Aardwolf
Aardwolf Temporal range:
Recent | |
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An aardwolf in Namib-Nord, Namibia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Family: | Hyaenidae |
Subfamily: | Protelinae |
Genus: | Proteles |
Species: | P. cristatus
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Binomial name | |
Proteles cristatus (Sparrman, 1783)
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Aardwolf range
Extant (resident)
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Synonyms[2] | |
Synonymy
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The aardwolf (Proteles cristatus[3]) is an insectivorous hyaenid species, native to East and Southern Africa. Its name means "earth-wolf" in Afrikaans and Dutch.[4][5] It is also called the maanhaar-jackal[6][7] (Afrikaans for "mane-jackal"), termite-eating hyena[8] and civet hyena, based on its habit of secreting substances from its anal gland, a characteristic shared with the African civet.[9]
Unlike many of its relatives in the order Carnivora, the aardwolf does not hunt large animals. It eats insects and their larvae,[10] mainly termites; one aardwolf can lap up as many as 300,000 termites during a single night[11] using its long, sticky tongue. The aardwolf's tongue has adapted to be tough enough to withstand the strong bite of termites.[12]
The aardwolf lives in the
Taxonomy
The aardwolf is generally classified with the hyena family
The aardwolf is the only surviving species in the subfamily Protelinae. There is disagreement as to whether the species is monotypic,[16] or can be divided into subspecies P. c. cristatus of Southern Africa and P. c. septentrionalis of East Africa.[9][17]
A 2006 molecular analysis indicates that it is phylogenetically the most basal of the four extant hyaenidae species.[11]
Hyaenidae
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Etymology
The generic name proteles comes from two words both of Greek origin, protos and teleos which combined means "complete in front" based on the fact that they have five toes on their front feet and four on the rear.[9] The specific name, cristatus, comes from Latin and means "provided with a comb", relating to their mane.[9]
Description
The aardwolf resembles a much smaller and thinner striped hyena, with a more slender muzzle, black vertical stripes on a coat of yellowish fur, and a long, distinct mane down the midline of the neck and back. It also has one or two diagonal stripes down the fore- and hind-quarters, along with several stripes on its legs.[17] The mane is raised during confrontations to make the aardwolf appear larger. It is missing the throat spot that others in the family have.[9] Its lower leg (from the knee down) is all black, and its tail is bushy with a black tip.[13]
The aardwolf is about 55 to 80 cm (22 to 31 in) long, excluding its bushy tail, which is about 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) long,[4][13] and stands about 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in) tall at the shoulders.[18] An adult aardwolf weighs approximately 7–10 kg (15–22 lb), sometimes reaching 15 kg (33 lb).[9] The aardwolves in the south of the continent tend to be smaller (about 10 kg (22 lb)) than the eastern version (around 14 kg (31 lb)). This makes the aardwolf, the smallest extant member of the Hyaenidae family.[17] The front feet have five toes each, unlike the four-toed hyena.[4][19] The skull is similar in shape to those of other hyenas, though much smaller,[18] and its cheek teeth are specialised for eating insects.[4] It does still have canines, but, unlike other hyenas, these teeth are used primarily for fighting and defense.[13] Its ears, which are large,[13] are very similar to those of the striped hyena.[9]
As an aardwolf ages, it will normally lose some of its teeth, though this has little impact on its feeding habits due to the softness of the insects that it eats.[10]
Distribution and habitat
Aardwolves live in open, dry plains and
There are two distinct populations: one in Southern Africa, and another in East and Northeast Africa. The species does not occur in the intermediary miombo forests.
An adult pair, along with their most-recent offspring, occupies a territory of 1–4 km2 (0.39–1.54 sq mi).[20]
Behavior and ecology
Aardwolves are shy and
They are primarily solitary animals, though during mating season they form
The territory is marked by both sexes, as they both have developed anal glands from which they extrude a black substance that is smeared on rocks or grass stalks in 5-millimetre (0.20 in)-long streaks.[24] Aardwolves also have scent glands on the forefoot and penile pad.[26] They often mark near termite mounds within their territory every 20 minutes or so. If they are patrolling their territorial boundaries, the marking frequency increases drastically, to once every 50 m (160 ft). At this rate, an individual may mark 60 marks per hour,[24] and upwards of 200 per night.[20]
An aardwolf pair may have up to 10 dens, and numerous feces
Aardwolves are not fast runners nor are they particularly adept at fighting off predators. Therefore, when threatened, the aardwolf may attempt to mislead its foe by doubling back on its tracks. If confronted, it may raise its mane in an attempt to appear more menacing. It also emits a foul-smelling liquid from its anal glands.[18]
Feeding
The aardwolf feeds primarily on termites and more specifically on
They do not destroy the termite mound or consume the entire colony, thus ensuring that the termites can rebuild and provide a continuous supply of food. They often memorize the location of such nests and return to them every few months.
Unlike other hyenas, aardwolves do not scavenge or kill larger animals.[13][25] Contrary to popular myths, aardwolves do not eat carrion, and if they are seen eating while hunched over a dead carcass, they are actually eating larvae and beetles.[13] Also, contrary to some sources, they do not like meat, unless it is finely ground or cooked for them.[13] The adult aardwolf was formerly assumed to forage in small groups,[18] but more recent research has shown that they are primarily solitary foragers,[23] necessary because of the scarcity of their insect prey. Their primary source, Trinervitermes, forages in small but dense patches of 25–100 cm (9.8–39.4 in).[24] While foraging, the aardwolf can cover about 1 km (0.62 mi) per hour, which translates to 8–12 km (5.0–7.5 mi) per summer night and 3–8 km (1.9–5.0 mi) per winter night.[13]
Breeding
The
Gestation lasts between 89 and 92 days,[9][20] producing two to five cubs (most often two or three) during the rainy season (November–December),[18] when termites are more active.[4] They are born with their eyes open, but initially are helpless,[24] and weigh around 200–350 g (7.1–12.3 oz).[9] The first six to eight weeks are spent in the den with their parents.[25] The male may spend up to six hours a night watching over the cubs while the mother is out looking for food.[20][24] After three months, they begin supervised foraging, and by four months are normally independent, though they often share a den with their mother until the next breeding season.[25] By the time the next set of cubs is born, the older cubs have moved on.[20] Aardwolves generally achieve sexual maturity at one and a half to two years of age.[9]
Conservation
The aardwolf has not seen decreasing numbers and is relatively widespread throughout eastern Africa. They are not common throughout their range, as they maintain a density of no more than 1 per square kilometer, if food is abundant. Because of these factors, the IUCN has rated the aardwolf as
In captivity
Notes
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Proteles cristata (Sparrman, 1783)". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- S2CID 242046818.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hoiberg 2010, p. 4
- ^ "Aardwolf, n." Dictionary of South African English. Dictionary Unit for South African English, 2018. Web. 25 February 2019.
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary Online 2013
- ^ "Maanhaar, n." Dictionary of South African English. Dictionary Unit for South African English, 2018. Web. 25 February 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-4684-9063-3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rieger 1990, pp. 570–571
- ^ a b c d Anon 1998, p. 144
- ^ a b Koepfli et al. 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f Mills & Harvey 2001, p. 71
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nowak 2005, pp. 222–223
- ^ Brottman 2012, pp. 28–29
- ^ a b Koepfli et al. 2006, p. 615
- ^ Wozencraft 2005, p. 573
- ^ a b c Mills & Harvey 2001, p. 33
- ^ a b c d e Goodwin 1997, p. 3
- ^ Brottman 2012, p. 29
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mills & Harvey 2001, pp. 108–109
- ^ a b Brottman 2012, p. 30
- ^ a b Richardson, P. R. K. "Aardwolf mating system: overt cuckoldry in an apparently monogamous mammal." South African Journal of Science 83.7 (1987): 405.
- ^ a b Koehler & Richardson 1990, p. 4
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Richardson & Bearder 1984, pp. 158–159
- ^ a b c d e f g Brottman 2012, p. 31
- ^ Stoeckelhuber, Mechthild, Alexander Sliwa, and Ulrich Welsch. "Histo‐physiology of the scent‐marking glands of the penile pad, anal pouch, and the forefoot in the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus)." The anatomical record 259.3 (2000): 312-326.
- .
- ^ Sliwa, A. (1996). A functional analysis of scent marking and mating behaviour in the aardwolf Proteles cristatuss (Sparrman, 1783) (PhD). Pretoria: University of Pretoria.
Sources
- Anon (1998). Wildlife Fact File. Vol. Group 1. IMP Publishing Ltd. Card 144. ISBN 978-1886614772.
- Brottman, M. (2012). Burt, Jonathon (ed.). Hyena. Animal. London: Reaktion Books. pp. 28–32. ISBN 978-1-86189-9217.
- Goodwin, G. G. (1997). "Aardwolf". In Johnston, B. (ed.). Collier's Encyclopedia. Vol. I: A to Ameland (1st ed.). New York, NY: P.F. Collier.
- Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). "Aardwolf". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I: A-Ak - Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ISBN 978-1-59339-837-8.
- Koehler, C. E.; Richardson, P. R. K. (1990). "Proteles cristatus". JSTOR 3504197.
- Koepfli, K.-P.; Jenks, S. M.; Eizirik, E.; Zahirpour, T.; Van Valkenburgh, B.; Wayne, R. K. (2006). "Molecular systematics of the Hyaenidae: Relationships of a Relictual Lineage Resolved by a Molecular Supermatrix". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 38 (3): 603–620. PMID 16503281.
- Mills, G.; Harvey, M. (2001). African Predators. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 978-1-56098-096-4.
- Nowak, R. M. (2005). Walker's Carnivores of the World. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8032-2.
- Oxford English Dictionary Online (2013). "maanhaar". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
- Richardson, P. K. R.; Bearder, S. K. (1984). "The Hyena Family". In MacDonald, D. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York, NY: Facts on File Publication. ISBN 978-0-87196-871-5.
- Rieger, Ingo (1990). "Hyenas". In Parker, Sybil P. (ed.). Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol. 3. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-07-909508-4.
- OCLC 62265494.
Further reading
- Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989). "aard-wolf". The Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. I: A – Bazouki (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-861213-1.
- Skinner, J. D.; Chimimba, C. T. (2006). The Mammals of the Southern African Sub-region (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-84418-5.
External links
- Animal Diversity Web
- IUCN Hyaenidae Specialist Group Aardwolf pages on hyaenidae.org
- Cam footage from the Namib desert https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lRevqS6Pxgg
- Texts on Wikisource:
- "Aard-wolf". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
- "Aard-wolf". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.