The aardvark — meaning "earth pig" in Afrikaans — is a nocturnal, burrowing mammal found across sub-Saharan Africa's savannas and grasslands. Its scientific name, Orycteropus, means "burrowing foot." Despite resembling a pig, rabbit, and kangaroo combined, it is related to none of them. Its closest living relatives are elephant shrews, tenrecs, and golden moles — all part of the ancient African superorder Afrotheria, which also includes elephants and manatees. The sole surviving member of the order Tubulidentata ("tube-toothed"), it is considered a living fossil with a lineage possibly dating back to the Paleocene. Its unusual teeth, made of tiny tubes, lack enamel and regrow continuously. Built like a living shovel, it uses powerful claws to rip open cement-hard termite mounds and a sticky 30-cm tongue to devour up to 50,000 insects nightly. It can dig two feet of tunnel in 15 seconds and seal its nostrils shut while digging. The best-known subspecies are the Cape aardvark and the northern (Ethiopian) aardvark. Abandoned aardvark burrows shelter countless other African species, making it a keystone animal in its ecosystem. full article