Although many people confuse it with an anteater, the aardvark is an entirely different species. Although it is true that both animals have similarities, they do not share any kind of relationship. In this article on our site we will talk about the characteristics of the aardvark, its origin, habitat and lifestyle.
Aardvarks are animals that live on the African continent, they feed on ants and termites using a purified technique and have amazing capabilities. Did you know that they are capable of digging more than 2 meters deep in just 30 minutes and that their burrows can be more than 13 meters long? Keep reading to discover more curiosities.
Origin of the aardvark
The aardvark, also called oricteropo, whose scientific name is Orycteropus afer, is a mammal belonging to the Tubulidentata order, and is also the only one of that order. Those who baptized it as an aardvark were the Dutch colonizers who arrived in South Africa in the 17th century, who, despite their notable differences, found these animals similar to domestic pigs. Thus, the aardvark comes from the African continent, where the species originated thousands of years ago. In fact, today's aardvark is considered a living fossil, as it shares characteristics with prehistoric animals.
Although it may resemble an anteater in some aspects, including its name, it should be noted that they are different species and that they are not the same as a pangolin. Yes, all of them feed on ants, aided by long tongues and very peculiar teeth, but, as we have already said, the aardvark is the only one of its order, with these similarities occurring as a consequence of the evolutionary adaptation of each species, which must survive in a specific environment, in this case, one in which ants constitute one of the most important food sources. In fact, the closest relatives of the aardvark are none of those mentioned. Phylogenetically speaking, the closest ones are the elephant shrew, the hyracoids and the sirenids, although at first glance they may seem completely different.
Characteristics of the aardvark
The aardvark is characterized by a solid and robust body, an arched back and a snout similar to that of pigs but a little longerTheir body weight is usually between 40 and 65 kilograms, presenting a total length of 1 to 1.3 meters. However, specimens have been cataloged that were practically 2 meters long.
One of the peculiarities of this species is the difference between the front and rear legs, because, while the front ones are more long and have 5 fingers, all of them with strong and sharp nails, the rear ones are much shorter, although very muscular, and lack a thumb, having only 4 fingers. These fingers have a concave and flattened shape, which makes them look like a kind of shovels that are neither a hoof nor a paw.
The body of the aardvark is protected by a hard, thick skin, barely covered by a thin layer of sparse, curly hair, of a brown color in the upper part and more reddish in the lower part. It has different hairs around its eyes, small and dark, which give it sensory advantages, since they have to counteract the fact that its vision is quite inefficient, frequently colliding with obstacles such as trees and bushes.
Now then, the most characteristic feature of the aardvark is, without a doubt, its teeth, since it is what gives it the honor of belong to the order of the tubulidentates. This denture is special since instead of having a toothed oral cavity, it has a pulpal cavity, made up of a set of very fine, straight and parallel tubes, made up of vasodentin. These ducts have neither enamel nor root, which means that although they wear out regularly, they regenerate at the same speed. In addition to this, the young have incisors and canines, which then simply disappear, while adults continue to maintain molars and premolars apart from the aforementioned tubes.
Aardvark Habitat
After reviewing the description of the aardvark with its main physical characteristics, where exactly does it live? The aardvark inhabits the African regions between between the southern tip of the Sahara desert and the Cape of Good HopeHowever, archaeological studies from different scientific branches show that evidence has been found that aardvarks once lived in places such as present-day Iraq, as well as Egypt and different Mediterranean countries. What they do not reach an agreement on is the moment in which the species disappeared from these places, and there is no consensus in this regard.
Discover more animals of the African continent in this other article: "Animals of Africa".
Aardvark reproduction
Aardvarks are animals with completely nocturnal habits, performing all their activity in times of darkness. During the day, they hide in their burrows, holes that they dig in the ground with the help of their powerful claws. But it is not a simple hole, but a network of burrows interconnected with a main one, used in reproduction.
This reproduction is sexual and the reproductive season is the only one in which aardvarks go from being completely solitary animals to accepting a member of the opposite sex by their side. This is so only until they copulate, then the males disappear and the females are the ones who are in charge of raising the baby aardvarks exclusively. This offspring is born after approximately 7 months of pregnancy, after which the female gives birth to a single calf, exceptionally two, barely 2 kilograms in weight and 55 centimeters total length.
The calf is born bald, but fully developed, giving births between May and October/November When it is barely two weeks old It is already able to accompany its mother, at 5-6 weeks its hair begins to grow and at 14 weeks it begins to feed on termites, so weaning occurs just 2 weeks later, with 16 weeks of life. An aardvark is fully mature at 6 months of age, but usually stays with its mother until the next breeding season, at which point it becomes independent.
Aardvark Feeding
The aardvark feeds on carnivores, since its diet is made up of termites and ants The procedure that follows is as follows: first It digs in the termite mounds or anthills to then introduce its long and sticky tongue and extract the insects. In addition, it is able to close its nostrils to prevent insects and dust from getting in, and its thick, tough skin protects it from painful and annoying bites.
Importance of the aardvark in its environment
The aardvark is considered a very beneficial species for its environment. For example, for us, it is very beneficial in terms of eliminating pests, such as termites and ants, because by feeding on them they naturally control their populations.
For other species they act by providing shelter, since the aardvark usually moves from one burrow to another quite frequently, the one they no longer use being taken advantage of by animals incapable of creating their own. Such is the case of porcupines, jackals and wild boars.
Conservation status of the aardvark
Although the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), drawn up in 2014, the aardvark appears as a species of least concern, the destruction of its habitats is increasingly puts you in a more and more compromising situation.
It has natural enemies, such as lions, wild boars or dogs, which tend to eat especially their young and younger aardvarks, but they run as best they can and fiercely defend themselves against their attacks without doubt it. Without a doubt, Their greatest threat is the human being, who in addition to destroying the places where they live, kills them to eat them or take advantage of their skin. Those who most often hunt aardvarks are farmers, who consider that their excavations put their farms and crops at risk. As if this were not enough, the increasingly intense and frequent use of pesticides makes ants and termites, their food, increasingly scarce in areas close to human populations.
