов» в мире. (ru) 土豚（學名：Orycteropus afer）又稱蟻熊或土豬，是管齒目土豚科现存的唯一物种，屬土豚屬，是一种孑遗生物。 (zh) خنزير الأرض أو شفّاط النمل أو آكل النمل، (بالإنجليزية: Aardvark) أو أبو ذقن، حيوان من الثديات يعيش في أفريقيا من آكلات النمل. (ar) The aardvark (/ˈɑːrd.vɑːrk/ ARD-vark; Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike other insectivores, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding mainly rocky areas.

A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. It receives a "least concern" rating from the IUCN, although its numbers seem to be decreasing. (en) L'oritteropo (Orycteropus afer Pallas, 1776) è l'unica specie vivente dell'ordine dei Tubulidentati. In molte lingue è noto con il nome afrikaans di aardvark (letteralmente "maiale di terra").

(it) ツチブタ（土豚、Orycteropus afer）は、動物界脊索動物門哺乳綱ツチブタ目（管歯目）ツチブタ科ツチブタ属に分類される哺乳類。ツチブタ目・ツチブタ科・ツチブタ属それぞれの唯一の現生種である。 (ja) Mrównik afrykański, mrównik, prosię ziemne (Orycteropus afer) – gatunek łożyskowca z rodziny mrównikowatych, występującego w Afryce. Zwierzę to prowadzi samotniczy tryb życia i jest znakomicie przystosowane do grzebania w ziemi. Tendencja rozwojowa ich populacji nie jest znana.

(pl) 土豚（學名：Orycteropus afer）又稱蟻熊或土豬，是管齒目土豚科现存的唯一物种，屬土豚屬，是一种孑遗生物。 (zh) Das Erdferkel (Orycteropus afer) ist eine Säugetierart und stellt den alleinigen rezenten Vertreter der Gattung Orycteropus, der Familie der Orycteropodidae und der Ordnung der Tubulidentata (Röhrenzähner) dar. Innerhalb der Systematik der heutigen Höheren Säugetiere sind die Röhrenzähner somit die einzige Ordnung, die nur eine Art beinhaltet. (de) El cerdo hormiguero u oricteropo (Orycteropus afer) es un mamífero placentario nativo de África, donde vive en sabanas y zonas boscosas donde encuentra alimento. Es un animal solitario y nocturno. Es la única especie viviente de su orden, aunque se conocen otras especies fósiles.

Es considerado un fósil viviente porque conserva caracteres primitivos que se han perdido en euterios más avanzados, como por ejemplo la presencia de diez cromosomas. (es) Orycteropus aferL'Oryctérope du Cap (Orycteropus afer), parfois appelé « cochon de terre » par traduction de son nom en afrikaans Erdvark, est un mammifère essentiellement termitivore d'Afrique, qui joue un rôle écologique important en contrôlant l'extension des populations de termites. Il ne s'agit toutefois pas d'un fourmilier, ces derniers appartenant au super-ordre des xénarthres.Orycteropus afer est la seule espèce survivante du genre Orycteropus et unique membre de l'ordre des tubulidentés dont bien d'autres espèces ayant existé ont été découvertes à l'état fossile.

(fr) Het aardvarken (Orycteropus afer) is een zoogdier dat voorkomt in vrijwel geheel Afrika ten zuiden van de Sahara. Ondanks de naam en vage gelijkenis is het aardvarken geen familie van het varken, maar nauwer verwant aan dieren als de olifanten, zeekoeien en klipdassen. Het is de enige overlevende vertegenwoordiger van de orde der buistandigen (Tubulidentata).Het aardvarken is makkelijk te herkennen aan zijn grote oren, korte poten en varkenssnuit. Zijn voedsel bestaat voornamelijk uit termieten en mieren. Het aardvarken heeft een weinig behaarde huid. (nl) O oricteropo (nome científico: Orycteropus afer) é um mamífero africano, o único representante vivo da ordem Tubulidentata, da família Orycteropodidae e do seu género.

Este animal distribui-se por todas as planícies e savanas do sul de África. O nome aardvark, pelo que é conhecido em vários países, significa "porco-da-terra" em africâner (aarde, "terra", e vark, "porco"), mas este animal não está relacionado com a família Suidae. Também é conhecido como aardvark, jimbo, porco-da-terra, porco-formigueiro, timba, timbo, orictéropo, ou oricterope (pt) Трубкозу́б, или африканский (капский) трубкозуб (лат.

Orycteropus afer) — млекопитающее, единственный современный представитель отряда трубкозубых (Tubulidentata).Первоначально трубкозуб из-за ряда бросающихся в глаза особенностей строения был отнесён к тому же семейству, что и южноамериканские муравьеды, однако поверхностное сходство с ними оказалось результатом конвергентной эволюции — приспособления к питанию термитами и муравьями. (ru) A for AARDVARK - YouTube A for AARDVARK Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on May 20, 2013 A is for AARDVARK, (/ˈɑrd.vɑrk/ ard-vark; Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa.[3] It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata,[4][5] although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike New World edentates such as the giant anteater, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding mainly rocky areas. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also will utilize its digging ability to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. (Wikipedia) All Stock Footage available from Aquavision TV Productions. Contact us at stocklibrary@aquavision.co.za or +27(0)11 275 0900 Category Aardvark definition by Babylon’s free dictionary WordNet 2.0 Noun 1.

nocturnal burrowing mammal of the grasslands of Africa that feeds on termites; sole extant representative of the order Tubulidentata (synonym) ant bear, anteater, Orycteropus afer (hypernym) placental, placental mammal, eutherian, eutherian mammal (member-holonym) Orycteropus, genus Orycteropus Wikipedia Dictionaries English Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia The aardvark ( ; Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike other insectivores, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding mainly rocky areas. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young.

It receives a "least concern" rating from the IUCN, although its numbers seem to be decreasing. See more at Wikipedia.org... aardvark - Free definitions by Babylon aardvark Download this dictionary Aardvark The aardvark ( ; Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa . It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata , although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike other insectivores , it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding mainly rocky areas. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. It receives a "least concern" rating from the IUCN , although its numbers seem to be decreasing.

Aardvark - Facts,Information & Pictures You are here: Home / Animals / Aardvark Aardvark Image Source The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) (‘Digging foot’), sometimes called ‘antbear’ is a medium-sized mammal native to Africa. The name comes from the Afrikaans/Dutch for ‘earth pig’, because early settlers from Europe thought it resembled a pig. However, the aardvark is not related to the pig, it is placed in its own order. The Aardvark is also not related to the South American anteater, despite sharing some characteristics and a similar resemblance. The closest living relatives of the aardvark are the elephant shrews (small insectivorous mammals native to Africa), the sirenians (herbivorous mammals that inhabit rivers), hyraxes (herbivorous mammals that live in Africa and the Middle East), tenrecs (a family of mammals found on Madagascar and parts of Africa) and elephants. Aardvark Characteristics One of the most distinctive characteristics of the aardvark is their teeth.

Instead of having a pulp cavity in their tooth, they have a number of thin tubes of dentine (a calcified tissue of the body), each containing pulp held together by cementum (a specialized calcified substance covering the root of a tooth). The teeth have no enamel coating and are worn away and regrow continuously. The Aardvark is born with conventional incisors and canines at the front of the jaw, which fall out and are not replaced. Adult Aardvarks only have cheek teeth at the back of the jaw. The Aardvark is vaguely pig-like. Its body is stout with an arched back and is sparsely covered with coarse hairs. The limbs are of moderate length. The front feet have lost the pollex (or ‘thumb’), resulting in four toes, however, the rear feet have all five toes. Aardvarks have shovel-shaped claws for digging. Their ears are disproportionately long and the tail is very thick at the base and gradually tapers. Their greatly elongated head is set on a short, thick neck and the end of the snout bears a disc, which houses the nostrils. Their mouth is small and tubular, typical of species that feed on termites.

The aardvark has a long, thin, protruding tongue (as long as 30 centimetres) and elaborate structures supporting a keen sense of smell. Of all living mammals, the aardvark has the largest number of turbinate bones in its nasal cavity. The aardvarks cone-shaped tail is short and tapered, smaller at the end. The long tongue is sticky to help catch insects. Adult aardvarks are 67 to 79 inches (170 to 200 centimetres) long and weigh anywhere from 88 to 143 pounds (40 to 65 kilograms). The aardvark is pale yellowish grey in colour and often stained reddish-brown by soil. The aardvarks coat is thin and the animals primary protection is its tough skin. The aardvark has been known to sleep in recently excavated ant nests, which also serve as protection. The number of aardvarks has nearly doubled since 2002. Aardvark Behaviour The Aardvark is a nocturnal mammal and is a solitary creature that feeds almost exclusively on ants and termites.

The only fruit eaten by aardvarks is the aardvark cucumber. An aardvark emerges from its burrow in the late afternoon or shortly after sunset and forages over a considerable home range covering 10 to 30 kilometres, swinging its long nose from side to side to pick up the scent of food. When a concentration of ants or termites is detected, the Aardvark digs into it with its powerful front legs, keeping its long ears upright to listen for predators such as lions, leopards, hyenas and pythons. ADVERTISEMENT The aardvark takes up an astonishing number of insects with its long, sticky tongue, as many as 50,000 in one night. It is an exceptionally fast digger, but otherwise moves fairly slowly. The aardvarks claws enable it to dig through the extremely hard crust of a termite/ant mound quickly, avoiding the dust by sealing the nostrils. When successful, the aardvarks long (as long as 30 centimetres) tongue licks up the insects. The termitess stinging attacks are ineffective because of the aardvarks tough skin.

Apart from digging out ants and termites, the aardvark also excavates burrows in which to live. Temporary sites are scattered around their home range as refuges and a main burrow is used for breeding. Main burrows can be deep and extensive, have several entrances and can be as long as 13 metres. The Aardvark changes the layout of its home burrow regularly and from time to time moves on and makes a new one. The old burrows are then inhabited by smaller animals such as the African Wild Dog. Only mothers and cubs share burrows. If attacked in the tunnel, the aardvark will seal the tunnel off behind itself or turn around and attack with its claws. Aardvark Habitat Aardvarks live in Sub saharan Africa, where there is suitable habitat for them to live, such as savannas, grasslands, woodlands and bush land and available food (ants and termites). Aardvarks are sometimes found in rainforests and are absent from desert regions. The deciding factor for where aardvarks live is availability of food. Aardvarks also require sandy soil, as opposed to rocks, so that they can dig for termites and ants.

Aardvarks live in underground burrows that are 6.5 to 9.8 feet (2 to 3 metres) long, at 45 degree angles. At the end of the tunnel is a rounded ‘room’ where the aardvark curls up to sleep. Female aardvarks give birth in this chamber. Although burrows usually have just one entrance, some have numerous entrances as well as several tunnels extending from the main passage. Aardvark Diet Aardvarks can consume about 50,000 insects in one night. Aardvarks began eating termites and ants thirty-five million years ago and they are still their preferred meal. A hill of termites or ants is not enough to satisfy an aardvark, however, so it searches for entire termite and ant colonies. These colonies march in columns 33 to 130 feet (10 to 40 metres) long, which makes it easy for the aardvark to suck the termites/ants through its nostrils. When attacking a termite/ant mound, the aardvark starts digging at the base with his front claws.

Once the termites/ants begin escaping, it extends its tongue and traps them with its sticky saliva. Aardvarks also eat locusts and a type of grasshopper. Aardvark Reproduction The mating season of the aardvark varies. In some areas, mating occurs between April and May, with offspring born in October or November. In other regions, offspring are born in May or June. Females carry their offspring for 7 months before giving birth to one cub with each pregnancy. The cub weighs approximately 4 pounds (2 kilograms). Newborn aardvarks are hairless with pink, tender skin. They remain in the burrow with their mothers for two weeks. After two weeks they follow their mothers in the nightly search for food. The aardvark cub does not eat solid food until around 3 months, preferring its mothers milk until that time. The cub begins eating termites at 14 weeks and is weaned by 16 weeks. At 6 months of age it is able to dig its own burrows, but it will often remain with the mother until the next mating season. The cub reaches sexually maturity the season after that.

Male aardvarks leave their mothers completely during the next mating season, but females stay with mothers until the birth of the next cub. Male aardvarks roam while females remain in a consistent home range. Because of this, experts believe aardvarks to be polygamous (puh-LIH-guh-mus), having more than one mating partner. Aardvarks can live to be over 24 years old in captivity. In the wild, they live between 10 – 23 years. Aardvark Predators The aardvarks main predators are lions, leopards, hunting dogs and pythons. Aardvarks can dig fast or run in zigzag fashion to elude enemies, but if all else fails, they will strike with their claws, tail and shoulders, sometimes flipping onto their backs to lash with all fours. Their thick skin also protects them to some extent. Aardvark Conservation The 2002 South African IUCN red list places the aardvark in the least concern category. It was previously considered vulnerable but this was almost certainly the result of its elusive behaviour, making it difficult to see and and appear uncommon.

In other southern African countries their status is probably least concern as well, but in central and east Africa, their status is less well documented. The most important factor in controlling aardvark populations is the abundance and distribution of their prey, ants and termites. Another limiting factor is soil type (very shallow soils might restrict their range). Loss of habitat as a result of increasing human populations and possibly hunting (for traditional medicine and bush meat) are probably their greatest threats. In some areas they cause problems for farmers, whereby they dig under fences or digs holes in roads or farm dam walls. In such areas persecution of aardvarks may occur. Fortunately for aardvarks the threat of hunting is reduced by their nocturnal habits, which make them difficult animals to catch. Aardvark - iSnare Free Encyclopedia Aardvark For other uses, see Aardvark (disambiguation) . Aardvark See text Aardvark range The aardvark ( /ˈɑːrd.vɑːrk/ ARD-vark ; Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa .

[2] It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata , [3] [4] although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike other insectivores , it has a long pig -like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding areas that are mainly rocky. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also digs to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. It receives a "least concern" rating from the IUCN , although its numbers seem to be decreasing. Contents Naming and taxonomy Naming The aardvark is sometimes colloquially called "African ant bear", [5] " anteater " (not to be confused with the South American anteater ), or the "Cape anteater" [5] after the Cape of Good Hope .

The name "aardvark" ( Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈɑːrtfɐrk] ) comes from earlier Afrikaans (erdvark) [5] and means "earth pig " or "ground pig" (aarde: earth/ground, vark: pig), because of its burrowing habits [6] (similar origin to the name groundhog ). The name Orycteropus means burrowing foot, and the name afer refers to Africa. [7] The name of the aardvarks's order, Tubulidentata, comes from the tubule-style teeth. [8] Taxonomy The aardvark is not closely related to the pig; rather, it is the sole extant representative of the obscure mammalian order Tubulidentata , [7] in which it is usually considered to form one variable species of the genus Orycteropus , the sole surviving genus in the family Orycteropodidae . The aardvark is not closely related to the South American anteater , despite sharing some characteristics and a superficial resemblance. [9] The similarities are based on convergent evolution .

[10] The closest living relatives of the aardvark are the elephant shrews , tenrecs and golden moles . [11] Along with the sirenians , hyraxes , elephants , [12] and their extinct relatives, these animals form the superorder Afrotheria . [13] Studies of the brain have shown the similarities with Condylarthra , [10] and given the clade's status as a wastebasket taxon it may mean some species traditionally classified as "condylarths" are actually stem-aardvarks.[ citation needed ] Evolutionary history Based on fossils, Bryan Patterson has concluded that early relatives of the aardvark appeared in Africa around the end of the Paleocene . [10] [14] The ptolemaiidans , a mysterious clade of mammals with uncertain affinities, may actually be stem-aardvarks, either as a sister clade to Tubulidentata or as a grade leading to true tubulidentates. [15] [16] The first unambiguous tubulidentate was probably Myorycteropus africanus from Kenyan Miocene deposits.

Fossils from the aardvark have been dated to 5 million years, and have been located throughout Europe and the Near East . [10] The mysterious Pleistocene Plesiorycteropus from Madagascar was originally thought to be a tubulidentate that was descended from ancestors that entered the island during the Eocene . However, a number of subtle anatomical differences coupled with recent molecular evidence now lead researchers to believe that Plesiorycteropus is a relative of golden moles and tenrecs that achieved an aardvark-like appearance and ecological niche through convergent evolution. [17] Subspecies The aardvark has seventeen poorly defined subspecies listed: [3] Orycteropus afer afer The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica also mentions O. a. capensis or Cape ant-bear from South Africa. [18] Description An aardvark skeleton and mounted individual The aardvark is vaguely pig-like in appearance. Its body is stout with a prominently arched back [19] and is sparsely covered with coarse hairs. The limbs are of moderate length, with the rear legs being longer than the forelegs.

[13] The front feet have lost the pollex (or 'thumb'), resulting in four toes, while the rear feet have all five toes. Each toe bears a large, robust nail which is somewhat flattened and shovel-like, and appears to be intermediate between a claw and a hoof. Whereas the aardvark is considered digitigrade , it appears at time to be plantigrade . This confusion happens because when it squats it stands on its soles. [19] An aardvark's weight is typically between 60 and 80 kilograms (130–180 lb). [13] An aardvark's length is usually between 105 and 130 centimetres (3.44–4.27 ft), [4] and can reach lengths of 2.2 metres (7 ft 3 in) when its tail (which can be up to 70 centimetres (28 in)) is taken into account. It is 60 centimetres (24 in) tall at the shoulder, and has a girth of about 100 centimetres (3.3 ft).

[19] It is the largest member of the proposed clade Afroinsectiphilia . The aardvark is pale yellowish-gray in color and often stained reddish-brown by soil . The aardvark's coat is thin, and the animal's primary protection is its tough skin. Its hair is short on its head and tail; however its legs tend to have longer hair. [4] The hair on the majority of its body is grouped in clusters of 3-4 hairs. [19] The hair surrounding its nostrils is dense to help filter particulate matter out as it digs. Its tail is very thick at the base and gradually tapers. Head The greatly elongated head is set on a short, thick neck, and the end of the snout bears a disc, which houses the nostrils. It contains a thin but complete zygomatic arch . [19] The head of the aardvark contains many unique and different features. One of the most distinctive characteristics of the Tubulidentata is their teeth .

Instead of having a pulp cavity , each tooth has a cluster of thin, hexagonal, upright, parallel tubes of vasodentin (a modified form of dentine ), with individual pulp canals, held together by cementum . [13] The number of columns is dependent on the size of the tooth, with the largest having about 1,500. [10] The teeth have no enamel coating and are worn away and regrow continuously. [8] The aardvark is born with conventional incisors and canines at the front of the jaw, which fall out and are not replaced. Adult aardvarks have only cheek teeth at the back of the jaw , and have a dental formula of: 0.0.2-3.30.0.2.3 These remaining teeth are peg-like and rootless and are of unique composition. [20] The teeth consist of 14 upper and 12 lower jaw molars. [5] The nasal area of the aardvark is another unique area, as it contains ten nasal conchae , more than any other placental mammal. [13] The sides of the nostrils are thick with hair.

[19] The tip of the snout is highly mobile and is moved by modified mimetic muscles . [13] The fleshy dividing tissue between its nostrils probably has sensory functions, [4] but it is uncertain whether they are olfactory or vibratory in nature. [21] Its nose is made up of more turbinate bones than any other mammal, with between 9 and 11, compared to dogs with 4 to 5. [8] With a large quantity of turbinate bones, the aardvark has more space for the moist epithelium , which is the location of the olfactory bulb. [8] The nose contains nine olfactory bulbs , more than any other mammal. [19] Its keen sense of smell is not just from the quantity of bulbs in the nose but also in the development of the brain, as its olfactory lobe is very developed. [10] The snout resembles an elongated pig snout. The mouth is small and tubular, typical of species that feed on ants and termites .

The aardvark has a long, thin, snakelike, protruding tongue (as much as 30 centimetres (12 in) long) [5] and elaborate structures supporting a keen sense of smell . [22] The ears, which are very effective, [5] are disproportionately long, about 20–25 centimetres (7.9–9.8 in) long. [19] The eyes are small for its head, and consist only of rods . [19] Digestive system The aardvark's stomach has a muscular pyloric area that acts as a gizzard to grind swallowed food up, thereby rendering chewing unnecessary. [4] Its cecum is large. [13] Both sexes emit a strong smelling secretion from an anal gland. [4] Its salivary glands are highly developed and almost completely ring the neck; [13] their output is what causes the tongue to maintain its tackiness. [19] The female has two pairs of teats in the inguinal region.

[13] Genetically speaking, the aardvark is a living fossil , as its chromosomes are highly conserved, reflecting much of the early eutherian arrangement before the divergence of the major modern taxa . [23] Habitat and range Aardvarks are found in sub-Saharan Africa , where suitable habitat ( savannas , grasslands , woodlands and bushland ) and food (i.e., ants and termites ) is available. [9] They spend the daylight hours in dark underground burrows to avoid the heat of the day. [24] The only major habitat that they are not present in is swamp forest, as the high water table precludes digging to a sufficient depth. [1] They also avoid terrain rocky enough to cause problems with digging. [25] They have been documented as high as 3,200 metres (10,500 ft) in Ethiopia. They are present throughout sub-Saharan Africa all the way to South Africa with few exceptions. These exceptions include the coastal areas of Namibia , Ivory Coast , and Ghana . They are not found in Madagascar.

[1] Ecology and behavior Aardvark resting Entrance to burrow Aardvarks live for up to 23 years in captivity . [13] Its keen hearing warns it of predators: lions , leopards , hunting dogs , hyenas , and pythons . [5] [21] Some humans also hunt aardvarks for meat. [5] Aardvarks can dig fast or run in zigzag fashion to elude enemies, but if all else fails, they will strike with their claws, tail and shoulders, sometimes flipping onto their backs lying motionless except to lash out with all four feet. [21] They are capable of causing substantial damage to unprotected areas of an attacker. [8] They will also dig to escape as they can, when pressed, dig extremely quickly. [21] Their thick skin also protects them to some extent.[ citation needed ] Feeding The aardvark is nocturnal and is a solitary creature that feeds almost exclusively on ants and termites ( formivore ); [4] the only fruit eaten by aardvarks is the aardvark cucumber .

[21] In fact, the cucumber and the aardvark have a symbiotic relationship as they eat the subterranean fruit, then defecate the seeds near their burrows, which then grow rapidly due to the loose soil and fertile nature of the area. The time spent in the intestine of the aardvark helps the fertility of the seed, and the fruit provides needed moisture for the aardvark. [8] [21] They avoid eating the African driver ant and red ants. [26] Due to their stringent diet requirements, they require a large range to survive. [25] An aardvark emerges from its burrow in the late afternoon or shortly after sunset, and forages over a considerable home range encompassing 10 to 30 kilometres (6.2 to 18.6 mi). While foraging for food, the aardvark will keep its nose to the ground and its ears pointed forward, which indicates that both smell and hearing are involved in the search for food.

They zig-zag as they forage and will usually not repeat a route for 5–8 days as they appear to allow time for the termite nests to recover before feeding on it again. [26] During a foraging period, they will stop and dig a "V" shaped trench with their forefeet and then sniff it profusely as a means to explore their location. On a nightly basis they tend to be more active during the first portion of the night time (20:00-00:00); however, they don't seem to prefer bright or dark nights over the other. During adverse weather or if disturbed they will retreat to their burrow systems. They cover between 2 and 5 kilometres (1.2 and 3.1 mi) per night; however, some studies have shown that they may traverse as far as 30 kilometres (19 mi) in a night. [4] Vocalization The aardvark is a rather quiet animal. However, it does make soft grunting sounds as it forages and loud grunts as it makes for its tunnel entrance. [25] It makes a bleating sound if frightened.

[26] When it is threatened it will make for one of its burrows. If one is not close it will dig a new one rapidly. This new one will be short and require the aardvark to back out when the coast is clear. [26] Movement The aardvark is known to be a good swimmer and has been witnessed successfully swimming in strong currents. [26] It can dig a yard of tunnel in about five minutes, [25] but otherwise moves fairly slowly. When leaving the burrow at night, they pause at the entrance for about ten minutes, sniffing and listening. After this period of watchfulness, it will bound out and within seconds it will be 10 metres (33 ft) away. It will then pause, prick its ears, twisting its head to listen, then jump and move off to start foraging. [25] Aside from digging out ants and termites, the aardvark also excavates burrows in which to live; of which they generally fall into three categories: burrows made while foraging, refuge and resting location, and permanent homes.

[4] Temporary sites are scattered around the home range and are used as refuges, while the main burrow is also used for breeding. Main burrows can be deep and extensive, have several entrances and can be as long as 13 metres (43 ft). [4] These burrows can be large enough for a man to enter. [5] The aardvark changes the layout of its home burrow regularly, and periodically moves on and makes a new one. The old burrows are an important part of the African wildlife scene. As they are vacated, then they are inhabited by smaller animals like the African wild dog , ant-eating chat , Nycteris thebaica and warthogs . [26] Other animals that use them are hares, mongooses, hyenas, owls, pythons, and lizards. Without these refuges many animals would die during wildfire season. [26] Only mothers and young share burrows; however, the aardvark is known to live in small family groups or as a solitary creature.

[5] If attacked in the tunnel, it will escape by digging out of the tunnel thereby placing the fresh fill between it and its predator, or if it decides to fight it will roll onto its back, and attack with its claws. [5] The aardvark has been known to sleep in a recently excavated ant nest, which also serves as protection from its predators . [28] Reproduction Aardvark mother and young Aardvarks pair only during the breeding season; after a gestation period of seven months, [4] one cub weighing around 1.7–1.9 kilograms (3.7–4.2 lb) [13] is born during May–July. [5] When born, the young has flaccid ears and many wrinkles. When nursing, it will nurse off each teat in succession. [21] After two weeks, the folds of skin disappear and after three, the ears can be held upright. [21] After 5–6 weeks, body hair starts growing.

[21] It is able to leave the burrow to accompany its mother after only two weeks, and is eating termites at 9 weeks [21] and is weaned by 16 weeks. [4] By three months of age the young has been weaned. [13] At six months of age, it is able to dig its own burrows, but it will often remain with the mother until the next mating season , [4] and is sexually mature from approximately two years of age. [13] Conservation Aardvarks were thought to have declining numbers, [5] however, this is possibly due to the fact that they are not readily seen. [1] There are no definitive counts because of their nocturnal and secretive habits; however, their numbers seem to be stable overall. They are not considered common anywhere in Africa, but due to their large range, they maintain sufficient numbers. There may be a slight decrease in numbers in eastern, northern, and western Africa. Southern African numbers are not decreasing. It receives an official designation from the IUCN as least concern .

[1] However, they are a species in a precarious situation, as they are so dependent on such specific food; therefore if a problem arises with the abundance of termites, the species as a whole would be affected drastically. [4] Aardvarks handle captivity well. The first zoo to have one was London Zoo in 1869, which had an animal from South Africa . [21] Mythology and popular culture F-14 Tomcat from VF-114 Aardvarks with the squadron mascot painted on the tail In African folklore , the aardvark is much admired because of its diligent quest for food and its fearless response to soldier ants . Hausa magicians make a charm from the heart, skin, forehead, and nails of the aardvark, which they then proceed to pound together with the root of a certain tree. Wrapped in a piece of skin and worn on the chest, the charm is said to give the owner the ability to pass through walls or roofs at night. The charm is said to be used by burglars and those seeking to visit young girls without their parents' permission.

[29] Also, some tribes, such as the Margbetu , Ayanda , and Logo , [4] will use aardvark teeth to make bracelets, which are regarded as good luck charms. [5] The meat, which has a resemblance to pork, is eaten in certain cultures. [4] The Egyptian god Set is usually depicted with the head of an unidentified animal , whose similarity to an aardvark has been noted in scholarship. [30] The titular character of Arthur , an animated television series for children based on a book series and produced by WGBH , shown in more than 180 countries, is an aardvark. [31] An aardvark features as the antagonist in the cartoon The Ant and the Aardvark as well as in the Canadian animated series The Raccoons . In the military, the Air Force supersonic fighter-bomber F-111/FB-111 was nicknamed the Aardvark because of its long nose resembling the animal. It also had similarities with its nocturnal missions flown at a very low level employing ordnance that could penetrate deep into the ground.

In the US Navy, the squadron VF-114 was nicknamed the Aardvarks, flying F-4 's and then F-14 's. The squadron mascot was adapted from the animal in the comic strip B.C. , which the F-4 was said to resemble. Footnotes Aardvarks - info and games Aardvarks The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized mammal native to Africa. The name comes from the Afrikaans/Dutch for "earth pig" (aarde earth, varken pig), because early settlers from Europe thought it resembled a pig. However, the Aardvark is not closely related to pigs. Chew on This: The most distinctive charactristic of aardvarks is their teeth. Instead of having a pulp cavities, aardvark teeth have lots of thin tubes of dentine, each containing pulp and held together by cementum. The teeth have no enamel coating and are worn away and regrow continuously. In adults, the only teeth are the molars at the back of the jaw.

Appearance: The Aardvark is only vaguely pig-like; the body is stout with an arched back; the limbs are of moderate length. The ears are disproportionately long and the tail very thick at the base with a gradual taper. The greatly elongated head is set on a short, thick neck, and at the end of the snout is a disk in which the nostrils open. The mouth is typical of species that feed on termites: small and tubular. The Aardvark has a long, thin, protrusible tongue and elaborate structures supporting a keen sense of smell. The Aardvark is a pale yellowish gray in color, often stained reddish-brown by soil. The coat is thin and the animal's primary protection is its tough skin; the Aardvark has been known to sleep in a recently excavated ant nest, so well does it protect them. Aardvark of Africa: The Aardvark is distributed across most of sub-Saharan Africa, and although killed by humans both for its flesh and for its teeth (which are used as decorations), does not appear to be threatened.

Insects for Dinner: The Aardvark is nocturnal and a solitary creature that feeds almost exclusively on ants and termites. An Aardvark emerges from its burrow in the late afternoon or shortly after sunset, and forages over a considerable home range, swinging its long nose from side to side to pick up the scent of food. When a concentration of ants or termites is found, the Aardvark digs into it with its powerful front legs, keeping its long ears upright to listen for predators, and takes up an astonishing number of insects with its long, sticky tongueas many as 50,000 in one night has been recorded. It is an exceptionally fast digger, but otherwise moves rather slowly. Burrow Park: Aside from digging out ants and termites, the Aardvark also excavates burrows to live in: temporary sites scattered around the home range as refuges, and the main burrow which is used for breeding. Burrow Basics: Main burrows can be deep and extensive, have several entrances, and can be as much as 13 meters long.

The Aardvark changes the layout of its home burrow regularly, and from time to time moves on and makes a new one. Only mothers and young share burrows. Trivia: * Aardvark is usually considered the first noun in the English dictionary. * Arthur Read is a fictional aardvark (despite looking more like a mouse) with human-like traits. He is a book and television character created by Marc Brown.* Cerebus the Aardvark is a comic aardvark created by Canadian artist Dave Sim. * Jason Webley, the musician, has a song about an aardvark. * The Raccoons, a popular Canadian animated television show in the late 1980's, featured a pink, anti-environmentalist aardvark named Cyril Snear. * Earlham College (Richmond, Indiana) is the only American liberal arts university, outside of zoological institutes, with a comprehensive concentration in the study of aardvarks. * In the Pink Panther cartoon there was a character named the "Blue Aardvark". The Pink Panther represented innocence and un-fortune, The Blue Aardvark was unkind and ill-polite...

After a gestation period of 7 months, a single cub weighing around 2 kg is born, and is able to leave the burrow to accompany its mother after only two weeks. At six months of age it is digging its own burrows, but it will often remain with the mother until the next mating season. The Aardvarks can grow older than 20 years in captivity. The Aardvark is the only surviving member of the family Orycteropodidae and of the order Tubulidentata. The Aardvark was originally placed in the same genus as the South American anteaters because of superficial similarities which, it is now known, are the result of convergent evolution, not common ancestry. For the same reason, Aardvarks bear a striking first-glance resemblance to the marsupial bilbies and Bandicoots of Australasia, which are not placental mammals at all. The Aardvark is now placed in its own genus, Orycteropus. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

Question: The aardvark is a nocturnal mammal native to which continent?
Answer: Africa