Aardvarks are carnivores as they feed upon termites. However, they have also been known to eat underground fruits, probably as a source of water. The name Aardvark actually means “earth pig” and not only are they carnivores, they can technically be classified as specialized carnivores as they are specialized for eating termites in particular. They do this by moving from one termite mound to another and dismantle the hills with their powerful claws. Sometimes they are also classified as being “insectivores”.
Insects are then trapped by the aardvark’s long protractile tongue that can be as long as 30 cm and is covered with thick and sticky saliva. Sometimes the aardvark presses its snout against an opening in the mound and sucks up termites this way. They are creatures that possess a keen sense of smell and also hunt for long columns of termites that move outside of their mounds at night.
These creatures are also designed possessing 10 cheek teeth while lacking incisors and canines, as well as bristles around its small mouth. What is very interesting is that unlike most creatures, their teeth are not made from enamel such as a human’s teeth are. Instead, the aardvark’s teeth are actually made of a type of cement. Along with cement teeth and keen smelling, they are also very good at hearing which helps them locate their prey easily.
These creatures can be found often using their sense of smell and hearing to locate insects and then use their claws to dig into their mounds and get them with their powerful, long, and very sticky tongues. Their claws are spoon shaped, which helps them grasp onto their prey easier.
One advantage an aardvark’s prey may have over these creatures is that aardvarks are typically known for having very poor eyesight. However, termites are probably still not a match for aardvarks once they have already located the mounds in which these insects reside, as they can easily trap and suck up the prey before the termites even know what is happening.
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