A part of a group of mammals that loves the palate of ants and termites are Aardvarks and Anteaters. As for the name ‘Anteater’ itself, pimples the fact. Many other mammals also love this palate. As for anteaters and aardvarks, they share similar facial features, thus, people mistake them. However, they are very different, ranging from specific features to order.
Key Takeaways
- Aardvarks inhabit Africa, while anteaters reside in Central and South America.
- Aardvarks have cylindrical teeth and consume ants and termites, while anteaters have no teeth and eat ants with their long, sticky tongues.
- Aardvarks possess pig-like snouts and robust limbs, while anteaters have elongated snouts and sharp claws for digging.
Aardvarks vs Anteaters
Aardvarks are nocturnal, burrowing mammals native to Africa, having long, pig-like snouts, large ears, and a thick, armored body with a long tail. Anteaters are found in Central and South America, having long snouts and tongues, which they use to feed on ants, termites, and other small insects.
Aardvarks inhabit Africa. They are hoofed animals. However, it is the only species of order Tubulidentata. However, Aardvarks live in burrows (underground). As for appearance, Aardvarks have short rough hair, claws in their forelimbs, and has teeth, but they do not have incisors and canines.
Anteaters inhabit South and Central America. However, it has several species and belongs to order pilosa. Besides, it prefers to live above the ground. As for the characteristics, anteaters have long thick hair, paws with large claws, peculiar uneven gait, etc. Anteaters have primitive toothlike protrusions on the roof of their mouths rather than proper teeth.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Aardvarks | Anteaters |
|---|---|---|
| Inhabitation | Aardvarks inhabits Africa. | Anteaters inhabit South and Central America. |
| Species and order | Aardvarks is the only species of the order Tubulidentata. | Anteaters have several species and it belongs to order pilosa. |
| Live in | Aardvarks live in burrows (underground). | Anteaters live above the ground. |
| Teeth | Aardvarks have teeth but they do not have incisors and canines. | Anteaters have primitive toothlike protrusions on the roof of their mouths rather than proper teeth. |
| Hair | Aardvarks have short rough hair. | anteaters have long thick hair. |
What is Aardvarks?
Aardvarks are found in Africa and are the only species of order Tubulidentata. They are hoofed animals. Moreover, Europeans thoughts Aardvarks were domesticated pigs due to their similar appearance. Thus, it is sometimes known as ground pigs or earth pigs due to their resemblance with pigs.
As for their appearance, they have short rough hair, claws in their forelimbs, unequal tube-like long ears, thick bases narrowing towards the end of the tail, short necks, and arched back. It also resembles a rabbit but has a unique long nose. Unlike anteaters, an aardvark’s tongue is shorter.
The teeth of aardvarks are unique as they have teeth, although they don’t have incisors and canines. Besides, the teeth of aardvarks are functioning for grinding and routine around ant and termite molds.
One of the unique things, Aardvarks are nocturnal animals. At the same time, it lives in burrows in underground spaces. They dig new burrows each night and sleep in the daytime. Additionally, female aardvarks are more likely to stick to one area, while male aardvarks prefer to travel to different areas.
Aardvarks have a special palate that includes ants and termites. However, their senses are a little less functional as they can’t see mounds of ants and termites. If anything is not mobile, they can’t seem to focus on that particular.
What is Anteaters?
Anteaters inhabit Africa. However, it has several species and belongs to order pilosa. Besides, it prefers to live above the ground. As for the characteristics, anteaters have long thick hair, paws with large claws, peculiar uneven gait, etc. Anteaters have primitive toothlike protrusions on the roof of their mouths rather than proper teeth.
Anteaters are found in South and Central America. Many species of anteaters can be seen, and it belongs to order pilosa. Moreover, People seem to confuse anteater and aardvarks due to their shared similar appearance. However, they are not related to each other.
As for appearance, long thick hair, paws with large claws, a peculiar uneven gait, and a long tongue.
The teeth of anteaters are unique as they have primitive teeth protrusions on the roof of their mouths rather than proper teeth.
One of the unique things is, Anteaters are either diurnal or nocturnal animals. At the same time, it lives above ground. Unlike Aardvarks, they curl up to sleep and cover themselves with their bushy tails.
Anteater has a special palate that includes ants and termites. However, their senses are a little less functional as they can’t see mounds of ants and termites. If anything is not mobile, they can’t seem to focus on that particular.
Main Differences Between Aardvarks and Anteaters
One of the unique things is that Aardvarks and anteaters share one common thing in their palate. They love to eat ants and termites. As for anteater, the name itself implies the fact. Besides, Aardvark and anteater are seen as one animal because they share similar features. As a result, people see them as relatives. However, that is not the case, and they are very different from each other, ranging from species to order.
- Aardvarks inhabit South and Central America. Meanwhile, Anteaters inhabit Africa.
- Secondly, Aardvarks are the only species of order Tubulidentata, while Anteaters have several species, and it belongs to order pilosa.
- Thirdly, Aardvarks live in burrows (underground), while anteaters live above the ground.
- Aardvarks have teeth, but they do not have incisors and canines. Meanwhile, Anteaters have primitive toothlike protrusions on the roof of their mouths rather than proper teeth.
- Lastly, Aardvarks have short rough hair, while anteaters have long, thick hair.
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1976.tb00204.x
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1016/j.mambio.2015.10.002
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The details about the unique habits and habitats of aardvarks and anteaters were enlightening.
I found the section about the unique teeth of aardvarks and anteaters intriguing.
It’s fascinating to learn about the similarities and differences between aardvarks and anteaters. They are truly unique creatures.
The information about the unique diets of aardvarks and anteaters was particularly interesting.
I always thought aardvarks and anteaters were the same animal, but this article clarified their distinct characteristics.
Very informative article! I appreciated the detailed comparison table.
Learning about the misconceptions regarding aardvarks and anteaters was eye-opening. They are truly fascinating creatures.
The description of the physical appearances of aardvarks and anteaters was very detailed and informative.