Aardvarks are the only animal in the order Tubulidentata. (That means they are not related to any other animals, which makes them really unique!) The aardvark is found throughout much of Africa. Primarily nocturnal, it lives in burrows and feeds mainly on ants and termites. The aardvark is up to 2.3 m (7.5 ft) long, including the tail. It has an arched back, a tubular snout, and large, upright ears. It uses specialized, chisel-shaped claws to break open the hard clay of termite nests and then uses its sticky tongue to capture the insects. Unlike the anteater, the aardvark has teeth. The female generally gives birth to one offspring. Aardvarks carry their young for about seven months before they are born. (Summarized from various sources.)
According to Robert Henderson's text QOP Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins both the aardvark and the aardwolf dig in the earth for termites and ants, the former somewhat resembling a pig, the latter a little like a striped wolf. Thus the Boers in South Africa named them, respectively, the aardvark (from the Dutch aard, "earth," plus vark, "pig") or "earth pig," and aardwolf, or "earth wolf." (Thank you to random visitor Anthony Lawson for this info.)
