2 64 TOOTHLESS ANT-EATERS 



has neither the strength nor the weapons with which to fight its 

 enemies, and is not sufficiently swift in its movements to escape from 

 them by taking to flight. But, clothed in its horny coat, it is perfectly 

 safe from the strongest foe, and there are, indeed, very few animals 

 which would care to meddle with it as it lies curled up, with its sharp 

 plates projecting from its body. 



The Cape Ant-Eater — the Aard-Vark.— It is very pig-like 

 in the look of its skin, which is light colored and has a few hairs on 

 it. Moreover, the snout is somewhat like that of a pig, but the 

 mouth has a small opening only, and to make the difl"erence between 

 the animals more noticeable, out comes a worm-shaped long tongue 

 covered with mucus or a sticky fluid. 



In Southern Africa, whence this animal came, it is rarely seen by 

 ordinary observers, for it burrows into the earth with its claws and 

 makes an underground place to live in, and is nocturnal in its habits, 

 sleeping by day. Wherever ant hills are found, there is a good chance 

 to find one of the aard-varks, or innagus. or ant-bears, as the 

 Dutch and natives call them, leading a sort of mole-like life. But it 

 is not easy to catch, if the stories told be true. It is stated that the 

 long, strong, flattened claws and short limbs, worked by their strong 

 muscles, enable the animal to burrow in the soft soil as quickly as 

 the hunters can dig, and that in a few minutes it will get out of the 

 way; moreover, its strength is sufficient to resist the efforts of two or 

 three men to drag it out of the hole. But, when fairly caught, the 

 ant-eater does not resist much ; it has no front teeth or eye-teeth to 

 do any harm with, and it can be killed easily by a blow on the head. 

 The ant-eater runs slowly, and never moves far from the entrance of 

 its burrow, being seen to do so only at night-time. The burrows are 

 often two feet in diameter and three or four feet deep before they 

 branch ofif. Night is the time for ant-eating, for the active and 

 industrious insects are then all at home and within their solid nests. 

 Then the ant-eater sallies forth, finds a fresh nest, sprawls over it, 

 and scratches a hole in its side, using his strong claws, and then intro- 

 duces his long snout. Having satisfied himself that there is no danger 

 at hand, the animal protrudes its long slimy tongue into the galleries 

 and body of the nest, and it is at once covered with enraged ants. 



