Maanhaar-jackal, Termite-eating hyena, Civet hyena
The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is an insectivorous mammal, native to Africa. It belongs to the same family as the hyena; however, unlike many of its carnivorous relatives, the aardwolf does not hunt large animals. Its name means "earth-wolf" in Afrikaans and Dutch.
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
In
InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Cu
CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
Bu
BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Vi
ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Mo
MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
Po
PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
So
SocialSo
SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
A
starts withThe aardwolf has a slender muzzle, black vertical stripes on a coat of yellowish fur, and a long, distinct mane down the midline of the neck and back. It also has one or two diagonal stripes down the fore- and hindquarters, along with several stripes on its legs. The mane is raised during confrontations to make the aardwolf appear larger. It is missing the throat spot that others in the family have. Its lower leg (from the knee down) is all black, and its tail is bushy with a black tip. The front feet have five toes each. The teeth and skull are similar in shape to those of other hyenas, though much smaller, and its cheek teeth are specialized for eating insects. The aardwolf does still have canines, but, unlike other hyenas, these teeth are used primarily for fighting and defense. Its ears, which are large, are very similar to those of the Striped hyena.
![[4811] Aardwolf](https://s3.animalia.bio/animals/photos/small/1x1/4811-aardwolf.webp)
Aardwolves are found in Southern Africa, and in East and Northeast Africa. They live in open, dry plains and bushland, avoiding mountainous areas.
Aardwolves are shy and nocturnal animals that sleep in burrows by day. During the winter, however, they may, on occasion, become diurnal feeders. This happens during the coldest periods as they then stay in at night to conserve heat. For most of the year, aardwolves spend time in shared territories consisting of up to a dozen dens. They live in family groups consisting of a mated pair and their young. If their territory is infringed upon, aardwolves will chase the intruder up to 400 m (1,300 ft) or to the border. If the intruder is caught, which rarely happens, a fight will occur, which is accompanied by soft clucking, hoarse barking, and a type of roar. The majority of incursions occur during the mating season. When food is scarce, the stringent territorial system may be abandoned and as many as three pairs may occupy a "single territory". Their dens are usually abandoned aardvark, springhare, or porcupine dens, or on occasion, they find shelter in crevices in rocks. They will also dig their own dens, or enlarge dens started by springhares. They typically will only use one or two dens at a time, rotating through all of their dens every six months. During the summer, they may rest outside their den during the night and sleep underground during the heat of the day. Aardwolves locate their food by sound and also from the scent secreted by the soldier termites. They feed primarily on termites licking them off the ground. Aardwolves do not destroy the termite mound or consume the entire colony, thus ensuring that the termites can rebuild and provide a continuous supply of food. They often memorize the location of such nests and return to them every few months.
Aardwolves are carnivores (insectivores). They feed mainly on termites but also other insects, larvae, eggs, and, occasionally small mammals and birds, but these constitute a very small percentage of their total diet.
Aardwolves are monogamous and form pairs, however, dominant males may mate with more than female. Their breeding season varies depending on location but normally takes place during autumn or spring. In South Africa, breeding occurs in early July. During this time, unpaired males search their own territory, as well as others, for a female to mate with. Dominant males also mate opportunistically with the females of less dominant neighboring aardwolves, which can result in conflict between rival males. Gestation lasts between 89 and 92 days, producing 2 to 5 cubs (most often 2 or 3) during the rainy season (November-December) when termites are more active. The cubs are born with their eyes open, but initially are helpless, and weigh around 200-350 g (7.1-12.3 oz). The first 6 to 8 weeks are spent in the den with their parents. The male may spend up to 6 hours a night watching over the cubs while the mother is out looking for food. After 3 months, the cubs begin supervised foraging, and by 4 months are normally independent, though they often share a den with their mother until the next breeding season. By the time the next set of cubs is born, the older cubs have moved on. Aardwolves generally achieve reproductive maturity at 1,5 to 2 years of age.
Aardwolves are relatively widespread throughout eastern Africa. In some areas, they are persecuted because of the mistaken belief that they prey on livestock; however, they are actually beneficial to the farmers because they eat termites that are detrimental. In other areas, the farmers have recognized this, but aardwolves are still killed, on occasion, for their fur. Aardwolves are also killed by dogs and other carnivores and suffer from incidents on roads.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the aardwolf total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Due to their diet habits, aardwolves play an important role in their ecosystem. They control termite populations, preventing extensive wood damage and benefiting natural habitats as well as humans.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...