co the single, still living representative of the order of the Röhrchenzähner (Tubulidentata), the aardvark, introduces itself the last, strongly specialized and nevertheless ancient descendant of the otherwise extinct Urhuftiere (Protungulata) us. We can call it "living fossil" confidently. Presumably developed the Urhuftiere in Africa for itself, where the aardvark is at home also still today. The type of the present-day aardvark lived already in the middle one tertiary (Miozän, 15 million years ago).
Denture The name of the order of Röhrchenzähner gives already an information regarding the characteristic construction of these teeth, that only returns in the animal-empire in similar form with the sharks and smelled. The column-shaped teeth are rootless and can grow back for life. they are not secreted like with all remaining mammals about a Zahnpulpa but exists from many, approximately hexagonal small tubes, in fact, that stand parallel side by side, in the longitudinal direction of the tooth. A cylindrical canal, that is filled with a part of the tooth-Mark, is in the middle of such a column. These prismenförmigen columns are covered by a cement-good layer and are embedded in it. We don't find enamel like with the remaining mammal-order.
Shape Aardvarks have a clumsy, penetrated shape. They owe its name to the pig-good one(s), endständigen trunk-disk of its long muzzle, the fact that they dig deep caves in the ground for itself and the welfare-taste of its meat, that should show similarity with that of the boar. Aardvarks let themselves otherwise only compare heavily in its shape with other animals. A "mixture between pig and kangaroo" still should characterize the look of this original animal the best.
The short neck connects the long-stretched head with a massive body. The lockable nose-openings of this typical grave-animal get along something in the conflict with the big, bag-shaped ears, however in the unison with the rather small eyes. they only possess one with small rods of occupied retina, that is therefore tried on optimally for seeing in twilight and in the darkness, however any colors cannot perceive. The round torso with the stocky limbs changes to a muscular one, rounds, pointed-finishes tail, that shows a scope of approximately 40 cm at its root. This tail resembles that of a kangaroo exceptionally and becomes u. a. also like a such one as supports and balance-organ been used.
The kangaroo-good impression is still reinforced limbs by the unequal length of this. The four too powerful grave-claws developed, toes are excellent breaks and grave-tools the shorter front-extremity, and everything, which is to be destroyed with hammer and chisels, falls victim also to these natural crowbars. The hind legs are longer, shorter claws carry and at the feet sole-calluses. Nevertheless, the aardvarks perform as Zehengänger with all four feet. The verhornten sole-calluses are a witness for the characteristic type of the aardvarks to break termite-constructions open. The animals sit before the termite-hills on that occasion in squat and dig with the front-claws. The rear-feet land on the ground on that occasion with the horn-calluses, so to speak as "Sohlensitzer." To the back, the tail takes over the support.
The reddish-gray skin of the aardvarks is strong and leathery and only sparse covered with Grannenhaaren.
Way of life As night-active animals, whom we find also during the day only after cool nights (occasionally in the early morning hours when sunbathing), the aardvarks live in all landscapes of Africa as far as to a height of 2000 m, from the jungle as far as to the savanna. its digging way of life in accordance with, they avoid however moist or hard grounds. they are loners, who live in pairs for a short time only at times during the heat-period. In food-hands areas the females are place-scatters and lives in solid territories with solid changes to its feed and water-places. Often, a solid rhythm balances out with the visit of the termite-constructions being in the residential-area in the sequence of the looks up. In this way and manner commutes itself a stable balance between the looting of the termite-nests and the reorganization in the course of the time as well as. the repair of the termites one. Females in food-poorer areas - also like all males - wander around with what they sometimes put back up to 30 km in a night.
The animals oversleep the day in a self-built Erdhöhle, that consists of a 2-3 m long and approximately 40 cm wide access-tunnel and an Endkessel. The Endkessel is from roundish form and doesn't have any special end-upholstery, refrained from a little more relaxed globe once. In suitable grounds, the aardvarks dig such a residential-construction with astonishing speed and are to be neither still detained animal with it from human being. A digging aardvark, suddenly surprises, anchors itself so in the soil with its claws, that a human being is not able to move it at its tail at the Erdoberfläche. The aardvarks share this quality with the South American armadillos incidentally.
Beside the task as protection-cave before enemies, the Erdhöhle fills another important biological function as roost and weeks or manners: Because a sub-skin-fat-tissue is missing, the body-own heat-regulation of the aardvarks only is extremely imperfect. However, this is for the dynamic-ness of the animals of subordinate importance as measurements of the temperature prove within the Endkessel of the constructions: Within the residential-section, a constant temperature of approximately 24 °C prevails the cave. This corresponds exactly to the heat, that the animals find outside its building site in its residential-areas at night. So, a costly body-own heat-regulation becomes unnecessary for the aardvarks.
The aardvarks leave the cave in a very characteristic way: After longer time of the Sicherns in the cave-entrance, the animal suddenly jumps itself a route from its construction with a few wide jumps quickly outside forth and off. In sure distance, the aardvark first pauses, some time remains sitting again motionless, sniffs after possible dangers and finally goes in easy trot on food-search. Aardvarks never climb on that occasion, can swim quite well, however.
The excellent sense of smell, that leads the animals to the termites, serves the food-search. The hearing also is extraordinarily sophisticated. The face-sense is, how already mentions, only on black-and-white-sensation furnished.
Since aardvarks frequently dig new caves for itself, a larger number of abandoned holes often is found in its residential-areas. they are assumed by very many other types of animal gladly, yes the occurrence of some types of animal is dependent on the existence of empty aardvark-caves in several areas. This is applicable particularly to warthogs, who often live with its whole clan there. Jackals, hyenas, Sneak cats, Nager and birds and even a bat-type spend the day in these favorable Unterschlupfen. However, the holes have special meaning as place of refuge in animals of every type if brush fires devastate its habitat.
Food How already mentions, termites form the main-food-source of the aardvarks in the wild. The massive constructions of these insects open the aardvarks with its powerful grave-claws, or they pick up the termites on their traveling-streets. On this occasion, they use its very long, belt-shaped tongue, that turns into the "glue-fishing rod" through very much much gluey saliva for the termites. At the termite-constructions, one frequently sees also the aardvarks as they suck directly at an opening with the muzzle. But neither the arduous setting off of the massive termite-castles nor the suction at natural or artificially created openings can meet the food-demand of the aardvarks. Therefore, they are dependent on finding the thousand of individuals of counting convoys of swarmed out termites, approximately the "harvest-termites" of the type Trinervitermes.
Reproduction The reproductive-biology of the aardvarks is, as so much from the life of these odd animals, clarified until now little. Throws over possibly are the whole year presumably. From Africa's different parts is different combination - and with it of course also throw-times known. The Tragzeit seems to last approximately 7-71/2 months.
In the Endkessel of the residential-cave, that is dressed not particularly for the birth, the female usually brings a flesh-colored, bare young to the world, that remains in the cave at least 2 weeks. Twins rarely were born once. After approximately 2 weeks, the young begins to accompany the mother on its food-expeditions. Now, the female digs a new cave, in which it moves with its boy, in every week. With 6 months, the young digs its first own cave, still completely near the maternal building site. Young males leave the old before the next combination-time, female young can stay with her also after the birth of the next throw. So, one rarely doesn't see a mother with two boys of deceased age.
The Behaarung of the young constantly increases until an age of approximately one year, then gains its most severe density and becomes ever sparser gradually.
Enemies Refrained from the human being, the aardvark has only very few enemies. Primarily, lion, hyena and leopard are here to be named, this in its hunt on the aardvarks because of their particular way of life only little successful is. Rarely, a boa constrictor penetrates also once, a python for example, into the construction one and devours the after-breeding. If it is pursued, the aardvark usually looks for its salvation in the escape. It begins its retreat with wide jumps and goes, after it gained its maximum speed, into a fast trot over. If it becomes surprising put once so that neither the escape nor the possibility the hurls dig in remains, throws it on the back and beats according to the opponent particularly with its front-feet, while it puts the rear-feet protectively over the body. Possibly, also this serves occasionally, Zustopfen of the cave-entrance with earth of the enemy-defense observed.
Continuance Aardvarks frequently are not in its habitat and are pursued by the natives.
Scientific name: