An aardvark has been born at Valencia’s Bioparc

The aardvark looks as if it were assembled from different animals: rabbit-like ears, a body of a pig, a powerful kangaroo-style tail and claws reminiscent of a dinosaur. It is the only surviving member of the order Tubulidentata. Its sticky tongue, which can reach up to 30 centimetres in length, helps it catch termites and ants.

Aardvarks have poor eyesight but extremely strong claws. They can dig with a force comparable to that of three people, both to find food and to create burrows. Their compact bodies, well-adapted to their environment, allow them to survive in dry conditions and underground. In the wild, aardvarks build complex tunnel systems, and their burrows often become shelters not only for themselves but for many other animals as well.

At Bioparc Valencia, visitors can also see other African species, including shrews, elephant shrews, bat-eared foxes, Africa’s largest snake, the African python,  and the continent’s smallest carnivore, the dwarf mongoose.