Home Animal Behaviors wolf Aardwolf, Aardwolf Reproduction, Food Aardwolf part 1

Aardwolf, Aardwolf Reproduction, Food Aardwolf part 1

Aardwolf, Aardwolf Reproduction, Food Aardwolf

Aardwolf, Aardwolf Reproduction, Food Aardwolf, History of studying Aardwolf

Earth wolf (Latin Proteles cristatus) - African mammal of the family of hyenas. The traditional name of this species on aardwolf Afrikaans means "earth wolf" and reflects his habit live in burrows.

Aardwolf Propagation

Ground wolf found in eastern and southern Africa. Its area is broken rainforests Zambia and Southern Tanzania, where this type is not found. Thus, one population of earth wolf lives in South Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, Zambia, South and Southwest Mozambique). Another, more northern, population occurs from central Tanzania through northeastern Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, along the coast of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan until the southeastern tip of Egypt. Absent in most parts of Zambia, Tanzania, South and West Africa. There are individual unconfirmed reports of its presence in the CAR and Burundi.

Aardwolf Appearance

Despite the resemblance to the striped hyena, wolf and sizes of earth some characteristics of color and anatomy make it easy to distinguish it from the latter. Aardwolf smaller half of these hyenas: the length of his body just 55-95 cm, tail length - 20-30 cm, height at the shoulders - 45-50 cm Adults weigh from 8 to 14 kg, depending on the seasonal availability of food. Sexual dimorphism in size was observed. Another difference is the presence of hyenas in earthen Wolf 5 (not 4) fingers on the front legs. Build in earthen wolf more fragile than the real hyenas; limb high and quite thin, long neck. Front legs are longer than the rear, but not the back slope expressed as hyenas. Head like a dog, long, narrow snout. Scalp thick, consists of a long rough awns and soft, crimped undercoat. Long hair growing from head to rump, forming a mane, which in case of danger rises on end, causing the earth wolf look bigger. Hair growing on the upper body of earth wolf - the longest among carnivorous mammals from 7 cm to 20 cm nape on the shoulders and 16 cm on the tail. Coat color bright, yellowish-gray to tan, throat and lower part of the body paler grayish-white. Contrasting patterns usually consist of three transverse and 1-2 diagonal black stripes on the sides and a plurality of transverse bands on the legs, which are proximal extremities merge into a solid black field. Tail bushy, black streaks, black tail tip. On the neck sometimes visible black stripes and spots. On the muzzle the hair is short (10-15 mm) and rare, gray, bare end of the muzzle and black. fingers on the front legs - 5, rear - 4, are equipped with powerful claws nevtyazhnymi. Digitigrade gait. Eyes fairly large, the ears are large and pointed. Language wide; saliva released large submandibular gland, like all termitofagov, adhesive. Jaws earth wolf, contrary to some claims, disproportionately strong, with sharp fangs, however, due to the peculiarities of his power molars simplified and widely spaced. Powerful chewing muscles and sharp fangs needed aardwolf for fights with rivals and potential predators. Well developed anal cancer, similar to the structure similar to cancer in striped and spotted hyenas. Females have two pairs of inguinal nipples. Diploid number of chromosomes is 40.

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