Aardvark vs Anteater Fight comparison, who will win?

 Loading ...

Are you an animal lover and still confused between an Aardvark and an anteater? Well, to help you out here is a detailed comparison of aardvark vs anteater. Both animals seem similar in body structure and it is very difficult to distinguish between them. Some people are even wonder who will win in a fight between them.

Aardvark Interesting facts

Aardvarks are similar to pigs and has a tail like a kangaroo and ears like a rabbit. It is the closest living relative to the elephant. It is a mammal and is usually found all over Sub-Saharan Africa but still it is quite hard to spot an aardvark. They can eat up to 50, 000 ants and termites in a night by swinging their long nose. They are intelligent animals. They make burrows for themselves by digging with their scoop-shaped feet.

What does an Aardvark look like?

It specifically looks like a pig with a stout body, arched back, long thin neck and head, and long tubular shaped ears held erect, but folded down. Their rear legs are longer than their front legs. Their claws and feet are powerful which helps them to dig fast and efficiently.

The majority of the aardvarks are pale yellowish and gray in color with a little fur on both their head and tail as well as long fur on their legs. Their tail is muscular and cone-shaped and has a length approximately 70 cm.

How Aardvark protects itself from ants?

Their tough skin protects the aardvark from the ant or termites bite and nostrils are fully closed to avoid dirt or moisture getting inside.

Where does an aardvark live?

Their preferred living spaces are where the ant’s and termites reside like grasslands, bushland, woodlands, and savannas, but they usually avoid swamps and rocky regions because it is harder for them to dig their shelters in such areas.

The aardvarks are nocturnal which means they take rest in the underground burrows in the daytime and go out at night to feed. While it is breeding, the burrows they make are about 33 ft and have multiple entrances. The design of the burrow is altered frequently. Also the aardvarks often leave their burrows and make their home in a newer one based on the food supply and environment conditions.

The old burrows are excellent for the ecosystem but they often get occupied by some smaller animals. The aardvarks eat termites and ants in large quantities, and it also eats plants like the African cucumber. That’s why it also called aardvark cucumber.

After the sun sets and the heat has subsided the aardvarks leave their burrows and set out to hunt, going a lot of distance in the forests and grasslands for their preferred food. They swing their long and cute nose from left to right to smell out the termites and ants.

The male aardvarks stay with the female during the mating period and females give birth to cubs after seven months. The Cubs will begin eating insects like ants and termites from nine weeks and learn to dig from the mother after six months.

How do Aardvarks defend themselves?

The aardvark’s predators are hunting dogs, pythons, hyenas, lions, and leopards. It easily senses the predators before the attack and escapes fast by digging or run zigzag. Otherwise it will attack the predators by the use of claws, shoulders, and tail and flip backs.

What does an Anteater look like?

The ant-eaters are funny looking creatures found in South and Central America. It specifically lives in the rain forests, forests, woodlands, and grasslands. You can find four different kinds of anteaters and among these some are a threatened species.

An Anteater is similar in to a squirrel, 7 feet long from the top to bottom of the body. It doesn’t have a tooth to bite other animals or attack its prey. It uses its sticky and long tongue to grasp its prey. The Anteaters are efficient in eating termites and ants from the anthills. They never demolish the anthill because ants may inhabit it gain in the future and it can find food again there.

What does an Anteater eat?

Anteaters quickly eat the ants before they can bite, around 150 to 160 in a minute and fills up their tiny stomach with the ants. However, their digestive system helps them digest a huge quantity of termites and ants, and their stomach produces formic acid rather than hydrochloric acid. It has the ability to eat around 30, 000 insects in a day. It has poor eyesight but superior sense of smell to find out the ants shelter.

What is normal body temperature of Anteater?

The Anteaters keep their body temperature low as compared to other placental mammals at about 32.7 degrees Celsius and rests for around 15 hours in a day. It has 4-inches long claws and utilizes it to protect itself from other predators like cougars and jaguars.

How Long Anteater lives?

It is also a solitary animal and pairs up with another anteater only in the mating period. They produce one pup and the gestation period is about 190 days. The lifespan that the anteater obtains in the wild is around 15 years and in captivity it is around 25 years. The newborn anteater will stay with their mother in the first year of their life.

Is Aardvark and Anteater the same?

Since the aardvark and anteater are very similar looking animals many people confuse one for the other. These two animals are actually different in many of their features even though they are similar in looks. The comparison given below will give you a clear picture of their major differences.

Comparison of Aardvark vs Anteater

The list of specifications gives you an idea of who will finally win in a  battle. Both of these, rare species are important for wildlife to enrich the diverse environment of the forest and other living surroundings.

If the two animals fight with one another, the aardvark will win due to its unique abilities. The power, ability, and intelligence help both the animal protect themselves.

The drastic climate condition changes have reduced the species count, and several awareness programs are helping the animal live in a safer and suitable environment.

I hope above article on Anteater vs Aardvark difference and comparison will help you.