AARDVARK

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>AARDVARK</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14558020.png" border=0 width="600" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>(</B><I><B>Orycteropus afer</B></I><B>)</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="724" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 272 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.iucn.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.iucn.org"><IMG SRC="194863a0.png" border=0 width="134" height="58" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="302" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#CC3333" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FF9900" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 233 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="15c2ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.iucn.org/THEMES/SSC/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.iucn.org/THEMES/SSC/"><B><IMG SRC="197ac3b0.png" border=0 width="172" height="59" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="629" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 115 WIDTH="623"><div> Aardvark, <I>Orycteropus afer</I>, are sparsely scattered throughout the savannah of the southern parts of Africa. “<I>Orycteropus</I>” means “burrowing foot” and “<I>afer</I>” is an adjective form of Africa. Rarely seen, these solitary nocturnal creatures roam the savannah plains night after night in search of ants or a tasty termite mound to help satisfy their huge appetites. Few people understand the ecological importance of the aardvark and as their natural habitat continues to decline, a simple, yet integrated system may be lost.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Why so important:</B> </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00099ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Facilitator and key species for other animals</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00099ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Various species are dependent on the aardvark for survival</div> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> Abandoned burrows and old opened termite mounds are used by the following species:</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="714" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 192 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="171e6b80.png" border=0 width="230" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="166"><div> Wild dog, </div> <div> honey badger,  aardwolf, hyena</div> <div> & ,jackal.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="175e6ad0.jpg" border=0 width="230" height="173" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 181 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="177e5910.jpg" border=0 width="229" height="145" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="166"><div> black-footed cat,</div> <div> warthog, pygmy mice, big-eared mice & lesser dwarf shrew.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="17de6ad0.jpg" border=0 width="230" height="173" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 177 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="17be6a90.jpg" border=0 width="230" height="169" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Bat-eared fox,</div> <div> hedgehogs, porcupine, </div> <div> Blue swallow,</div> <div> ant-eating chats,</div> <div> various snake </div> <div> & insect species.</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="179e6990.jpg" border=0 width="230" height="153" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Points of concern:</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00099ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Sparsely scattered in Southern Africa</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00099ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">One off-spring per year - survival rate unknown</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00099ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Cannot be successfully kept / bred in captivity / zoos</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00099ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Key species, facilitating the environment for other species</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00099ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Survival of other threatened species depend on aardvark</div> <bR> <div> Visits to this site:</div> <div>  <table width="133" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3"><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.hit-counter-download.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.hit-counter-download.com/cgi-bin/image.pl?URL=98908-0059" alt="click here for a free hit counter" border="0" ></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><font style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; 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