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Aardvarks are selective about which termite mounds they dig into

Aardvark / jordsvin (Orycteropus afer)
Research · Ecology

Aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) are specialised feeders on ants and termites, but a new study from Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe shows that they do not simply dig into whichever termite mound happens to be nearby. Their foraging appears to be selective, shaped by the size and spacing of termite mounds as well as the geology beneath them.

Researchers Justice Muvengwi and Neo Debeila mapped 2,284 termite mounds across four one-square-kilometre study areas with either basalt or granite bedrock. They recorded the size of each mound, the distance to its nearest neighbour and whether aardvarks had dug into it.

Larger, more isolated mounds were used more often

A clear pattern emerged. Mounds used by aardvarks were generally larger and more isolated than untouched mounds. Larger mounds were much more likely to show signs of feeding, while mounds farther from their nearest neighbour were also used more often. In other words, aardvarks appear to choose particular feeding sites rather than digging at random.

The underlying geology mattered too. Granite areas tended to have larger termite mounds, yet those mounds were used less often than mounds on basalt. This means size alone cannot explain the choice. Soil hardness, mound structure, how easy a mound is to open or other local conditions may also influence where an aardvark decides to dig.

The authors identify several limits to what the data can explain. They did not track individual aardvarks and did not measure termite biomass, activity or other colony characteristics that determine the energetic value of a mound. Mound size and spacing were therefore used as indirect measures of resource quality and travel costs.

Selective digging can concentrate ecosystem effects

The researchers conclude that aardvark excavation is selective and spatially structured. Because digging changes mound structure, soils and microhabitats, they argue that this selective use can make the aardvark’s effects as an ecosystem engineer unevenly distributed across the savanna.

They recommend future studies combining GPS tracking with direct measurements of termite biomass, activity and soil properties to identify the mechanisms behind mound selection and changes in use through time.

Sources and image credit

  1. Muvengwi, J., & Debeila, N. (2026). Selective foraging by aardvarks Orycteropus afer on termite mounds: influence of mound structure, spatial distribution, and geology in a savanna landscape. Wildlife Biology, 2026(4), e01621. https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01621Primary peer-reviewed research article, Wildlife Biology, first published 6 July 2026

Image: Aardvark / jordsvin (Orycteropus afer). Photo: Kelly Abram. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Representative image for this story; not presented as an animal or scene from the reported study or event. · CC BY 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

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