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Aardvark
Orycteropus afer
Orycteropus afer
The aardvark is specialized to eat ants and termites. Sweeping its snout
from side to side along the ground, the aardvark sniffs out and insect
nest. It digs in with its shovel-shaped claws, and licks up the ants and
termites with its long, sticky tongue. One aardvark eats more than
50,000 insects a night.
Fact file:
Length: 3.4 to 4.3 ft
Weight: 88 to 143 lbs
Lifespan: Up to 23 yrs in wild
Habitat: Savanna, brushland and woodland
Diet: Ants and termites
Current Range: Central and Southern Africa