Aardwolf
Proteles cristatus
WILD STATUS
Rare
Rare
DISTRIBUTION
Discontinuous from North East Sudan south to Tanzania, South Angola and South Zambia through South Africa.
SIZE
Height 40-50 cm (~20”). Weight 9-14 kg (20-30 lbs).
HABITAT
Dry savannas, sandy plains and bush.
REPRODUCTION
Litters of 3-4 cubs born in a burrow after a 90-100 day gestation period.
DIET
Specialized feeder with diet consisting of 90% harvester termites. Also feed on eggs, reptiles, amphibians and small rodents and bugs on carrion.
WORLD CAPTIVE POPULATION
The November 2001 ISIS Report (International Species Identification System) lists 13 institutions worldwide housing 26 Aardwolf in captivity.
Litters of 3-4 cubs born in a burrow after a 90-100 day gestation period.
DIET
Specialized feeder with diet consisting of 90% harvester termites. Also feed on eggs, reptiles, amphibians and small rodents and bugs on carrion.
WORLD CAPTIVE POPULATION
The November 2001 ISIS Report (International Species Identification System) lists 13 institutions worldwide housing 26 Aardwolf in captivity.
INTERESTING TIDBITS
- Smallest member of hyena family.
- Live as monogamous pairs or singly.
- Male guards litter in burrow while female hunts.
- Both parents feed weaned cubs regurgitated termites.
- Often steal burrows from aarvarks because they both live near termite mounds.
- Harvester termites, their main source of food, cannot tolerate sunlight and will come outside in late afternoon in dense columns.
- They consume 300,000 termites in a single evening, lapping them up with long, sticky tongues.
- Aardwolves are known as “incomplete carnivores” meaning they eat insects from carrion and rodents.
- Unlike other members of the Hyena family, they have a large mane of hair on their shoulder humps. This is erected straight up to make them look bigger if threatened or to help them intimidate predators.
- They emit a loud roar-like vocalization.
- They emit a skunk-like scent as another defensive mechanism.
- Due to their termite diet, they are severely affected by locust poisoning campaigns.
HABITAT RANGE
ANIMAL FACT SHEET
To download the information from this page and get a full size photo of the aardwolf click here for a PDF
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Home