Aardwolf

The aardwolf resembles a much smaller and thinner striped hyena, with a more slender muzzle, black vertical stripes on a coat of yellowish fur, and a long, distinct mane down the midline of the neck and back. It also has one or two diagonal stripes down the fore- and hindquarters and several stripes on its legs. The mane is raised during confrontations to make the aardwolf appear larger. It is missing the throat spot that others in the family have. Its lower leg (from the knee down) is all black, and its tail is bushy with a black tip. The aardwolf is about 55 to 80 cm (22 to 31 in) long, excluding its bushy tail, which is about 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) long, and stands about 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in) tall at the shoulders. An adult aardwolf weighs about 7–10 kg (15–22 lb), sometimes reaching 15 kg (33 lb). The aardwolves in the south of the continent tend to be slightly smaller (about 10 kg (22 lb)) than the eastern population (around 14 kg (31 lb)). This makes the aardwolf the smallest extant member of the Hyaenidae. The front feet have five toes each, unlike the four-toed hyena. The skull is similar in shape to those of other hyenas, though much smaller, and its cheek teeth are specialised for eating insects. It still has canines, but unlike other hyenas, these teeth are used primarily for fighting and defense. …

Aardwolves live in open, dry plains and bushland, avoiding mountainous areas. Due to their specific food requirements, they are found only in regions where termites of the family Hodotermitidae occur. Termites of this family depend on dead and withered grass and are most populous in heavily grazed grasslands and savannahs, including farmland. For most of the year, aardwolves spend time in shared territories consisting of up to a dozen dens, which are occupied for 6 weeks at a time. The two distinct populations occur in Southern Africa or in East and Northeast Africa. The species does not occur in the intermediary miombo forests.

Aardwolves are shy and nocturnal, sleeping in burrows by day. On occasion during the winter, they become diurnal feeders. This happens during the coldest periods, as they then stay in at night to conserve heat. They are primarily solitary animals, though during mating season, they form monogamous pairs, which occupy a territory with their young. An adult pair, along with their most-recent offspring, occupies a territory of 1–4 km2 (0.39–1.54 sq mi). If their territory is infringed upon by another aardwolf, they chase the intruder away for up to 400 m (1,300 ft) or to the border. If the intruder is caught, which rarely happens, a fight usually occurs, which is accompanied by soft clucking, hoarse barking, and a type of roar. Most incursions occur during mating season, typically once or twice per week. When food is scarce, the stringent territorial system may be abandoned, and as many as three pairs may occupy a single territory. The territory is marked by both sexes, as they both have developed anal glands from which they extrude a black substance that is smeared on rocks or grass stalks in 5 mm-long (0.2 in) streaks. Aardwolves also have scent glands on the forefoot and penile pad. They often mark near termite mounds within their territory every 20 minutes or so. …

The generic name Proteles is derived from two words of Greek origin: Ancient Greek: πρῶτος, prōtos and Ancient Greek: τέλειος téleios, which combined mean "complete in front", referring to the aardwolf's five toes on the front paws and four on the hind paws. The specific name cristatus is derived from Latin and means "provided with a comb or tuft", relating to its mane.