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- There is only one species of aardvark that
lives in Africa.
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- The aardvark has poor sight, but has excellent
all other senses.
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- The female gives birth to a single young
after a gestation of 7 months. The offspring is suckled for 4
months.
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- The aadvark's teeth are unique and quite
unlike those of any other mammal: they have no enamel and consist
of dentine columns, interspersed with tubes of pulp.
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- The aardvark is a solitary, nocturnal, insect
eating animal.
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- The word aardvark is Dutch for 'earth pig'.
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- The aadvark is also called AFRICAN ANT BEAR
(Orycteropus afer), heavily built mammal, ranging south of the
Sahara in forest or plain, that constitutes the family Orycteropodidae
and the order Tubulidentata.
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- The aardvark has a long snout, rabbitlike
ears, and short legs. The toes are long and equipped with large,
flattened claws; the second and third toes are united by a web
of tissue.
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- One young is born in summer. The aardvark
excavates a burrow, in which it rests by day. It ventures out
at night to rip open ant and termite nests and rapidly lap up
the routed insects, using its sticky 30-centimetre-long tongue.
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- Although not aggressive, the aardvark can
fend off such formidable attackers as lions
and leopards by parrying with its
claws.
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