Mammals nocturnal

Southern Aardwolf

Proteles cristatus

A gentle, termite-loving relative of the hyena, the Southern Aardwolf is one of Africa’s most misunderstood and elusive nocturnal treasures. With its striking striped coat and impressive mane, seeing one on your camera is a true highlight for any backyard safari.

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Quick Identification

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Size

55-80 cm (22-31 in) long; 40-50 cm (16-20 in) shoulder height; 7-10 kg (15-22 lbs)

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Colors

Buff or yellowish-white coat with vertical black stripes; black mane along the spine; bushy tail with a black tip; dark muzzle

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Key Features

Vertical black stripes on a pale yellowish coat
Long, erectile mane along the back and neck
Sloping posture with front legs longer than back legs
Slender, fox-like muzzle and large pointed ears

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern nocturnal

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Peak hours 8 PM - 4 AM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Almost exclusively insectivorous, focusing on Trinervitermes termites which they lick from the surface with a long, sticky tongue.

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Habitat Open, dry grasslands and scrublands; avoids forests and deserts; needs areas with high termite density.

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Behavior

The Southern Aardwolf is a shy, solitary member of the hyena family that has traded bone-crushing jaws for a specialized diet of termites. Unlike their larger, more aggressive cousins, aardwolves are timid and spend their days tucked away in underground burrows, emerging only under the cover of darkness to forage. They are territorial and live in monogamous pairs, though they usually forage alone to maximize their efficiency in finding termite patches across their home range.

While they may look like a miniature striped hyena, their temperament is far more docile. When threatened, they rely on a remarkable defense mechanism: raising their long dorsal mane to appear twice their actual size and emitting a foul-smelling musk from their anal glands. To the casual observer or a trail camera enthusiast, they are a fascinating example of specialized evolution, moving with a characteristic 'sloping' gait as they sniff the ground for their next meal.

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Camera Tips

Capturing a Southern Aardwolf on camera requires a strategic approach focused on their specific foraging habits. Unlike most predators, the aardwolf cannot be lured with meat or standard baits; instead, you must find where their food is. Look for areas with high concentrations of termite mounds, particularly those of the Trinervitermes genus. Position your camera along well-worn footpaths leading away from known burrows or near 'middens'—communal dung heaps that aardwolves use to mark their territory. These locations are high-traffic zones where the animals are likely to pause, giving you the perfect shot.

Placement is critical for this species. Because they are relatively low to the ground, set your camera at a height of about 12 to 18 inches (30-45 cm). Angle the lens slightly upward if you are on a slope to capture their impressive mane. Use a 'no-glow' or black infrared flash; aardwolves are incredibly skittish and a traditional red-glow flash or white flash may spook them, causing them to abandon the area for several nights. Ensure your trigger speed is set to the fastest possible setting, as they can move surprisingly quickly when navigating between feeding sites.

If you are monitoring a large property, consider the season. In the colder winter months, aardwolves may shift their activity to the late afternoon or early evening (crepuscular) to take advantage of the remaining warmth, while in summer, they are strictly nocturnal. Setting your camera to 'Multi-Shot' or 'Burst' mode is highly recommended. This allows you to see the aardwolf in action as it licks termites off the soil surface, providing a much more dynamic look at their behavior than a single static image.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Southern Aardwolf.

Striped Hyena

Much larger and heavier with a broader head and powerful jaws designed for scavenging meat and bone.

African Civet

Has a more blotchy, spotted coat pattern rather than clear vertical stripes and a shorter, more rounded face.

Black-backed Jackal

Lacks stripes and a mane; has a distinctive dark 'saddle' on its back and a more traditional canine appearance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Southern Aardwolf are primarily nocturnal, meaning they are most active during the night. They typically emerge from their burrows shortly after sunset and return before dawn. However, during very cold winter months, they may become crepuscular, emerging in the late afternoon to forage when termites are still active and the air is warmer.

You cannot attract Southern Aardwolf with traditional pet food or meat baits as they only eat termites. The best way to encourage them is to maintain a natural habitat with native grasses and avoid using pesticides or insecticides that kill termite colonies. If you have a large rural property, preserving natural 'middens' or dung heaps will keep them within your camera's range.

They are highly specialized insectivores. Their diet consists almost entirely of termites, specifically the harvester termite. Unlike anteaters, they don't dig into mounds; instead, they use their broad, sticky tongue to lick thousands of termites off the ground surface at once. A single aardwolf can consume up to 300,000 termites in one night!

They are rarely found in dense suburban areas, preferring open country. However, they are frequently spotted on the fringes of rural settlements, golf courses, and large lifestyle plots in Southern and East Africa, provided there is enough undisturbed land for termite colonies to thrive.

While they share the striped pattern, the Southern Aardwolf is much smaller (about the size of a fox) and has a more slender muzzle. Unlike the Striped Hyena, which has powerful bone-crushing teeth, the aardwolf has weak cheek teeth and a more delicate facial structure. Additionally, the aardwolf has five toes on its front feet, whereas hyenas have four.

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