Aardvark - mysterious pig ant

For many the term 'African mammals' smart one of the big picture in mind herbivores or carnivores that form spectacular megafauna of Africa, one of the most impressive features of the nature of this continent. We often forget that not all large mammals - even in Africa - and the Black Continent fauna includes hundreds of species of medium, small or very small and they have their purpose in the complex mosaic of life, their role in increase inhabit ecosystems. And some of these mammals are true zoological oddities - although, on the other hand, any species in nature is not "strange" for all have appeared as a result of adaptation and evolution. However, some of these animals are singular in appearance, but also because, taxonomically speaking, not very well like with any other species of mammals today, so sistematicienii were forced to create one separate box in the classification, a place only for them, which do not share with anyone. That is bizarre pig ant species, one represented little known, although very specific, the fauna of Africa.

Orycteropus AFER, the name of science, is known as ground pork - by virtue of his habits of digging - or pig anthill, for that is feeding the ants and termites predominant. A, why they say "pig"? Because of the snout, which resembles a snout. This looks vaguely swine and burrowing habits of the digger and made ​​European settlers to call it Aardvark, which means earth pig Afrikaans language (Afrikaans is a language related to Dutch, from the language of the Dutch settlers who settled in south Africa since the eighteenth century), and Aardvark bye name in English. However, in the Romance languages​​, is called, in general, pork anthill.

Deprived of imposing appearance of representatives of African megafauna, pig ant has, however, a picturesque appearance, even "nice" as human criteria, for which attendance is appreciated in zoos and they want, although there is little that the have.