Aardvark vs Anteater | Extensive Comparison Between Them
Aardvarks are animals that live in Africa and look like anteaters and armadillos. They have a long snout and eat ants and termites like anteaters. But they’re definitely not the same species. So what are the differences between aardvarks and anteaters?
Aardvarks and anteaters are animals that have similar traits due to convergent evolution. Both animals feed on ants and termites and are adapted for this. However, they aren’t closely related and live on different continents. Aardvarks also have ever-growing teeth, while anteaters have papillae.
Only from a distance and superficially do aardvarks look like anteaters. The differences between these two species are much more significant than the thing that they have in common: their appearance and diet.
Similarities Between Aardvarks and Anteaters
Insectivore Diet
Aardvarks and anteaters are insectivores that feed on ants and termites. The aardvark also sometimes eats beetle pupae and the aardvark cucumber. But ants and termites make up the most significant part of their diet.[1]Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 28). Aardvark. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aardvark Anteaters, such as the Giant anteater, are insectivorous but can consume insect larvae, eggs, and fruit.[2]Giant Anteater – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio. (n.d.-b). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://animalia.bio/giant-anteater
Physical Appearance
Aardvarks look a bit like a pig, hence the name ‘aardvark’, which means as much as ‘earth pig’. They have a yellowish-gray color and coarse hair. They can reach up to 6 feet in length, including the tail (up to 2 feet long). The mouth of an aardvark is small and tubular. Anteaters have the same small and tubular mouth and also have a gray-colored coat. But, as you can see, their appearance has important differences.
Social Behavior
Aardvarks [3]https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/aardvark and anteaters [4]https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giant-anteater are typically solitary animals that mostly live life alone, without the need for a social group. They only come together during the mating season.
Differences Between Aardvarks and Anteaters
Physical Appearance
Although aardvarks and anteaters do share some physical traits, there are some important differences:
- Aardvarks have much bigger ears and a less dense coat of hair than anteaters
- The snout of an anteater is larger than that of an aardvark
Habitat
Aardvarks live in Africa and have an extensive habitat. Although they can be found in central and southern Africa (sub-Saharan Africa), they are more commonly found in the southern part of Africa.
Aardvarks prefer a habitat with sandy soil but can also live in other habitats, such as grasslands and rainforests. They don’t like soil that is too hard (difficult to dig). [5]Aardvark – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://animalia.bio/aardvark/
On the right, you can find the geographical distribution of the aardvark.
Anteaters live in Central and South America. They’re found in many habitats, such as tropical dry forests, rainforests, savanna, grasslands, shrublands, and grassy plains.[6]Giant Anteater – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://animalia.bio/giant-anteater/
Anteaters usually live close to water (rivers or swampy areas), where ants and termites are abundant.
On the map on the left, you can find the distribution of the Giant anteater. There are other species of anteaters that have a slightly different geographical distribution.
Sleeping Behavior
Aardvarks are nocturnal animals.[7]Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). “Aardvark”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I: A-ak Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.They will sleep during the warm African days and stay in their underground burrow. Then, they go out to look for food at night when it’s cooler.
Anteaters, on the other hand, are diurnal. This means that they’re active during the day. It’s been noted that their lifestyle does get influenced by the presence of humans. In populated areas, anteaters will be more nocturnal, while in less populated areas, they will be diurnal.[8]Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (2018, October 31). Giant anteater. Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from … Continue reading
Teeth
Aardvarks have ever-growing teeth to chew on their food. Because aardvarks ingest sand and dirt while eating ants or termites, their teeth are ground down. Although aardvarks have teeth, they don’t have incisors and canines. Their teeth are also rootless.[9]Tubulidentata (aardvark). (n.d.). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tubulidentata/
Anteaters, on the other hand, don’t have teeth. Instead, they have (filiform) papillae on their tongue. These papillae are like tiny hooks that can hold the ants and termites in place. Anteaters also have a stomach that uses muscular contractions to grind their food. They must ingest small amounts of sand and dirt to help in this process.[10]Grzimek, Bernhard (2004). Hutchins, Michael; Kleiman, Devra G; Geist, Valerius; McDade, Melissa С (eds.). Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 13 (2nd ed.). Detroit: … Continue reading
Comparison Chart
Comparison | Aardvark | Anteater |
---|---|---|
Classification | Tubulidentata | Vermilingua |
Distribution | Sub-Saharan Africa | Central and South America |
Diet | Insectivore | Insectivore |
Social | Solitary | Solitary |
Lifestyle | Nocturnal | Diurnal |
Lifespan | up to 18 years | up to 14 years (depending on species) |
References
↑1 | Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 28). Aardvark. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aardvark |
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↑2 | Giant Anteater – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio. (n.d.-b). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://animalia.bio/giant-anteater |
↑3 | https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/aardvark |
↑4 | https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giant-anteater |
↑5 | Aardvark – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://animalia.bio/aardvark/ |
↑6 | Giant Anteater – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://animalia.bio/giant-anteater/ |
↑7 | Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). “Aardvark”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I: A-ak Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. |
↑8 | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (2018, October 31). Giant anteater. Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giant-anteater. |
↑9 | Tubulidentata (aardvark). (n.d.). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tubulidentata/ |
↑10 | Grzimek, Bernhard (2004). Hutchins, Michael; Kleiman, Devra G; Geist, Valerius; McDade, Melissa С (eds.). Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 13 (2nd ed.). Detroit: Gale. pp. 171–175. |