NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 
out upon the veld, the diet of the Aard Wolf con- 
sists of locusts, and termites which are generally 
known as “‘ White Ants.” When these are scarce 
or unprocurable, all edible forms of insect life are 
eaten, supplemented by the eggs and tender young 
of ground birds, the eggs of snakes, young rats, 
mice, lizards, and carrion. However, there can be 
no doubt that the main diet of this animal consists 
of those often highly destructive creatures called 
termites or “‘ White Ants.” 
Like the ant-eater or Aard Vark, the Aard Wolf 
in this respect renders man exceedingly valuable 
service. The damage wrought by many of the 
species of termites is immense, as those who have 
resided in the parts of the country infested with 
these pests have reason to know. The Aard Wolf 
does not possess a special insect-collecting apparatus 
like the long sticky tongue of an ant-eater, but it 
can nevertheless dispose of a considerable number 
of termites in a very short space of time. Digging 
down right into the nest it searches until the queen 
termite is found enclosed in her royal cell of clay. 
This is broken by the animal’s teeth, and the fat 
queen, which is a dainty morsel the size of a man’s 
thumb, is devoured. ‘Then the whole of the breed- 
ing part of the nest is scattered, and the supplemen- 
tary or reserve queens are eaten, or left exposed 
upon the surface of the ground to fall a prey to 
birds, small mammals, or carnivorous beetles. For 
many years past, whenever a specimen of an Aard 
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