Aardwolf - Physical Characteristics

Physical Characteristics

The aardwolf looks somewhat like a very small Striped Hyena. They have more slender muzzles, sharper ears that they use in the hunt for termites, black vertical stripes on a coat of yellowish fur, and a long, distinct manes down the midlines of their necks and backs. This mane is raised during confrontations in order to make the aardwolves appear to be larger. An aardwolf is about 55 to 80 centimeters long, excluding its bushy tail about 20 to 30 cm long, and one stands about 40 to 50 cm tall at the shoulders. An adult aardwolf usually weighs between nine and 14 kilograms. Its front feet have five toes apiece, unlike other the related hyenas that have four toes. The teeth and skull of the aardwolf are similar to those of the hyena, though its cheek teeth are specialised for eating insects.

As the aardwolf ages, it will normally lose some of its teeth, though this has little impact on their feeding habits due to the softness of the insects that they eat. The aardwolf has two glands at its rear end that secrete a musky fluid for marking territory and for communicating with other aardwolves.