National Aardvark Week

/

National Aardvark Week kind of sneaks up on you. Probably because there aren’t any aardvarks in North America. In fact, they’re only found in sub-Saharan Africa, and even there, people don’t see them often because they’re shy, solitary, and nocturnal. Your best chance of ever seeing one is probably in a zoo.

In old Afrikaans, aardvark literally means ‘earth pig’ or ‘ground pig’ because it lives underground in burrows and is particularly noted for its excavation skills. Using its front claws, an aardvark can dig a 2-foot hole in about 15 seconds flat, usually in search of its favorite food: ants and termites. Watch an aardvark dig. It’s amazing!

Not only do they dig for food, but they also dig extensive underground burrows for shelter, protection, and temperature control. They don’t stay in one burrow for very long, abandoning it and digging another frequently. It’s considered a keystone species because it benefits numerous other animals and different habitats that take up residence in the pre-dug burrows.

Photo credit: Louise Joubert

This odd-looking mammal has ears like a rabbit, a tail like a kangaroo, and thick leathery skin. You might be familiar with the cartoon aardvark, Arthur, who really looks more like a bear cub or a rodent. Then there’s the British children’s character, Oits, as well as a series of 17 cartoon shorts from the late 1960s called ‘The Ant and the Aardvark’, featuring a blue aardvark trying to catch a red ant named Charlie. Actually, I’ve never watched any of these. Have you? And I’m not sure I’ve actually ever seen an aardvark in the wild or at a zoo. Guess I should put that on my bucket list, huh?

Also known as an African ant bear, the aardvark is not to be confused with an anteater. In fact, it is a closer relative to an elephant or a manatee than an anteater. It is only the living member of the Tubulidentata order tracing its evolutionary history back ~ 55 million years.

Don’t confuse an aarvark with an anteater!

It uses its long, sticky 18” tongue (30 cm) to consume as many as 50,000–60,000 termites and ants in a single night.

A little aardvark trivia:

  • A group of aardvarks, not that you’d ever see one, is called an 'armoury'.

  • It’s usually the first word in English dictionaries.

How to celebrate? No idea. Maybe just be aware they’re out there… a little thought food for the day!