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File:Aardwolf,_Buffalo_Springs_National_Park,_Kenya_1_(cropped).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ185295· pop 70· linked from 577 articles

Aardwolf

Also known as Proteles cristata, Proteles cristatus, maanhaar-jackal, termite-eating hyena, civet hyena

The aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) is an insectivorous hyaenid species, native to East and Southern Africa. Its name means 'earth-wolf' in Afrikaans and Dutch. It is also called the maanhaar-jackal (Afrikaans for 'mane-jackal'), termite-eating hyena and civet hyena, based on its habit of secreting substances from its anal gland, a characteristic shared with the African civet.

AI overview

The aardwolf is a small, insect-eating member of the hyena family found in East and Southern Africa, known for its distinctive habit of eating termites and secreting scent-marking substances from its anal glands. It matters as a unique African predator that fills an ecological niche different from its larger hyena relatives, helping to control termite populations in its native habitats.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

Southern Aardwolf

species

Observations586

Maximum longevity: 20 years (captivity) Observations: One wild born female was about 20 years old when she died in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).

via IUCN

Wikidata facts

Mass: 10
Image: Aardwolf, Namaqua National Park, South Africa 1.jpg

Show 9 more facts

taxon name: Proteles cristata
Commons category: Proteles cristata
Commons gallery: Proteles cristata
taxon common name: proteles
gestation period: 91
bite force quotient: 77
litter size: 3
longest observed lifespan: 20
short name: P. cristata

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~13 min read

Article

15 sections

Contents

Taxonomy
Etymology
Description
Distribution and habitat
Behavior and ecology
Feeding
Breeding
Conservation
In captivity
Notes
References
Footnotes
Sources cited
Further reading
External links

Unlike many of its relatives in the order Carnivora, the aardwolf does not hunt large animals. It eats insects and their larvae, mainly termites; one aardwolf can lap up as many as 300,000 termites during a single night using its long, sticky tongue. The aardwolf's tongue has adapted to be tough enough to withstand the strong bite of termites.