A is for ....
Today, I will start a new mini-series of nature myths. To make things interesting, I will try to go alphabetically and see which letter that I stop at. So let's begin. A is for Aardvark.
The first incorrect myth is that Aardvarks are Anteaters. Aardvark eats ants and termites but it lives in Africa. The Anteaters live in South America, Their ant eating habit share many similarities but I will start with the differences. Most Anteaters can attack an insect's nests for one minute before being driven off by the unified attack of the soldier ants. Aardvarks are more "ant proof" even though they do try to avoid certain species of ants. On a side note, ants do not always depend on their mandibles for their defence. Some ants also sting. Other are known to spray formic acid.
Anteaters and Aardvarks share similarities besides their diet. They use their front claws to break open the ant's nests. They use their long tongues to slurp up the ants. Their faces are fairly tapered to house their long but narrow tongue. The also do not exterminate the ants in the insect's nests allowing the ant population to recover. They are known to rear up on their hind legs when warding off predators. With so many physical similarities, it is not a surprise that people often incorrectly place Aardvark in the Anteater family.
To be in a family, it means sharing the same ancestors. Sharing common physical characteristic is not a criterion. An animal may look different from its adulthood to when it is born or when it is sexually immature. In science, looks aren't everything.
The first incorrect myth is that Aardvarks are Anteaters. Aardvark eats ants and termites but it lives in Africa. The Anteaters live in South America, Their ant eating habit share many similarities but I will start with the differences. Most Anteaters can attack an insect's nests for one minute before being driven off by the unified attack of the soldier ants. Aardvarks are more "ant proof" even though they do try to avoid certain species of ants. On a side note, ants do not always depend on their mandibles for their defence. Some ants also sting. Other are known to spray formic acid.
Anteaters and Aardvarks share similarities besides their diet. They use their front claws to break open the ant's nests. They use their long tongues to slurp up the ants. Their faces are fairly tapered to house their long but narrow tongue. The also do not exterminate the ants in the insect's nests allowing the ant population to recover. They are known to rear up on their hind legs when warding off predators. With so many physical similarities, it is not a surprise that people often incorrectly place Aardvark in the Anteater family.
To be in a family, it means sharing the same ancestors. Sharing common physical characteristic is not a criterion. An animal may look different from its adulthood to when it is born or when it is sexually immature. In science, looks aren't everything.
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