Information On Aardwolves

Aardwolf; Length of head and body: 22-31 inches; tail, 8-12 inches.

Weight: 20-31 pounds.

Habitat and Range: open plains and woodlands in southern and eastern Africa.

The aardwolf (species Proteles cristatus), African carnivore generally placed in the family Hyaenidae but separated by some authorities as the family Protelidae. The aardwolf, whose name in Afrikaans means "earth wolf," resembles a small striped hyena. It is yellowish with vertical black stripes and a bushy, black-tipped tail, and it bears a long, coarse mane of erectile hairs along the length of its back.

 

The aardwolf lives on the open, grassy plains of southern and eastern Africa. There are two geographically separate populations, one centered in South Africa and the other extending from central Tanzania northward to southern Egypt. The aardwolf feeds largely on termites, particularly on the species Trinervitermes trinervoides. It is nocturnal, lives in a burrow, and is usually solitary but may forage in small packs. The litter generally consists of three or four young. The aardwolf is harmless and shy; when attacked, as by dogs, it emits a musky-smelling fluid and may fight. Its life span is fourteen years in captivity.