A small carnivorous mammal from Africa related to the hyena, that feeds mainly on termites using its long sticky tongue.
From Afrikaans 'aardwolf,' combining 'aard' (earth) and 'wolf' (wolf)—literally 'earth wolf.' Despite its name suggesting a wolf, it's actually more closely related to hyenas. The name describes its burrowing behavior and nocturnal hunting habits.
The aardwolf is a perfect example of misleading animal names—it's not a wolf at all, but hyena's quiet, shy cousin that eats almost nothing but termites! It can consume up to 300,000 termites in a single night, making it one of nature's most specialized and efficient pest controllers.
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