AARDVARK Orycteropus afer

also called "antbears"

Distribution:

They occur everywhere in Southern Africa except in the dry coastal areas of Namibia.

Diet:

Although the Aardvark is associated with a diet of termites, ants constitute a substantial part of their diet. But it is their digging for termites in termitaria which leave the signature of aardvark presence. They also eat wild melons, mostly for their moisture content.

The Aardvark has a wide tolerance for habitat and will be found in all types of country. Water is not an essential habitat requirement and they occur in terrain where it may only be available seasonally. They are particularly associated with heavily utilized grassland where there are termite populations.

Habits:

They are almost exclusively nocturnal and are seldom seen, day or night. Not much is known about these elusive animals. Home ranges are thought to be large, with individuals having been recorded to cover 30 km in a single night.

Their senses of smell and hearing are acute, but their eyesight appears to be poor since they readily crash into obstacles when spooked. They use their keen sense of smell to locate hidden prey, mainly termites. Aardvark are known for their incredible digging prowess which they use to locate and excavate potential food sources. The holes that they excavate become the most important refuges for all kinds of animals from warthog to wild dog to birds and as such aardvark are a vital keystone species in the savanna ecosystems. Up to 17 species of mammals, a bird and two reptiles have been recorded as aardvark burrow tenants! The very survival of some of these species may indeed depend on the shelter which these burrows provide.

Aardvark can burrow at a prodigious rate and, if observed as they enter, can rarely be dug out, as they can dig much faster that their pursuers can. A naturalist at the turn of the century tried to dig out one which was seen to enter a hole, and the undertaking was abandoned after the burrow had been dug out to a distance of 32 m!

Breeding:

Almost nothing is known as to aardvark reproductive habits. It is thought that a single pup is born after a gestation period of about 7 months. The juvenile accompanies the mother for an unknown period after its emergence from the breeding burrow.

Aardvark are preyed upon by lion, hyena and leopard.

Note: the picture above was one of the first images captured by the "Virtual Game Drive Vehicle" in August 1999, see www.africam.co.za or www.africam.com, Djuma Mobile, for more detail.