aardwolf pup
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Meathead
Diamond Member
Hyenas.
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not exactly, they are in the family but they are not meat eaters, they eat bugs
Meathead
Diamond Member
They are hyenas much like coyotes are wolves.
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The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a small, insect-eating mammal native to East and Southern Africa, part of the hyena family (Hyaenidae). Its name comes from Afrikaans, meaning “earth wolf,” though it’s neither a wolf nor related to aardvarks—it’s a hyena through and through. Picture a slender, striped hyena, but downsized: it stands about 40-50 cm (16-20 inches) at the shoulder, weighs 7-15 kg (15-33 lbs), and stretches 55-80 cm (22-31 inches) long, plus a bushy 20-30 cm (8-12 inch) tail. Its coat is yellowish with black vertical stripes, and it’s got a distinctive mane down its back that puffs up when it’s spooked, making it look bigger.
Unlike its meat-chomping hyena cousins, the aardwolf is a termite specialist. It can slurp up 200,000-300,000 termites a night with its long, sticky tongue, honed for the job—tough enough to handle termite bites. Its cheek teeth are reduced to pegs, perfect for crushing insects, while its canines stay sharp for defense. Nocturnal and shy, it roams open plains and shrublands, resting in burrows by day (often old aardvark or porcupine digs). It’s usually solitary, though breeding pairs share territories, marking them with a musky anal gland secretion. When threatened, it might growl, bark, or spray that stench to fend off foes like jackals or leopards.
Two populations exist—one in South Africa, another from Tanzania up to the Horn of Africa—tied to where its favorite termites thrive. It’s listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with stable numbers, though habitat loss and farmer misconceptions (thinking it eats livestock) can pose local threats. Fun fact: it’s the only surviving member of the hyena subfamily Protelinae, a lineage that split off millions of years ago
They might be a small hyena but they eat insects not meat, that is the main difference.
Unlike its meat-chomping hyena cousins, the aardwolf is a termite specialist. It can slurp up 200,000-300,000 termites a night with its long, sticky tongue, honed for the job—tough enough to handle termite bites. Its cheek teeth are reduced to pegs, perfect for crushing insects, while its canines stay sharp for defense. Nocturnal and shy, it roams open plains and shrublands, resting in burrows by day (often old aardvark or porcupine digs). It’s usually solitary, though breeding pairs share territories, marking them with a musky anal gland secretion. When threatened, it might growl, bark, or spray that stench to fend off foes like jackals or leopards.
Two populations exist—one in South Africa, another from Tanzania up to the Horn of Africa—tied to where its favorite termites thrive. It’s listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with stable numbers, though habitat loss and farmer misconceptions (thinking it eats livestock) can pose local threats. Fun fact: it’s the only surviving member of the hyena subfamily Protelinae, a lineage that split off millions of years ago
They might be a small hyena but they eat insects not meat, that is the main difference.
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