Like an odd mix of pig, rabbit and rat, the aardvark is one of Africa's best exterminators. This mammals uses sharp senses to find termite mounds and ant colonies. It slips its long, sticky tongue into tunnels, grabs the insects and munches on them. A night hunter, this creature spends its days in a complex system of burrows; some are so big that people can crawl through them. Even more amazing, this seemingly defenseless animal can hold its own against some of Africa's fiercest predators.
Break In: The aardvark uses its huge ears and long snout to listen for and sniff out its favorite foods, termites and ants. When it finds a mound, the mammal breaks open the tough walls with its blunt claws and digs inside for the insects.
Thbbbt! Once an aardvark opens up a termite or ant mound, the rest is easy. The creature just rolls out its thin, foot-long tongue through the tunnels it has uncovered. When the aardvark reels its tongue in, dozens of insects are stuck to it.
Underground Home[]
A termite mound makes an all-you-can-eat restaurant for the aardvark.
The aardvark is about the size of a very big dog, but unlike most large animals this creature likes to live underground. The aardvark uses its claws to dig a system of tunnels that can stretch up to 42 feet long; these connect to wide, underground chambers. When near home, the aardvark doesn't fear predators; it can have up to 60 entrances to its burrow scattered around the area. People have actually crawled into these aardvark caves to explore, and some have even become lost and died inside them!
Put 'em Up! If an aardvark is in danger and can't reach its burrow in time, it can fight back. The creature can rear up on its hind legs and slash its claws at attackers. Aardvarks have been seen fighting hyenas, leopards, and even lions!
Conservationist: This creature is a smart eater. It doesn't destroy the termite mounds that it breaks into so that the insects can repair the damage and rebuild their colony. This way, the aardvark can return to the same mound and feast many nights in a row.
Termite Slurpy[]
- After the sun goes down, an aardvark wakes from its daytime nap and ventures out onto the African plains. It uses its keen sense of smell to search for a meal.
- After wandering for miles, the aardvark finally finds a large termite mound. It digs a narrow hole in the mound's solid walls with its strong claws.
- Thick skin protects the creature from the bites of termite soldiers as the aardvark slips its tongue into the colony and slurps up as many insects as it can.
Trivia[]
- The card's front illustration is also used in the Wildlife Explorer series, for the Aardvark's profile. Like most cards, the main difference is the removal of terrain for the Weird n' Wild version.
- The photo of an aardvark laying in front of the termite hill and the "Termite Slurpy" illustrations are also shared between cards. The latter, titled "Dig For Dinner", has a third image of the aardvark digging into the hill, and the image of it starting to dig and the image of it eating termites are flipped between series.