aardvark

aardvark [Du.,=ground pig], nocturnal mammal of the genus Orycteropus, sole representative of the order Tubulidentata. There are two species, one in central Africa and the other in S Africa. The aardvark, about 6 ft (180 cm) long, has a long snout, large erect ears, an almost naked or sparsely haired body, and a long tail. Its forefeet are adapted for making burrows in the ground and for clawing open the nests of ants and termites in order to capture the insects with its long sticky tongue. Its cylindrical teeth are continuously growing and without enamel or roots. The aardvark resembles the New World anteaters but is not closely related to them. It is also called ant bear or earth pig. Aardvarks are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Tubulidentata, family Orycteropodidae.

aardvark Nocturnal, bristly haired mammal of central and s Africa. It feeds on termites and ants, which it scoops up with its sticky 30cm (12in) tongue. Length: up to 1.5m (5ft); weight: up to 70kg (155lb). It is the only representative of the order Tubulidentata.

Orycteropodidae (aardvark; superorder Protoungulata, order Tubulidentata) A family of animals, known from the Miocene in Africa and the Oligocene in Europe, that are isolated from all other mammal groups and that may be similar to Condylarthra. An orycteropodid is about the size of a small pig. The teeth are peg-like, consisting only of premolars and molars in the form of columns of dentine with no enamel, and grow continuously. The snout is long, the mouth round, the tongue long and worm-like. The animal is able to bury its snout in earth and locate and swallow prey while continuing to breathe. The limbs are specialized for digging, and digging is used as a means of escape from danger as well as to obtain food. The olfactory region of the brain is highly developed. The ears are long and the sense of hearing acute. There is only one extant species, Orycteropus afer (aardvark), distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara.