34 2 The Living Animals of the World 



THE AARD-VARK. 



The custom of naming newly discovered animals after well-known forms to which they 

 are supposed to bear some resemblance, physically or otherwise, is a common one. The 

 animal now under consideration shows this once more, having originally received the name 

 of AARD-VARK (Earth-pig) from the Boers of the Cape. The aard-vark is a most decidedly 

 ugly animal, and justifies its name in several particulars. It is hunted for the sake of its 

 hide, which is of great thickness and resembles that of the pig, but is sparsely covered with 

 hairs, the general shape of its body being not unlike that of a long-headed, short-legged, 

 heavy-tailed pig. The whole animal is about 6 feet long. In a wild state, or even in 

 captivity, it is but rarely seen, since it is a night-feeder, and passes the day in sleep deep 

 down in a burrow. This burrow it digs for itself with the aid of powerful claws borne 

 on the fore feet. It lives principally on ants and termites, breaking down their nests, and 

 remorselessly sweeping up the frightened occupants with a long, sticky tongue, as soon as 

 they rush to the seat of the disturbance which has broken up the harmony and order of 

 their community. At one time it was believed that the aard-vark was a close ally of the 

 pangolin, but later researches have disproved this, and have furthermore thrown doubt upon 

 the probability of its relationship with any of the members of this group of mammals at all. 



There are two species of this animal the CAPE AARD-VARK of South and South-east 

 Africa, and the ETHIOPIAN AARD-VARK of North-east Africa. 



Where the nest-building ants are most common, there will the aard-vark or Innagus, 

 as the Boers sometimes call it be most plentiful. The nests of these ants are huge structures 

 of from 3 to 7 feet high, and often occupy vast areas of ground, extending as far as the eye 

 can reach. They are substantially built, and swarm with occupants, and consequently are 

 quite worth raiding. But the aard-vark has become much less common since a price has 

 been set upon its skin. The powers of digging of these animals are so great that they can 

 completely bury their large bodies in a few minutes, even when the ground has been baked 

 by the sun into something like adamantine hardness. In excavating their burrows, the 

 ground is thrown out by the fore feet, in huge lumps, through or rather between the hind 

 legs. Shy and suspicious, the least unusual sound will send them scuttling to earth, for their 

 sense of hearing is very keen. They seem to change their minds somewhat frequently, when 

 engaged in digging out a new burrow ; for half-excavated burrows in the side of ant-hills 

 are very commonly met with. A fully grown aard-vark is about 6 feet long generally rather 

 more. Although this animal is frequently kept in captivity, it is but rarely seen by visitors, 

 owing to its nocturnal habits, of which we have already spoken. 



The teeth of the aard-vark are sufficiently remarkable to justify notice here. Only the 

 crushing teeth are represented that is to say, the front or cutting teeth are conspicuous by 

 their absence. These crushing teeth number from eight to ten in the upper and eight in 

 the lower jaw, on each side ; but in the adult fewer would be found, the number being 

 reduced to five in each side of the jaws that is to say, there are but twenty all told. In 

 structure these teeth 

 are quite remarkable, 

 differing entirely from 

 those of all other 

 mammals, and re- 

 sembling those of 



some fishes; further- ^^^^^^ |HR^' '* 



more, they have no 

 " roots," but instead . 

 grow continually 



i t IT i T By permission of the. Hon. Walter llothsckild] [Tring. 



throughout life, which 



CAPE AARD-VAEK. 



*' rooted teeth do 



The ants upon which the aard-vark largely subsists appear to be very fattening, and impart a delicate flavour 

 not. to the flesh, especially to the hams, which are greatly esteen.ed. 



