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Aardvark
          
                        AARDVARK (Afrik., "earth pig"), common name for a burrowing, ant-eating
                        mammal, Orycteropus afer, constituting the order Tubulidentata. The aardvark is
                        found throughout much of Africa, from the southern part of Egypt to the Cape of
                        Good Hope. A nocturnal animal, it lives in burrows and feeds entirely on ants and
                        termites. 

                        The aardvark is up to 2 m (6 ft) long, including the fleshy, tapering tail, which it uses
                        to throw earth backward when it burrows. It has an arched back, a tubular snout,
                        and large, upright ears. The aardvark uses its specialized, chisel-shaped claws to
                        break open the hard clay of termite nests; then it uses its sticky tongue to capture
                        the insects in the nest. Unlike the animals known as anteaters, which are toothless,
                        the aardvark has 20 cylindrical, rootless teeth that grow continually throughout its
                        lifetime. 

                        The female gives birth to a single offspring, which digs its own burrow at the age of
                        six months. Although timid, the aardvark will fight when it cannot flee or burrow to
                        safety; lying on its back, it defends itself with its powerful claws.