Special Sub-Topic: Aardvarks and Aardwolves Click Here To Play: Aardvarks and Aardwolves

Aardvarks and aardwolves are found on what continent?

Africa. The aardvark is found in most suitable habitats in sub-Saharan Africa. The aardwolf has two distinct populations. The southern population occurs in South Africa, Angola, Zambia and Mozambique. The northern population lives in Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia and Egypt.

Except for rare exceptions, how many young does the aardvark give birth to at a time?

One. On rare occasion twins are born. The baby weighs about 2 kgs (4lbs) and it ventures out with its mother when it is about two weeks old.

What does the word 'aardvark' mean?

Earth pig. The word is an Afrikaans word. The aardvark is not a pig nor is it related to pigs. The aardvark is the only member of the family Orycteropodidae.

How many teeth does an aardvark have?

Twenty. The aardvark's teeth grow continuously. The teeth lack roots and enamel.

How long is an aardvark's tongue?

18 inches (45 cm). The aardvark's tongue is thin and very sticky. It is ideal for catching termites with.

The aardwolf is a member of the hyena family.

t. The aardwolf diverged from other hyenas between 15-32 million years ago. The Spotted Hyena separated from the Brown and the Striped Hyena about 10 million years ago. Brown and Striped Hyenas separated about 6 million years ago.

The Aardwolf feeds predominantly on termites.

t. It mainly feeds on the Nasite harvester termite. This termite produces a chemical that deters most predators.

The aardwolf lives in packs.

f. The aardwolf lives in pairs, with their most recent young.

The young of the aardwolf open their eyes when they are four days old.

f. Aardwolves are born with their eyes opened. They are usually born in litters of 2-4 young.

During the breeding season the aardwolf is very promiscuous.

t. This means that the male aardwolf, which guards the den, might not even be guarding his own offspring.