AARDVARK

Orycteropus afer

The Aardvark is burrowing insectivore found in Africa. It specializes in hunting for insects and larvae. It searches for them using its pig-like snout. The Aardvark has one of the best senses of smell. The Aardvark also has tough claws, each one is spoon shaped and capable of breaking through stone. Once the Aardvark has found and broken into a mound, it uses its long tongue to reach through the tunnels and slurp up the Termites.

The Aardvark is mostly nocturnal and lives alone. The burrows can be anywhere from 12 to 40 Ft (4-33 M) deep and are sloped downward into the ground. These burrows also serve as a defence. If a predator approaches while they are away from home they will quickly dig a new burrow. This process only takes about four minutes. If there isn’t enough time to dig a burrow, the Aardvark will slash at the opponent with its claws.

Many smaller animals such as Warthogs and Hyenas will occasionally move into empty Aardvark burrows.