Range

Africa is the native home of the aardvark. Here they can be found in the following countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Habitat

They make their home in a wide variety of habitats including forest, rainforests, woodlands, savanna, shrubland and grassland. Aardvarks avoid areas with very rocky terrain as they are hard to dig in.

Aadrvarks shelter in burrows which they can dig up to 10m (33ft) in to the ground. They can dig 1m every 15 seconds. These burrows can be extensive complexes with multiple openings.

Once they are finished using their burrow it can become a shelter for a range of other species including insects and other mammals.

Reproduction

Aardvarks only come together for a brief period of time to mate each year.

Following a successful mating the female will give birth to a single infant. This is born after a 7 month old gestation period. She gives birth in her burrow.

After a few weeks the baby can leave the burrow and by 8 weeks old they start to have their first taste of termites. By 3 months old they wean off milk.

The young become independent between 6 and 12 months old. Sexual maturity is reached at 2 years old.

Behavior

Aardvarks are solitary and will only come together for mating.

They are primarily nocturnal but may emerge during the day to sit in the sun. During the rest of the day they rest in their burrow which helps them to avoid the heat of the day.

The aardvark has limited eyesight. As such when leaving the burrow they stand motionless at the entrance for a short period until they can hear no noises of predators or threats.

Predators and Threats

Natural predators of the aardvark include African lions, leopards, hyenas and pythons.

Their primary defense is to run away or dig in to the ground. They may also attack a threat with their large claws.

Humans hunt them both for food and their body parts. The teeth are used as charms and are believed to prevent illness. They may also be used for medicinal purposes.

As humans expand their population they are threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation from roads.