Aardvark  (Orycteropus afer)

Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

While this bizarre and elusive mammal may look similar in appearance to a pig, (aardvark literally means ‘earthpig’ in Afrikaans (3)), it is actually the only member of the order Tubulidentata (2). The aardvark has a stocky, arched body sparsely covered with bristly hair, a short neck, a long and muscular tail and long, pointed ears (2). Like a pig, the aardvark also has a flexible, tubular snout, although much longer than its namesake’s, and a long, extensible tongue, which together are perfectly suited to searching out and consuming a diet of ants and termites (3) (4). The thick skin of the aardvark ranges in colour from pale yellowish-grey to pinkish (4) (5), although this is often stained darker grey or reddish-brown from the soil in which it burrows (4). Its short, powerful limbs bear large, sharp, shovel-shaped claws, four on the forefeet, five on each hindfoot, which enable the aardvark to dig with ease (2).

The aardvark is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara, from Senegal, east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa (1), although it is absent from the Namib Desert (1).

Within its large range, the aardvark occurs in a great variety of habitats, including grasslands, rainforests, savanna and woodland, with its presence largely dictated by the distribution of suitable ant and termite species (1). It shows a preference for areas of sandy soil (5), and will avoid rocky ground that is hard to dig in and habitats that are extremely dry (1).

The elusive aardvark is primarily a nocturnal animal (1), spending the day curled up in its burrow asleep (5). However, it can occasionally be spotted venturing outside in the daylight on a cold afternoon (1), or early in the morning when it may sun itself by the burrow’s entrance (5). At night the aardvark leaves the safety of its burrow and begins its search for food (5). It feeds almost exclusively on a smorgasbord of ant and termite species (3), and will forage for its meal by travelling in a zigzag path, inspecting a strip of ground about 30 metres wide with its snout (5). The aardvark tends to walk on its claws, somewhat slowly and awkwardly, and on soft ground its dragging tail leaves a trail behind (5).

Once the aardvark has located its food, either after digging into the ground, tearing into a termite nest, or finding an army of ants on the march (5), the aardvark gathers its prey with its long, sticky tongue, which can extend to a remarkable 30 centimetres (5). It does not chew its insect prey, of which it can eat over 50,000 each night, but instead swallows it whole and grinds it up in a muscular area of its lower stomach (3).

Digging is a central feature of the aardvark’s life, and an activity that it is incredibly adept at. Not only does it dig shallow holes in search of food, it also digs burrows, measuring up to three metres long (5), for daytime rest and to escape predators (1), and also excavates extensive tunnel systems in which it gives birth to its young. These may be up to 13 metres long, with numerous chambers and multiple entrances (5). Its powerful limbs and sharp, spoon-shaped claws make easy work of digging (3), even in hard, stone-baked ground, and it can dig a hole faster than several men with shovels (5). The burrows of the aardvark are used by numerous other African animals, from invertebrates to mammals, making the aardvark an important species in the ecosystems in which it is found (1).

The aardvark is a largely solitary animal and is only occasionally seen in the company of other individuals (1), presumably for mating and when a young accompanies its mother (5). The gestation period in this species lasts for between seven and nine months, resulting in the birth of a single, naked, flesh-coloured young. The young aardvark will remain in the burrow for about two weeks before starting to accompany its mother on night time foraging trips. By the age of six months, the young can dig for itself, and by 12 months it has reached the size of an adult. Sexual maturity is obtained at about two years of age (5).

Although overall, due to its widespread distribution, the global population of the aardvark is not considered to be threatened, in some areas numbers have been reduced as a result of human activities (1). Certain populations in eastern, central and western Africa are thought to be declining, as a growing human population destroys suitable habitat and hunts the aardvark for its meat. The skin, claws and teeth are also used to make bracelets, charms and curios (1), and even the aardvark’s bristly hair is reportedly sometimes reduced to a powder and regarded as a potent poison when added to the local beer (3).

Aardvark habitat is most often lost to agriculture (1), with intensive crop farming resulting in a decline in aardvark numbers (3). However, not all agriculture has a negative impact on the aardvark; cattle herding may actually benefit this species, as cattle-trampled ground creates the right conditions for termites (3). Conflict may also arise when agriculture encroaches onto aardvark habitat, as burrows can damage farming equipment, roads, dam walls, and fences, and the aardvark may be persecuted by farmers as a result (5) (6). Ironically, in areas where the aardvark and other insect-eating animals have been exterminated, pasture and cereal crops have suffered massive damage from termites (5).

Throughout its vast range, the aardvark occurs in a number of protected areas (1). Aside from this, the aardvark is not believed to be in any need of conservation action (1). The aardvark plays such a vital role in many ecosystems, creating burrows for other animals and even limiting the enormous damage that termites can inflict on our crops (5), that hopefully the aardvark will remain unthreatened for the foreseeable future.

For further information on the aardvark and the conservation of other African wildlife see: 

• African Wildlife Foundation:
  www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/aardvark
• BBC Wildlife Finder:
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/Aardvark

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

• Gestation: the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth.
• Invertebrates: animals with no backbone.
• Nocturnal: active at night.

1. IUCN Red List (June, 2008)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. Shoshani, J., Goldman, C.A. and Thewissen, J.G.M. (1988) Orycteropus afer. Mammalian Species, 300: 1 - 8.
3. Macdonald, D.W. (2006) The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
4. CITES Species Identification Manual (July, 2008)
   http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/ID/index.php
5. Nowak, R.M. (1999) Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland.
6. Whittington-Jones, G.M. (2006) The role of aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) as ecosystem engineers in arid and semi-arid landscapes of South Africa. Thesis, Rhodes University.