Aardvarks are unique and interesting animals, but they also have several predators that pose a threat to them.You might not have heard about an aardvark as it is a mammal that isn’t found all over the world and is native to Africa. Appearance-wise, aardvarks are medium-sized omnivores and they have a snout, similar to that of pigs, which helps these nocturnal animals sniff for food.Interestingly, the aardvark is the only living animal that belongs to the order Tubulidentata. Studies have found that this nocturnal animal gets its name from the Afrikaans word ‘aardvark,’ meaning ’earth pig’ or ‘ground pig’. On average, aardvarks have a body length of around 3.5-7 ft (1-2 m), along with an average body weight of 130-180 lb (59-81.6 kg). Aardvarks live in underground burrows which they dig with their sharp claws and powerful legs. Aardvarks also use these underground burrows to rear newborn aardvarks and escape from their predators. Female aardvarks have a gestation period of around seven months and give birth inside these underground burrows. An aardvark is known to become sexually mature by the time it is around two years old. These animals are usually found in the southern part of the African continent but they are known for avoiding rocky terrains. Interestingly, even though the population of aardvarks has been on a decline in the recent past, the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has marked them as animals under Least Concern. The nocturnal habit of the aardvark is one of the primary reasons why it is so difficult to spot and it also helps them stay safe from their main predators at times. There have been incidents when aardvarks have encountered human populations, especially farmers, and have inflicted damage to fences and walls. Since they are nocturnal creatures, aardvarks have escaped without any considerable harm. There are a total of 18 species of this animal in the entire world.How do aardvarks protect themselves?The Aardvark is considered a vulnerable animal living in the jungles of Africa. It is one of the smaller animals in the jungle and isn’t the most aggressive animal as well, due to which it has many potential predators. However, it can be quite dangerous and it is not a good idea to keep them as pets.Whether it is young aardvarks or adult aardvarks, both of them have excellent senses of smell and hearing. These senses help the aardvark in detecting predators and hiding from them as well. At the same time, aardvarks have thick skin which helps these animals during encounters with other animals. The tough skin helps prevent any serious injuries. Aardvarks have webbed feet which help the animal to swim and escape from other animals. Interestingly, when aardvarks cannot run and escape from animals like lions and leopards, they use their strong feet and sharp claws to defend themselves. Studies have shown that aardvarks have an average speed of around 25 mph (40 kph). Aardvarks’ hind legs have great strength which helps them in digging burrows and fighting off predators. At times, these mammals have dug up to 2 ft (0.6 m) of soil in merely 15 seconds.Is an aardvark a predator or prey?Aardvarks are an integral part of the food chain in African jungles. Aardvarks are nocturnal animals that do not step out in the open during the daytime. These animals usually fall prey to the likes of leopards, lions, and hyenas. At the same time, these animals act as predators for other smaller animals of the food chain.Aardvarks are considered omnivores. Their teeth wear away and regrow over time. These animals feed on plants but majorly on ants and termites. Studies have shown that aardvarks step out of their burrows during nighttime and use their strong sense of smell to detect termite mounds and can consume around 50,000 of them in one night itself. Interestingly, it is the thick skin of the aardvark that protects it from ants and termites when it feasts on them. insects bite the aardvark while it eats them, but cannot get through its tough skin. On the contrary, aardvarks fall prey to hunting dogs, hyenas, and leopards. Did you know, aardvarks are also eaten by snakes, especially pythons? When aardvarks live in their burrows and are attacked by such large animals, they often resort to blocking one entrance of the burrow and trying to escape from the other or fighting animals back with their claws. It has been observed that once an aardvark changes from one burrow to the other, old burrows are used by African wild dogs as a place to live. The African wild dog is a smaller animal than the aardvark that can conveniently reside in the burrow that the aardvark digs.Aardvark Conservation StatusAardvarks live in the grasslands, woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa where there is a sufficient amount of food available for the nocturnal animal. Being a nocturnal animal that is of Least Concern, officials have never been too sure of the actual number of aardvarks present.In the recent past, it was believed that there was a decline in its population but it was later understood that it was due to the nocturnal behavior of aardvarks. The IUCN places aardvarks under the category of Least Concern animals. Aardvark lives all across southern Africa but is a rare sight. At the same time, certain experts believe that aardvark eats a very particular diet and thus might have to face tough situations in the days to come. Unlike many other animals, an aardvark is well suited to life in captivity as well. Studies have shown that on average, an aardvark can live up to 23 years in captivity under controlled conditions.Aardvark’s Relationship With HumansAardvarks live in sub-Saharan Africa and do not come in contact with humans regularly, but studies have shown that there is a unique relationship between aardvarks and humans. There are instances where an aardvark has proven to be helpful for humans but at the same time, there have been reports where aardvarks have harmed farm vegetation.First of all, it has been seen that in recent years, aardvarks have often fallen prey to humans for several reasons. Humans hunt down aardvarks for their flesh which is believed to be pretty close to the taste of pork, for medicinal purposes, and some hunt down an aardvark for local culture which involves the nails and skin of an aardvark. At the same time, it has been seen that aardvarks are losing their habitat due to a constant increase in the human population. There have been incidents where an aardvark has proven itself beneficial to humans by feeding on ants and termites, which would have otherwise inflicted damage on farms. Some local farmers have noticed that aardvarks also dig holes under farm dam walls and fences causing harm to the produce.Did You Know…Aardvarks are undoubtedly one of the most interesting animals on the planet. These animals look like pigs, are smaller in body size than leopards, but their closest relatives are elephants and a few other animals. Let us look at some more amazing facts about aardvarks.Studies have traced the presence of aardvarks to as early as the Paleocene era. Despite the uncanny similarity between the aardvarks and South American anteaters, both of them have no connection to their ancestral roots. Did you know, the entire body of the aardvark is covered with coarse hairs? If closely noticed, you will realize that the feet of aardvarks are in the shape of spades. Many people regard aardvarks as a combination of rabbits, kangaroos, and pigs due to their physical appearance. The tail of the aardvark is pretty similar to that of kangaroos and its ears to that of rabbits.
Aardvarks are unique and interesting animals, but they also have several predators that pose a threat to them.
