Back Erdvark Afrikaans خنزير الأرض Arabic خنزير الارض ARZ আৰ্ডৱাৰ্ক Assamese Orycteropus afer AST Sperdol (Orycteropus afer) AVK Borudişli Azerbaijani یئردوْموزو AZB Erdfaggi BAR Трубказуб Byelorussian

Aardvark

For other uses, see Aardvark (disambiguation).

Aardvark
Temporal range:
Aardvark in the Bushveld, Limpopo
At Royal Burgers' Zoo, Arnhem, Netherlands
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Tubulidentata
Family: Orycteropodidae
Genus: Orycteropus
Species:
O. afer
Binomial name
Orycteropus afer
(Pallas, 1766)
Subspecies

See text

Map of Africa showing a highlighted range (in green) covering most of the continent south of the Sahara desert
Aardvark range
Skeleton of an aardvark

Aardvarks (/ˈɑːrdvɑːrk/ ARD-vark; Orycteropus afer) are medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammals native to Africa.[2][3] They have a long snout, similar to that of a pig, which is used to sniff out food.

Aardvarks are the only living species of the order Tubulidentata,[4][5] although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. They are afrotheres, a clade that also includes elephants, manatees, and hyraxes.

They are found over much of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding areas that are mainly rocky. Nocturnal feeders, aardvarks subsist on ants and termites by using their sharp claws and powerful legs to dig the insects out of their hills. Aardvarks also dig to create burrows in which to live and rear their young.

Aardvarks are listed as "least concern" by the IUCN, although their numbers are decreasing.

  1. ^ Taylor, A.; Lehmann, T. (2015). "Orycteropus afer". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T41504A21286437. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T41504A21286437.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Hoiberg 2010, pp. 3–4
  3. ^ "Aardvark, n." Dictionary of South African English. Dictionary Unit for South African English, 2018. 26 February 2019.
  4. ^ Schlitter 2005, p. 86
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference EoM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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