Ghosts of the African Night: The Elusive Aardvark

What is an aardvark?
Aardvarks are mid-sized, solitary mammals found across sub-Saharan Africa—but rarely seen.  In fact, they’re so unique that they stand alone: the only species in the family Orycteropodidae, and the sole surviving member of the order Tubulidentata—meaning “tube teeth.”  That name refers to their unusual molars, which are made up of tiny, column-like tubules of dentine fused together.  Adults lack both incisors and canines.  Fossils suggest Tubulidentata first appeared about 54 million years ago—a truly ancient lineage.

Despite their pig-like body and long snout, aardvarks are not related to pigs—or anteaters, despite their similar diet.  In fact, their closest living relatives are a surprising bunch: elephants, hyraxes, and manatees.  Evolution has a wicked sense of humor.

An adult aardvark can reach up to 150 pounds and over 7 feet in length, including their tail—yet they only stand about 28 inches tall at the shoulder.  They are deceptively large, compact, and built for a life spent underground and in the shadows.

Built for the Night

Aardvarks are perfectly adapted to a nocturnal lifestyle.  With a long, sticky tongue and powerful claws, they spend their nights sniffing out ant and termite nests, digging with astonishing speed, and consuming thousands of insects in a single foraging session.  Their thick skin helps protect them from insect bites, and their keen sense of smell guides nearly all their behavior after dark.

As they travel up to 6 to 19 miles each night, they amble in a zigzag pattern, pressing their snout to the ground and pausing frequently to sniff.  It's believed that specialized sensory organs inside their nasal septum detect even tiny underground vibrations—like the movement of a single termite.

Spotting an aardvark is especially difficult—not only are they shy and solitary, but their eyes don’t reflect light the way most nocturnal animals’ do.  Even a spotlight might sweep past one without ever revealing it.

Elusive Even to the Experts

Most safari travelers never see one.  Even seasoned guides may go years—or decades—without a sighting.  I’ve seen plenty of their burrows (usually when we drop a tire into one!), but I have never seen an aardvark.

Their burrows are unmistakable—and occasionally treacherous.  In areas where off-roading is permitted, they’re a real hazard to vehicles.  But beneath the surface, these burrows play a vital ecological role.  Aardvarks frequently dig new dens and abandon the old ones, which become prime real estate for other species.  Warthogs, hyenas, porcupines, pangolins, and even African wild dogs will happily move in.

And they’re not just shallow holes.  Aardvark burrows can be multi-chambered and up to 30 feet long, offering essential shelter during extreme heat, heavy rains, or predator attacks.

Defenses of a Digger

If threatened while away from a burrow, an aardvark can dig itself out of sight in as little as five minutes.  Its hearing is acute—part of its predator defense system.  Should a predator (such as a lion, hyena, or python) attempt to dig it out, the aardvark will rapidly block the tunnel behind itself with soil.  When cornered, it can lash out with powerful front claws, capable of doing serious damage.

A Life Mostly Unseen

The sexes come together only during breeding season.  After a gestation of about seven months, a single young—typically weighing around four pounds—is born during the rainy season.  Its claws are already well developed at birth.

The youngster stays in the den for the first two weeks, then begins following its mother on nighttime foraging runs.  By 14 weeks it begins eating termites; by 16 weeks it is weaned.  By six months, it can dig its own burrow, and it usually leaves its mother before it turns one.  Sexual maturity is reached around two years of age.  In captivity, aardvarks have lived up to 24 years, though their lifespan in the wild is still largely unknown.

Because of their nocturnal habits and solitary lifestyle, very little is known about aardvark population status.  They are not considered endangered, but they are seldom studied in the wild. Their indirect benefits to humans include reducing termite populations that might otherwise damage crops.

So if you’re one of the lucky few to see an aardvark in the wild, count yourself blessed.  You’ve glimpsed a creature that walks almost unchanged from ancient times, under starlit skies, doing what it has done for millennia—quietly, brilliantly, and almost invisibly.