THE AARD-VARK.
Here is one of the most clumsy, odd looking animals in the world. The name, which is Dutch, signifies " Ground-hog," although the animal is very widely different from that which we know by the same name. It lives in southern and central Africa. Its coarse, bristle-like hair, long tail, elongated head and ears, strong claws, and long tongue make a strange picture. (Orycteropus capensis.)
Date 1895
Source http://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/6220691042
Author Brehm, Alfred Edmund; Haacke, Wilhelm; Pechuël-Loesche, Eduard; Schmidtlein, Richard.
Full title Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brehm%27s_Life_of_animals_(Page_395)_(6220691042).jpg
The aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. Unlike other insectivores, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding areas that are mainly rocky. A nocturnal feeders, aardvarks subsist on ants and termites, which they will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. Aardvarks also dig to create burrows in which to live and rear their young. |
