Two aardwolves run over on Long Tom Pass
An aardwolf was recently run-over on Long Tom pass when it supposedly tried to cross the road.
LYDENBURG – An aardwolf was recently run-over on Long Tom pass when it supposedly tried to cross the road.
Ms Gerda and Mr Brian Whitehorn of Paardeplaats Nature Reserve saw the carcass of this shy and nocturnal animal when they made their way towards town. According to Gerda, this is the second aardwolf that has been run over in the past couple of weeks.
The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a small, insectivorous mammal, native to east and southern Africa.
Its name means “earth wolf” in Afrikaans and it is also called “maanhaar jakals” or civet hyena, based on the secretions from its anal glands, reminiscent of civets.
Aardwolves belong to the hyena family. They eat insects, mainly termites. One aardwolf can eat about 250 000 termites during a single night, using its long, sticky tongue to capture them.
Aardwolves lives in the shrub lands, open lands covered with stunted trees and shrubs.
Due to their specific food requirements, they are only found in regions where termites of the family Hodotermitidae occur.
They live as monogamous pairs with their young. Aardwolves are not fast runners nor are they particularly adept at fighting off predators.
