the.com/aardvark
the alphabet's opening act, an anteater cosplaying as a pig built from spare parts
means A nocturnal, burrowing African mammal with a long snout, big ears, and a sticky tongue, which feeds mainly on ants and termites.
from From Afrikaans, the Dutch-descended language of South Africa, where it literally means 'earth-pig' (aard, 'earth,' plus vark, 'pig') — named by settlers for a beast that digs in the soil and looks vaguely porky. The aard- part is a cousin of English 'earth,' both tracing back to old Germanic roots.
- name origin
- Afrikaans for earth pig
- tongue length
- Can extend 30 centimeters to slurp insects
- nightly haul
- Eats up to 50,000 ants and termites
- living relic
- Sole survivor of its entire mammal order
- crop pioneer
- Plants the aardvark cucumber by burying its seeds
for instance
arthur the aardvark — pbs animated series character that aired from 1996-2022 with 250+ episodes
aardvark burrows in serengeti — tunnel systems across tanzania and kenya used by multiple species, up to 30 feet long