Americans refer to this animal as an anteater. The Dutch settlers of the 1600s called it an "earth pig." What is this creature? It's an aardvark.

The aardvark is a large African mammal. Its body is arched and covered in a coarse pinkish- to gray-colored hair. It also has a tube-like snout, big ears, and a long tail. The animals lack front teeth, but they sport peg-like molars on the sides of their mouths. The molars grow throughout their lives, but they are worn down through eating.

Since they are nocturnal [night-dwelling] animals, aardvarks have poor eyesight. However, they have excellent senses of smell and hearing to help them find prey. With their snouts close to the ground and their ears pointed forward, they use their claws to rip open ant or termite nests they find. Then they lick up the scattering insects with their long, sticky tongues.

Aardvarks also use their claws for defense. When attacked, they roll onto their backs, slashing at their attacker with both hind and front legs.