They Are More Resilient Than We Think
A newborn aardvark appears quite fragile and defenseless. Its skin is pink, wrinkled, and almost hairless, which means that it is extremely sensitive to external influences in its first days of life. Surprisingly, however, these seemingly weak babies begin to suckle within a few hours by clinging tightly to their mother's belly. Their body temperature regulation mechanism is virtually non-existent, so they usually live attached to their mother's chest.
The mother rarely leaves her baby alone for the first few weeks after birth. They are taken out of the nest for the first time after about two weeks, and during this process, their mothers carefully control their first contact with the outside world.
Feeding with Breast Milk Instead of Ants
Although ants and termites are the main food source for adult aardvarks, their young do not encounter these foods immediately after birth. They are fed only breast milk for the first two months. However, this milk is unusual among mammals in that it has a low fat content and high protein content. This is to support the rapid muscle development of the young, as they will need to engage in high-energy behaviors such as digging and ant hunting later in life.
At around three months of age, they attempt to eat ants or termites for the first time. Interestingly, this attempt is guided by the mother. The mother usually digs a termite nest and shows the young how to hunt with her tongue.
Body Structure Begins to Take Shape Early
The snouts of the young are long even at birth, but they are not yet fully functional. The snout muscles begin to develop in the first few weeks. As their ability to move their snouts develops, their sense of smell also rapidly improves. Research has shown that a three-week-old aardvark calf can distinguish its mother's scent from 10 meters away.
Their tails are quite short at birth but begin to grow rapidly by the second month. This tail is used in later stages to maintain balance and distribute body weight while digging. An interesting detail: The development of the tail bones is directly related to the hardness of the soil where the nest is located.
The Non-Social Development of Baby Aardvarks
Aardvarks are solitary animals by nature. This tendency toward solitude is evident even during infancy. Although they form strong bonds with their mothers, they do not engage in social play with their siblings. Even babies born as twins are moved to separate burrows after a short time or are nursed by their mothers in turn.
Baby aardvarks usually leave their mothers completely at 5 to 6 months of age and begin to live on their own. During this process, a mother leaves her old burrow to her baby and goes to dig another one for herself. Thus, the family bond is severed, but the shelter legacy continues.
Sleep and Activity Cycle
Baby aardvarks spend nearly 80% of their first three months sleeping. However, this sleep pattern differs from that of human babies; it consists of 2–3 hours of wakefulness followed by extended periods of sleep. Due to their nocturnal nature developing very early, they are generally more active at night.
At night, they venture out of the nest with their mothers, but at first they only learn by sniffing their surroundings. This method of “smell-based learning” becomes one of the most critical skills for finding their way around later in life.
Extraordinary Development of the Senses
Although baby aardvarks are born with their eyes open, their vision is extremely poor. Their eyes only function enough to distinguish between light and darkness. Their vision develops very slowly, beginning to clarify after the fifth week. In contrast, their sense of smell is impressive even in the first days after birth. They can distinguish their mother's body odor and even the smell of freshly dug soil.
Their sense of hearing is also remarkable. Even though they live underground, the young have ears sensitive enough to distinguish the sound of footsteps, the movements of the termite colony, or the vibrations of approaching predators. Their ears are not erect at birth, but within a few weeks they rise and gain the ability to change direction.
Termite Nest Simulations and the Learning Process
Some nature observers have reported that mother aardvarks create primitive “simulations” to teach their young how to hunt. In these simulations, the mother digs small, empty holes that do not contain prey. The young aardvarks sniff these holes to try to locate the prey. This is a critical learning stage in terms of both scent-based and motor skill development.
Interesting note: Some young aardvarks prefer to dig with their front legs rather than their tongues when they first encounter a real termite mound. However, this behavior is eventually replaced by “licking” with their long, sticky tongues, as adults do.
The Architectural Role of the Nest and Its Effect on the Baby
Baby aardvarks show different stages of development depending on the shape of the nest they are born in. For example, babies born in nests with steeper tunnels start walking earlier because they have to practice climbing more. The hardness of the nest floor directly affects the development of their claw muscles. Young aardvarks that grow up in hard soil have more advanced digging skills at three months of age.
Some researchers are able to accurately predict when baby aardvarks will leave the nest by simply looking at the moisture content of the soil in the nest. This is one of the rare examples of how micro-details in nature affect the development of young animals.
The instinct to avoid predators begins very early
Although newborn aardvarks are unaware of their natural enemies, they instinctively stay away from certain animals when they first venture outside. For example, when they smell a hyena or leopard, they freeze and camouflage themselves by sticking to the ground. This behavior is thought to be genetically encoded.
When outside the nest, if the mother senses danger, she usually pushes the baby underground with a body movement. This reflex is the first physical guidance toward the nest. In some cases, the baby cannot return to the nest on its own, and the mother carries it on her back.
The Earliest Records and Conservation Efforts
In some nature reserves in Africa, the first images of baby aardvarks born in the wild were obtained in the 1960s. However, to this day, observing baby aardvarks in the wild remains extremely rare. The primary reason for this is their nocturnal lifestyle and the fact that their nests are very deep and complex in structure.
Baby aardvarks born in protected areas are raised in special termite colonies, artificial nests are created, and they are monitored 24 hours a day with thermal cameras. In some projects, baby aardvarks are raised without direct human contact and will be released into the wild in the future.
Unique Physical Characteristics of Baby Aardvarks
One of the most striking physical characteristics of baby aardvarks is their powerful claws, which they are born with. Although these claws appear passive in the first month, they begin to be used for active digging behavior from the second month onwards. Compared to many mammals of the same age group, their claws are much sharper and stronger.
Their tongues, on the other hand, are quite short and non-functional at birth. However, they grow approximately 1-2 mm per week and can exceed 25 cm by three months of age. This length allows them to easily access termite tunnels. Interestingly, their tongue structures contain a light mucus-like substance that not only sticks insects but also cleans fine soil particles inside the tunnel.
Baby Aardvarks and Climate Impact
Although aardvarks live in semi-arid regions of Africa, climate has a surprisingly large impact on the development of their babies. For example, when births occur during the dry season, it becomes more difficult for mothers to find termites, which can delay weaning.
This affects the age at which the young become independent.
During the rainy season, nests can become flooded, forcing mothers to move their young very quickly. This increases the physical endurance of the young, as they have to travel long distances at an early age.
In some protected areas, it has been observed that the development of hair in baby aardvarks varies depending on the rainfall level of the year. It has been recorded that hair growth starts early in wetter years and is delayed in dry seasons.
Interaction with Humans and Information Obtained with Hidden Cameras
Wildlife researchers often use thermal cameras and motion-sensor cameras placed at nest entrances because they find it difficult to observe baby aardvarks directly. This allows them to record their first moments outside the nest, their first independent movements, and their attempts to hunt on their own.
In 2021, an image taken in a conservation area in Botswana showed a six-week-old aardvark pup leaving the nest alone for a short time while its mother was asleep. This event was recorded in the literature as a rare example of independent exploration behavior at that age.
Several centers are monitoring the rehabilitation process of orphaned baby aardvarks. During this process, human contact is minimized, and an environment as close to nature as possible is provided using puppet mothers and termite imitations. Most of the babies are released into the wild at night after reaching a certain level of development and continue to be monitored with GPS tracking devices attached to them.
Character and Behavioral Differences in Aardvark Cubs
Not all aardvark cubs behave the same way. Some are naturally more curious and eager to explore the outside world, while others tend to remain dependent on their mothers. Individual differences among the cubs can be observed even in their first attempts to venture outside: some start digging immediately, while others prefer to spend time sniffing and observing their surroundings.
Some scientists even believe that these differences may provide clues about which regions the young will choose to live in later in life. More active young tend to become adults that roam wide areas, while more cautious ones remain in a specific area and establish permanent nests.