Aardvark

땅돼지

The aardvark is a nocturnal African mammal with a long snout, tall ears and a thick tail. It digs into termite mounds with strong claws and licks up insects with a sticky tongue that can reach about 30 cm.

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At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Sub-Saharan African savannas and woodlands
Diet: Insect eater
Weight: about 70 kg
Length: about 1.8 m
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN LC)
Habitat: savannas, grasslands, forests

Quick answers

Where does the Aardvark live?

It lives in savannas, grasslands, forests. On the globe you can find it near Sub-Saharan African savannas and woodlands.

How big is the Aardvark?

It grows to about 1.8 m and 70 kg.

What does the Aardvark eat?

Its diet: insect eater.

Is the Aardvark endangered?

It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).

The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing mammal that lives in Africa and is active at night. Its long snout, tall ears and thick tail make it easy to spot, and it is the only living member of its whole order of mammals.

It lives over most of the southern two-thirds of Africa, in savanna, grassland and woodland, and avoids mainly rocky areas. It digs a burrow to live in and to raise its young. Despite its look, it is not closely related to pigs or to South American anteaters. Quiz data puts a typical aardvark at about 1.8 m long.

What it eats and how

The aardvark eats ants and termites. It uses its sharp claws and strong legs to dig insects out of their hills, and its long snout to sniff them out. The card says its sticky tongue reaches about 30 cm.

Quiz facts say one aardvark can eat about 50,000 termites in a single night. Its order name Tubulidentata comes from its tube-like teeth.

A funny name and odd family

Aardvark comes from Afrikaans and means earth pig or ground pig, because it digs. Its scientific name Orycteropus means burrowing foot.

It is not related to pigs. It belongs to the group of mammals called Afrotheria, together with elephants, manatees and hyraxes. Its resemblance to South American anteaters comes from evolving to eat the same kind of food. The name afer in its Latin name refers to Africa.

Fun facts

Its name means 'earth pig' in Afrikaans, and it can eat about 50,000 termites in one night.
Aardvark means earth pig in Afrikaans.
Its relatives include elephants, manatees and hyraxes, as well as elephant shrews and golden moles.
It can weigh about 70 kg.