Aardwolf Proteles cristatus (Sparrman, 1783)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Hyaenidae
Genus: Proteles
Species: cristatus

Description: Spoor - Aardwolf Tags: Spoor, Aardwolf

The colloquial name of the aardwolf in English has been borrowed from the Afrikaans which means earth-wolf, referring to their habit of living in holes in the ground. It is also known as the maanhaarjakkals (= Afrikaans), referring to its mane of long hair on the upper parts of the body. These hairs can be erected to give an individual a much larger and fearsome appearance.
The aardwolf feeds primarily on nasute harvester termites (genus Trinervitermes) and depending on the region in Africa, they usually only feed on a specific species, namely T. bettonianus in East Africa, T. rhodesiensis in Zimbabwe and Botswana, and T. trinervoides in South Africa.

Literature
Skinner, J.D. and Smithers, R.H.N., 1990. The Mammals of the Southern African subregion. University of Pretoria, South Africa.



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