Aardvark means earth pig
The name originates from Africaans - aarde means earth and varken means pig - and it was given this name because of its burrowing habits. But, they are not a pig, or related to pigs!
Aardvarks love termites!
The aardvark is often called an anteater because of its love of termites and they have all the right tools for the job:
- They use their claws to dig into the termite mounds
- They trap the termites with their long tongue which is covered in sticky saliva
- They can also use their nose by pressing it against the opening of the mound and suck the termites up
- Their long nose and keen sense of smell means they can easily hunt for termites at night which are moving around outside the mounds.
Blue Aardvark Chasing Ant
by pinkpanther
Aardvarks live underground
The aardvark is from Africa, south of the Sahara Desert and spends its day underground in its burrow. It is a nocturnal mammal, so it comes out night to feed on its favourite food - ants and termites!
