Aardvark vs aardwolf
The names come from Afrikaans: "earth pig" and "earth wolf". They aren't related, but both come out at night and both live on termites.
Quick tip: Stripes and a mane mean aardwolf. A long snout and big ears mean aardvark.
Five field marks
| Field mark | Aardvark | Aardwolf |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Pig-like, with an arched back and a long tube-shaped snout. | Like a small, slim hyena, with a sloping back. |
| Coat | Sparse hair over grey-pink skin. | Yellowish with black stripes and a mane along the back. |
| Ears | Very long, like a rabbit's. | Pointed, like a dog's. |
| Tail | Thick and tapering, like a kangaroo's. | Bushy, with a black tip. |
| Feeding | Digs into termite mounds with powerful claws. | Licks termites off the ground with a sticky tongue. |
Five real camera-trap photos. Can you tell them apart?
Why it matters
Both animals are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. They are rarely seen because they come out at night, so camera traps are one of the best ways to know they are there. Aardvark burrows also give shelter to many other species.
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Photos: Snapshot Safari via LILA BC, CDLA-Permissive-1.0. We cropped camera banners, resized the images and removed their metadata. Field marks written by Save the Animals. Red List status from the IUCN.