Animals
Aardwolf: The weirdo hyena cousin that eats 300,000 termites each night
Name: Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus)
Where it lives: Savannah and grasslands in eastern and southern Africa
What it eats: Termites and ants
Why it's awesome: Unlike their meat-eating relatives, these solitary, nocturnal little hyenas survive on a diet almost entirely made up of termites. They can gobble up to 300,000 of the insects every night, using their sticky, super-long tongues to lap them up.
Aardwolf tongues are broad and rounded, with big, hardened papillae, or the bumps on the tongue that contain taste buds. The sand they lap up with the termites helps the hyenas' digestion.
Thanks to this specialized diet, aardwolves have flattened, peg-like teeth that can't chew meat. While the Animals still have fangs, unlike their meat-eating counterparts, they only use them to defend their territory and cubs.
Related: Siberian cave filled with mammoth, rhino and bear bones is ancient hyena lair
-
Animals1h ago
Intense Wildlife Footage Captures a Gripping Struggle: No-Way-Out Buck Battles for Survival Against Wild Dogs, Hippos, and Crocodiles. A Thrilling Life-or-Death Duel in the Heart of the Wild
-
Animals1h ago
Discovery of the mutant cow species with the largest horn size on the planet surprises everyone (video)
-
Animals1h ago
Whoa! Witness the touching spectacle of a young pygmy crocodile hatching from its egg
-
Animals2h ago
The Heartbreaking Truth: Orphaned Baby Orangutan Finds Solace in Hugging Herself After Losing Her Family. A Gripping Tale of Loneliness and the Search for Comfort in a Harsh World
-
Animals3h ago
The Power of Friendship: This Dog Refused to be Rescued without Her Bestie!
-
Animals6h ago
Armadillos: Fascinating Creatures of the Americas
-
Animals7h ago
Shocking Revelation: CT Scan Uncovers 3,000-Year-Old Mummy Is Not Human but Crafted from Grain. Shaped to Represent the Ancient Egyptian God Osiris, This Find Shakes Historical Beliefs
-
Animals8h ago
Terrified Pregnant Pittie Won’t Look Foster Mom In Eye And Keeps Puppies In