Aardwolf Facts

The aardwolf, proteles cristatus, is a member of the hyena family (like the spotted hyena). The length of their head and body is 22 to 31.5 inches (55 to 80 centimeters) while their tails are 7.9 to 11.8 inches (20 to 30 centimeters). They stand 18.9 to 19.6 inches (48 to 50 centimeters) tall at the shoulders and weigh 17.6 to 30.8 pounds (8 to 14 kilograms). Their fur is yellowish-red to brown in color and is accompanied by dark stripes. 3 run down horizontally along both sides and the rest run diagonally across their fore and hind quarters. The front legs are slightly longer than the back ones and a mane is located on the back of the neck that stands up whenever they feel stressed.

The aardwolf has 2 discrete populations. The southern population covers most of southern Africa, Angola, Zambia and Mozambique while the northern population can be found in Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Egypt. They usually inhabit open and grassy plains, but can make due just about anywhere as long as it has an average rainfall of around 3.4 to 27 fluid ounces (100 to 800 milliliters), with the exception of forests which they avoid. The aardwolf gets its name (which means earth wolf) from the fact that it spends the day resting in underground burrows (they hunt at night). They are solitary creatures (except when they are raising young) and control a territory 0.6 to 2.5 square miles (1 to 4 square kilometers), marking it with dung, urine and secretions from their anal glands.

The diet of an aardwolf consists mainly of termites (harvester termites in particular), with maggots, grubs and other soft-bodied insects making up the rest of it. On rare occasion, they will also prey on birds, small mammals and carrion (dead animals). They will not dig into termite nests, but will instead just pick up any they see with their tongue, consuming as many as 200,000 termites in a single night. An aardwolf has few natural predators, with dogs and leopards being a couple of them. When under attack, it will emit their anal gland fluids (much like a skunk), which keeps most predators away.

Breeding for the aardwolf often takes place within the first 2 weeks of July; with both the male and female staying together to raise the offspring (called cubs). Females will give birth to anywhere from 1 to 6 cubs (although the average is 2 to 4) after a gestation period of around 90 days. There may be several females with cubs occupying the same burrow. Males will guard the territory (often from jackals) while the female nurses the cubs. At about 3 to 4 months of age, the cubs are weaned and begin foraging throughout the territory. They will usually leave the territory when they are 1 year old and will probably never return. If the cubs can survive long enough, then they can live to be up to 10 years old.

The aardwolf is not considered an endangered species. Farmers used to persecute them, but now seem keen to conserve the species. They still face some threats like habitat loss and the loss of food sources due to farming, but overall their populations are stable. Hopefully, the aardwolf can overcome its obstacles and continue its peaceful coexistence with humans. After all, such a unique species of hyena deserves to live and prosper far into the future.

Works Cited

“Aardwolf” 4 July 2011

“Aardwolf (Proteles Cristata)” 4 July 2011

“Aardwolf” 4 July 2011


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