Aardvark
Orycteropus afer
Shovelling food
Aardvarks have strong front feet with four toes, each of which features a long, robust nail that is a cross between a claw and a hoof. The animal uses its shovel-like feet to dig burrows and find tasty treats. Its favourite foods are ants and termites, whose mounds pose no problem to the wellequipped aardvark. With its mobile snout and sticky tongue of up to 30 cm long, it devours the insects in no time.
Characteristics
- Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Diet
Insects; Its main diet consists of ants and termites.
- Size
100 – 130 cm
- Weight
40 – 65 kg
- Gestation period
213 days
- Achievable age
up to 25 years in human care
Did you know that ...
...aardvarks can close their nostrils to stop dirt getting in as they dig?
...while aardvarks are out foraging at night, warthogs
use their burrows to sleep in?
