It's a medium sized (1 to 1.3 meters long) mammal native to much of southern Africa. It has a long head and snout as well as long and thick tail. It’s ears are also long and vaguely rabbit like.
It was named by the early Dutch settlers in South Africa. They thought it looked pig like and noted that it lived underground, so in the Afrikaans language it was called earth pig (aarde = earth, varken = pig) hence Aardvark. In resemblance to a pig only goes as far as the skin which is thick, tough and is thinly covered in short coarse hairs.
They are not members of the ant eater family (Xenarthra's), despite the fact that they do live of termites. Aardvarks and south american ant eaters share similar biology because they hunt and feed in similar ways and not because they have common ancestry (beyond both being mammals). The Aardvark is not closed related to any other living species, it closest living relative is considered to be the Elephant Shew.
The Aardvark has some interesting teeth which is why it has the latin name of Tubulidentata. It's molars are made up of thin tubes of dentine, which hold the pulp which would normally found inside a case enamel of other mammals. The teeth are worn away and re-grow continually. Aardvarks are born with front teeth (canines), but these fall out and are not replaced, so adult Aardvarks only have molars. This not a problem given their diet of Ants and Termites and the odd Aardvark Cucumber (and with a name like you know they are going to be strange)!
Aardvarks are solitary, nocturnal and spend most of the day in burrows. Being nocturnal their eye sight is poor, but the senses of smell and hearing are excellent (not really surprising given the size of nose and ears!) They are fast and powerful diggers using their front claws, this ability is used to both build their burrows and to get to the primary food source, Termites. The Aardvarks method of feeding is simple, use it front claws to break in to a Termite mound, then lick up 100’s of Termites at a time with its long (up 30 cm) sticky tongue. The Aardvarks tough, insensitive skin, is it’s only defence against the Termites counter attack.
Aardvarks are also notable for having more bones in their skull than any other mammal. At this point I suppose I could make a joke about being thick headed, but that's just plan silly!
