The feeding ecology of the aardvark Orycteropus afer

Thirteen aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) were radio tagged at Tussen die Riviere Nature Reserve in the Nama Karoo between 1996 and 1998. Faecal contents were analysed and four habituated aardvarks closely followed to investigate feeding ecology. The diet of the aardvark consisted entirely of ants and termites, with ants predominating in all seasons and years. Anoplolepis custodiens was the most important prey species in all months, followed by Trinervitermes trinervoides. Termites were fed on more often in winter than summer at a time when ant numbers were generally reduced and the aardvarks may have been experiencing difficulty in meeting their nutritional requirements relative to summer. Predation from epigeal mounds took place at this time, coinciding with the presence of alates