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Common Warthogs, Spotted Hyenas and Aardvarks Shared the Same Den Sites in Uganda

Common warthog in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda
Research · Ecology

Common warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus), spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) and aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) repeatedly used the same den locations in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, according to a study published in July 2026. Camera traps monitored 20 active den sites in the park’s delta region for 14–19 days in June 2024.

At least one of the three species was recorded at 18 of the 20 monitored sites. Seven sites were used by a single species, seven by two species and four by all three. Warthogs were the most frequently recorded, with 111 independent sightings at 15 sites, compared with 86 spotted-hyena sightings at nine sites and 12 aardvark sightings at seven sites.

The three mammals largely separated their use by time of day. Warthogs were recorded mainly during daylight, spotted hyenas mostly at night and aardvarks exclusively at night. At four den sites used by both warthogs and hyenas, the two species sometimes visited on the same days but at different times. Their surface activity overlapped most around dawn and dusk, when camera traps also recorded individuals of both species close to the den entrances.

The authors stress that surface camera traps cannot show whether different species occupied the underground chambers at the same time. The results therefore demonstrate repeated and temporally structured sharing of den locations, rather than confirmed simultaneous use of the same underground space. They suggest that seismic sensors could help resolve this hidden component of den use in future studies.

Sources and image credit

  1. Boudinot, L. A., Markham, A., Rouviere, A., Jovan, K., Koelemeijer, P., Montgomery, R. A., & Mortimer, B. (2026). Activity overlap and sharing of den sites in spotted hyenas, warthogs and aardvarks. African Journal of Ecology, 64(5), e70204. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70204Primary open-access research article first published 14 July 2026. Camera traps monitored 20 active den sites in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. Common warthogs, spotted hyenas and aardvarks repeatedly used the same den locations, with strong temporal partitioning of surface activity. The authors explicitly note that camera traps could not confirm simultaneous use of den interiors.

Image: Diego Delso, delso.photo / Wikimedia Commons — common warthog photographed in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda; representative image, not one of the camera-trapped animals · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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Ecology

SPECIES IN THIS STORY

Species in this story

Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus Explore species Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta Explore species Aardvark Orycteropus afer Explore species

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