Aardwolf
Proteles cristata
CommonPhoto: by Dkaeuferle = Dominik Käuferle · CC BY-SA 3.0
Mammalinsectivore
The aardwolf is a shy, insect-eating cousin of hyenas found in eastern and southern Africa. Unlike its scavenging relatives, it snacks mostly on termites. Its name comes from Afrikaans words meaning 'earth wolf,' likely because it digs for food and has a wolf-like appearance.
- Uses sticky saliva to lick up termites like a living vacuum cleaner.
- Releases a musky scent from special glands when threatened.
- Most active at night, resting in burrows during the day.
GrasslandSavannaAfrica
Read more on WikipediaAt a glance
- Classification
- Mammal
- Scientific name
- Proteles cristata
- Habitat
- Grassland, Savanna
- Regions in this directory
- Africa
- Diet
- insectivore
- Relative size
- medium
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (LC)