Cape AardvarkAardvark
Discover great deals on the many hard to find and one of a kind items available only on ebay!

Aardvark

The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized mammal native to Africa The name comes from the Dutch for "earth pig" (aarde earth, varken pig), because early settlers from Europe thought it resembled a pig (although Aardvarks are not closely related to pigs). more...

HomeHome
AmphibianAmphibian
ArthropodArthropod
BirdBird
CatCat
DinosaurDinosaur
DogDog
FishFish
MammalMammal
AardvarkAardvark
AnteaterAnteater
AntelopeAntelope
ApeApe
ArmadilloArmadillo
BadgerBadger
BandicootBandicoot
BatBat
BearBear
BeaverBeaver
BelugaBeluga
BisonBison
Black BearBlack Bear
Blue WhaleBlue Whale
BoarBoar
BobcatBobcat
Brown BearBrown Bear
BullBull
BunnyBunny
CamelCamel
CattleCattle
CheetahCheetah
ChimpChimp
ChimpanzeeChimpanzee
ChipmunkChipmunk
CowCow
CoyoteCoyote
DeerDeer
DolphinDolphin
DonkeyDonkey
ElephantElephant
ElkElk
FerretFerret
FoxFox
GiraffeGiraffe
GoatGoat
GooseGoose
GopherGopher
GorillaGorilla
Grizzly BearGrizzly Bear
HareHare
HedgehogHedgehog
HippopotomasHippopotomas
HorseHorse
HumanHuman
Humpback WhaleHumpback Whale
IbexIbex
JaguarJaguar
KangarooKangaroo
Killer WhaleKiller Whale
KoalaKoala
LemmingLemming
LemurLemur
LeopardLeopard
LionLion
LynxLynx
ManateeManatee
MarmotMarmot
MarsupialMarsupial
MeercatMeercat
MinkMink
MoleMole
MongooseMongoose
MonkeyMonkey
MooseMoose
MouseMouse
MuleMule
MuskratMuskrat
OppossumOppossum
OrangutanOrangutan
OrcaOrca
OtterOtter
PangolinPangolin
PigPig
Polar BearPolar Bear
PorcupinePorcupine
PorpoisePorpoise
PossumPossum
Prairie DogPrairie Dog
RabbitRabbit
RacoonRacoon
RatRat
RhinocerosRhinoceros
RodentRodent
SealSeal
SheepSheep
ShrewShrew
SkunkSkunk
SlothSloth
Sperm WhaleSperm Whale
SquirrelSquirrel
SteerSteer
TenrecTenrec
TigerTiger
VoleVole
WalrusWalrus
WeaselWeasel
WhaleWhale
WolfWolf
WolverineWolverine
WombatWombat
Wooly MammothWooly Mammoth
ZebraZebra
MythologicalMythological
ReptileReptile


The Aardvark is the only surviving member of the family Orycteropodidae and of the order Tubulidentata. The Aardvark was originally placed in the same genus as the South American anteaters because of superficial similarities which, it is now known, are the result of convergent evolution, not common ancestry. (For the same reason, Aardvarks bear a striking first-glance resemblance to the marsupial bilbies and bandicoots of Australasia, which are not placental mammals at all.)

The oldest known Tubulidentata fossils have been found in Kenya and date to the early Miocene. Although the relationships of Tubulidentata are unknown, they are probably Ungulates. They spread to Europe and southern Asia during the later Miocene and early Pliocene periods. Three genera of the family Orycteropodidae are known: Leptorycteropus, Myorycteropus, and Orycteropus, the surviving Aardvark. A genus from Madagascar may be related to them, called Plesiorycteropus.

The most distinctive characteristic of the Tubulidentata is (as the name implies) their teeth which, instead of having a pulp cavity, have lots of thin tubes of dentine, each containing pulp and held together by cementum. The teeth have no enamel coating and are worn away and regrow continuously. Aardvarks are born with conventional incisors and canines at the front of the jaw, but these fall out and are not replaced. In adult Aardvarks, the only teeth are the molars at the back of the jaw.

Aardvarks are only vaguely pig-like; the body is stout with an arched back; the limbs are of moderate length. The front feet have lost the pollex (or 'thumb')—resulting in four toes—but the rear feet have all five toes. Each toe bears a large, robust nail which is somewhat flattened and shovel-like, and appears to be intermediate between a claw and a hoof. The ears are disproportionately long and the tail very thick at the base with a gradual taper. The greatly elongated head is set on a short, thick neck, and at the end of the snout is a disk in which the nostrils open. The mouth is typical of species that feed on termites: small and tubular. Aardvarks have long, thin, protrusible tongues and elaborate structures supporting a keen sense of smell.

Weight is typically between 40 and 65kg; length is usually between 1 and 1.3m. Aardvarks are a pale yellowish gray in color, often stained reddish-brown by soil. The coat is thin and the animal's primary protection is its tough skin; Aardvarks have been known to sleep in a recently excavated ant nest, so well does it protect them.

In the past, several individual species of Aardvark were named, however current knowledge indicates that there is only one species, Orycteropus afer, with several subspecies; 18 have been listed but most are regarded as invalid.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]

Click to see more Aardvark items at www.ebay.com
Prices current as of last update, 03/12/24 9:35am.

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links eBay