306 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 fect, 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 thie 
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 Jower 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, andre 
sem bling those of 
some fishes; further- 
more, they have no 
“roots,” but instead 
grow continually 
By permission of the Hon, Walter Rothschild 
CAPE AARD-VARK throughout life, which 
ae a 
The ants upon which the aard-vark largely subsists appear to be very fattening, and impart a delicate flavour rooted teeth do 
to the flesh, especially to the hams, which are greatly esteemed not. 
