Functional analysis of the feeding apparatus and digestive tract anatomy of the aardwolf Proteles cristatus

The aardwolf is unique amongst the myrmecophagous mammals in that it feeds almost exclusively on one genus of termite, Trinervitermes, yet it possesses none of the obvious external physical features (elongated snout, powerful limbs and claws) characteristic of this feeding style. Externally it looks simply like a diminutive hyaena. Behaviourally the aardwolf differs from the other typical ‘anteaters’, in that it does not dig for its prey, but licks them off the soil surface. Nevertheless, the aardwolf does have a number of anatomical features which are clearly adaptations to this diet. The most obvious of these are a broad spatulate tongue covered with large, hardened papillae, a broad palate, large mandibular salivary glands, and a muscular pyloric region in the stomach. A relatively short small intestine facilitates the rapid processing of large volumes of termites, while a distensible large intestine allows for the accumulation of faecal material. Some of these features associated with feeding and digestion are compared with those of the domestic dog Canis familiaris, the bat‐eared fox Otocyon megalotis and the black‐backed jackal Canis mesomelas.