Aardwolf

For other uses, see Aardwolf (disambiguation).

Aardwolf Temporal range: Pleistocene - Recent
Aardwolf
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Hyaenidae
Subfamily:	Protelinae Flower, 1869
Genus:	Proteles I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1824
Species:	P. cristata
Aardwolf range

The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a small, insectivorous mammal, native to East Africa and Southern Africa. Its name means "earth wolf" in the Afrikaans / Dutch language. It is also called "maanhaar jackal". The aardwolf is in the same family with the hyenas, but unlike its relatives, the aardwolf does not hunt large animals. The aardwolf usually eats insects. It eats mostly termites, and one aardwolf can eat about 200,000 termites during a single night by using its long, sticky tongue to capture them.

The two subspecies of aardwolves are the only surviving species of the mammalian subfamily Protelinae. These two species are the Proteles cristatus cristatus of Southern Africa and the Proteles cristatus septentrionalis of East Africa.

The aardwolf is usually classified with the Hyaenidae, though it was formerly placed into the family Protelidae. The aardwolf lives in the scrublands of eastern and southern Africa. This is an areas of open land covered with stunted trees and shrubs. Aardwolves usually hide in burrows during the day, and then they come out at night to seek food. Their diet nearly always consists of termites, insect larvae, and the carrion of larger animals.

Physical characteristics

Detail of head - taken at the Cincinnati Zoo. Note the ability to rotate the ears.

The aardwolf looks somewhat like a very small Striped Hyena. They have more slender muzzles, sharper ears that they use in the hunt for termites, black vertical stripes on a coat of yellowish fur, and a long, distinct manes down the midlines of their necks and backs. This mane is raised during confrontations in order to make the aardwolves appear to be larger. An aardwolf is about 55 to 80 centimeters long, excluding its bushy tail about 20 to 30 cm long, and one stands about 40 to 50 cm tall at the shoulders. An adult aardwolf usually weighs between nine and 14 kilograms. Its front feet have five toes apiece, unlike other the related hyenas that have four toes. The teeth and skull of the aardwolf are similar to those of the hyena, though its cheek teeth are specialised for eating insects.

As the aardwolf ages, it will normally lose some of its teeth, though this has little impact on their feeding habits due to the softness of the insects that they eat. The aardwolf has two glands at its rear end that secrete a musky fluid for marking territory and for communicating with other aardwolves.

Aardwolf skull.

Distribution and habitat

The aardwolf lives on open, dry plains and bushland, avoiding mountainous areas. Due to its specific food requirements, the animal is only found in regions where termites of the family Hodotermitidae occur. Termites of this family depend on dead and withered grass and are most populous in heavily grazed grasslands and savannahs, including farmland. For most of the year, aardwolves spend time in shared territories consisting of up to a dozen dens which are occupied for six weeks at a time.

There are two distinct populations: one in Southern Africa, and another in East and Northeast Africa. The species does not occur in the intermediary miombo forests.

Behavior

Aardwolf from the zoo in San Antonio, Texas

Aardwolves are shy and nocturnal, sleeping in underground burrows by day. They usually use existing burrows of aardvarks, porcupines or springhares, despite being capable of creating their own. By night, an aardwolf can consume up to 200,000 harvester termites using its sticky, long tongue. They take special care not to destroy the termite mound or consume the entire colony, which ensures that the termites can rebuild and provide a continuous supply of food. They will often memorise the location of such nests and return to them to save the trouble of finding a new one. They are also known to feed on other insects, larvae, and eggs, and occasionally small mammals and birds. Unlike other hyenas, aardwolves do not scavenge or kill larger animals.

The adult aardwolf is primarily solitary while foraging for food, necessary because of the scarcity and homogeneous distribution of their insect prey. They have often been mistaken for solitary animals. In fact, they live as monogamous pairs, with their young, defending the same territory. Young aardwolves generally achieve sexual maturity after two years, and the breeding season varies depending on their location, but normally takes place during the autumn or spring. During the breeding season, unpaired male aardwolves will search their own territory as well as others' for a female to mate with. Dominant males will also mate opportunistically with the females of less dominant neighboring aardwolves. This can often result in conflict between two male aardwolves when one has wandered into another's territory. Gestation lasts between 90 and 110 days, producing one to five cubs (most often two or three) during the rainy season, when termites are active. The first six to eight weeks are spent in the den with the mother. After three months, they begin supervised foraging and by four months are normally independent. However, they will often use the same den as their mother until the next breeding season. They can achieve a lifespan of up to 15 years when in captivity.

Interaction with humans

Agriculture may create a negative impact on their population due to use of poisons by farmers. They are often considered useful, non-dangerous animals by farmers. However, in some areas the aardwolf is hunted for its fur. Encounters with dogs are another threat.

Illustration of Proteles cristatus.

External links

• Animal Diversity Web
• IUCN Hyaenidae Specialist Group Aardwolf pages on hyaenidae.org
• Texts on Wikisource:
  • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Aard-wolf". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
  • "Aard-wolf". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.