An African mammal that searches for ants and termites on the ground at night and uses burrows as shelter.
It has a long snout and broad, spade-like claws suited to digging.
Aardvarks dig with powerful claws and eat ants and termites with a long tongue. Usually active at night, they shelter in burrows that later provide refuges for other animals.
A three-year Tswalu study reported in 2020 followed activity and body temperature. During drought-associated food shortage, animals shifted toward warmer daytime hours, reducing the energy cost of cold nights.
Some animals nevertheless deteriorated and died in severe drought. Changes link plants to insect prey and aardvarks, with possible consequences for animals using their burrows.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Hunting and habitat loss from logging, farming, roads and settlement are threats. Kalahari research also documents deterioration associated with drought-driven food shortage.