As the conversation around eating insects gains traction, we can learn from aardvarks (Orycteropus afer), gourmet consumers of African ants. This fascinating mammal can devour up to 50,000 crunchy ants in a single night.
Aardvarks primarily feast on ants and termites, with the occasional “aardvark cucumber” adding some variety (more on that later).
Why focus on ants and termites? Their collective biomass outweighs all wild mammals by a factor of 10, making them an abundant food source.
Known as the African ant bear, the aardvark excels in locating these protein-packed snacks by invading ant nests and termite mounds.
Equipped with sturdy claws, aardvarks dig through resilient structures, using their strong leg bones to support the strain of excavation.
While ants may respond with aggression, swarming and biting, aardvarks have thick skin that withstands these defenses. Their long, pig-like snouts dive into nests, allowing them to sip their treats like a milkshake.
Aardvarks cleverly close their nostrils to prevent inhaling dust. Additionally, specialized salivary glands release a generous amount of sticky saliva, coating their 30-cm (12-inch) long tongues, making it easy to collect ants.
The ants cling to their tongues as if caught on flypaper. Once swallowed, the food moves to the gizzard-like stomach, where muscular walls crush it.
Chewing is minimal, but aardvarks possess unique teeth. Adults have approximately 20 nail-like teeth that grow continuously and wear down over time.
These teeth consist of hundreds of small hexagonal tubes made from a dentin-like material called vascular dentin.
Relatively soft due to the absence of enamel, these teeth are ill-suited for crushing but perfect for lightly mashing the aforementioned aardvark cucumber.
The aardvark cucumber is an edible fruit, growing from a low vine. Its life cycle relies on aardvarks for seed maturation and dispersal through feces. In return, aardvarks enjoy a juicy, hydrating snack.
It’s intriguing that ant-eating mammals, including aardvarks, anteaters, and pangolins, have independently evolved this trait at least 12 times since the dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago.
This phenomenon, known as convergent evolution, shows how different species can develop similar characteristics in response to the same challenges.
Faced with the question “How can I eat all these ants?”, they have all adapted with sticky tongues, strong forelimbs, and fewer teeth.
These ant-eating mammals are akin to a recurring trend, much like mullets, showcasing evolution’s penchant for clever adaptations.
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