AARDVARK,
(Afrik., “earth pig”), common name for a
burrowing, ant-eating mammal, Orycteropus afer, constituting
the order Tubulidentata. The aardvark is found throughout much of
Africa, from the southern part of Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope.
A nocturnal animal, it lives in burrows and feeds entirely on ants
and termites.
The aardvark is up to 2 m (6 ft) long, including the fleshy,
tapering tail, which it uses to throw earth backward when it burrows.
It has an arched back, a tubular snout, and large, upright ears.
The aardvark uses its specialized, chisel-shaped claws to break
open the hard clay of termite nests; then it uses its sticky tongue to
capture the insects in the nest. Unlike the animals known as anteaters,
which are toothless, the aardvark has 20 cylindrical, rootless teeth
that grow continually throughout its lifetime.
The female gives birth to a single offspring, which digs its
own burrow at the age of six months. Although timid, the aardvark
will fight when it cannot flee or burrow to safety; lying on its
back, it defends itself with its powerful claws.