The name “Aardvark” came from the African language, which means “earth pig” or “ground pig.” They are also famous as Ant bears or Anteaters.
They are Stocky African mammals with long rabbit-like ears, pig-like noses, long extensible tongues, and tabular snouts.
They have a short neck connected with a strong hairless body. Their hind legs are longer than front ones and have spade-like feet with strong claws, making them expert diggers.
Aardvark usually feeds on ants and termites. It weights typically 65 kg and measures about 2.2 meters long, including a 28-inch long tail.
Aardvark are omnivorous animals and are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. They do not have a clear vision and mostly live underground as they are excellent diggers.
Their pig-like nose has a perfect sense of smell which helps them identify predators and navigate their way. They live alone in their caves and come out only at night times. Their nocturnal eyes allow them to look for food at night.
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Cost of Buying an Aardvark
Aardvark pet is only suitable for those with a robust budget that can cost between $3,500 and $8,000 depending on where they are purchased. The cost can vary depending on their age, quality, exact species, and geographical location.
However, finding an Aardvark pet is not as straightforward as finding other pets, don’t expect to get it from walking to any local pet shop. You may need to burn liters of petrol of your car to find your Aardvark pet.
They need unique environmental requirements for better living. So you should also consider that the cost spent on their long-term care can be more, about the double of purchasing amount.
However, it is recommended to check with the local municipality to ensure owning this pet is legal.
Additional cost
Aardvark pets need special permits to own, and the cost can vary depending on the location you are living. Some additional costs may include;
Feeding Cost
If you are making Aardvark a pet, you should be ready to pay for their food. Feeding costs can vary depending on what type of food you give them; however, the average cost can be $30 to $60 per month.
When they live in the wild, they usually love to live on their own and can eat more than 50,000 insects, mainly termites, just in a single night. On the other hand, in captivity, they have high protein requirements due to their acidic stomach.
Many owners allow their Aardvark pets to find ants and insects while on a walk. Their diet consists of commercially available feed, mainly mixed with powder of ants, termites, and honey.
Cage Cost
When purchasing an Aardvark, you must consider the cost of buying a suitable cage.
They must be kept in the cage along with ropes and all necessary elements. There should be nothing with sharp edges to prevent their tongue from any injury.
You can add some grass, soil to provide them familiar environment.
With normal body temperature, they need to keep in the temperature ranges from 20 °C to 30 °C all the time. Meaning, you must establish the temperature of the cage by using whether heating or cooling elements to make them feel comfortable.
A cage with all necessities can easily cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Medical expenses
Just like other pets, Aardvark needs medical check-ups, both routine and unexpected. One thing to bear is that you may hardly find someone who will agree to work with Aardvark.
So you must be ready to pay a hefty price to that person for the check-up of your Aardvark pet, or you have to drive a long distance to find someone with reasonable fees.
Aardvark does not have any relation with anteaters; instead of their same physical appearance, they belong to the same group of mammals like the African elephant.
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Information To Know Before Purchasing An Aardvark
Human population, construction of roads, logging, agriculture, and settlements are the great cause of the destruction of their habitat.
They are very picky in eating and specialize in eating termites and ants and are known to eat about 50,000 in a single night.
They move from one termite mound to another termite mount and eat them by using their powerful claws. They use their powerful sense of smell to catch termites outside of the mounds. Their tough skin protects them from the bites of their meal.
Many Africans hunt Aardvark for their meat, and they also use their body parts as charms, and they believe that their teeth can prevent illness. They can live for about 20 years in the wild, but when they are kept in particular environments as pets, they can have a more significant lifespan of about 23 to 24 years.
Keystone Specie
Aardvarks are considered the keystone species as they are used by many mammals and insects that use their abandoned burrows for protection and shelter from the sun and predators.
Another significant benefit of Aardvark is that they are a source of spreading seeds of a plant known as Aardvark cucumber.
This fruit is a treat for aardvarks and grows underground.
Aardvark also helps the plant to survive and flourish by eating the fruit and spreading its seeds.
Moreover, they can be perfect prey for many annoying species because they can eat 50,000 ants in a night.
They are also brilliantly adapted to digging with their spade-like feet. Their old burrows also provide home animals like Wild Dog.
Aardvark as Pets
Aardvark proves excellent pets, and they are effortless to train. Aardvark do better in captivity and enjoy a longer life span, some over 23 years, according to one study on Aardvark.
They are shy and often proved as anti-social animals. They are not considered aggressive, and when they are trained well, they prove a perfect pet.
They, sometimes, may create discomfort as they are nocturnal, so that they would keep you up all night.
However, a baby aardvark could be a wonderful pet bringing you hours of happiness and joy if provided a suitable environment.
