Scientific Name: Proteles cristatus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Hyaenidae
Subfamily: Protelinae
Genus: Proteles
Physical Characteristics
Aardwolves' coats are light buff color with an orange tint, striped with dark brown. Their fur is long and coarse, with bushy tails. A mane, or crest, along their backs which becomes erect when frightened.
They stand about 20 inches at the shoulder
They reach 2.5 feet long
Weight 20 to 30 pounds
Members of the hyena family, aardwolves are more closely related to civets, mongooses and meerkats than dogs or wolves
Habitat
They live in south Africa; as far south as Angola, Zambia and Mozambique. And in east Africa; as far north as southeast Egypt. They are commonly found in open sandy plains or brush country.
Characteristics
They are loners who forage separately. These animals can squirt an effluvium from anal glands, as effective a defense as skunks'.
Reproduction
Gestation is between 90-110 days.
In November and December, females give birth to single litters of two - four cubs, born blind and helpless. Cubs spend six to eight weeks in the den. At about three months, they begin foraging with their parents, and by four months, forage on their own.
Diet
An aardwolf may consume up to 200,000 termites in a single night. During lean seasons, aardwolves feed on other insects and larvae dug out of the ground with the help of their large ears and acute hearing.