Aardwolf Facts: the HYENA you've NEVER HEARD OF | Animal Fact Files

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Had you heard of the aardwolf before watching this video? What do you think of these animals?

[@kreation2021]

Yes

[@lilicona5957]

I learned about them from kemono friends!

[@warthogpower7729]

aardwolf love them some much 💜

[@eunaekim9216]

I knew the aardwolf existed, but up to now I didn't know exactly what it was!

[@vernonfridy8416]

Of course I have heard of them.

[@tracybowling1156]

I have not heard of them and they are much cuter than their Hyena relatives. Their diet is the most surprising thing about the Aardwolf. Their tongues are really neat too. It's really bumpily for scooping termites, I guess. I love when you two come up with a surprise animal. I say surprise bc like I said, I haven't heard of them.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Yes we find them to be absolutely adorable! We love their bumpy tongues, too! Glad you learned about a new animal with this one

[@Blackfish-m3h]

Spotted hyenas are also facinating too

[@asafupps]

I am in love with these creatures

[@jadenl629]

wow! its crazy to think that they have no predators (besides humans) awesome video! u guys are SOOOO CLOSE to 100k subs, keep up the amazing work AFF!!

[@indyreno2933]

Aardwolves are omnivorous, they can raid beehives similar to ones raided by aardvarks, bat-eared foxes, and honey badgers, aardwolves will even eat small fruits and seeds.

[@saratawfik1992]

They are omnivores

[@TheWildChallenger101]

I've heard about these animals when I was a kid reading through certain dictionaries that had their name in it. For the longest time I thought they were like the Maned Wolf, how they aren't really wolves, but are candids that are wolf-like. You can imagine my surprise when I realized they were part of the hyena species lol

[@AnimalFactFiles]

So glad you learned something new here! It's amazing how similar unrelated animals can look!

[@indyreno2933]

Maned wolves are wolves, while aardwolves are not, in fact wolves and grey wolves are not the same thing, a wolf is any dog that is larger than either a fox, a jackal (including the coyote), or a wild species with the word "dog" in its name, therefore, the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), Ethiopian Golden Wolf (Flavocyon simensis), Common Golden Wolf (Flavocyon lupaster), White Wolf (Canis albus), and Red Wolf (Canis rufus) are wolves too, the aardwolf is not a dog, it is the only living member of the family Protelidae, which is more closely related to hyenas than to dogs, the aardwolf and hyenas are the only extant members of the superfamily Hyaenoidea.

[@samrizzardi2213]

@@indyreno2933 I think you might have your taxonomy a bit mixed up. I've never heard of the genus _Flavocyon_ (both Ethiopian and golden wolves are in the genus _Canis_ ), and _Canis albus_ should be _Canis lupus albus_ .

[@indyreno2933]

Actually, this classification now moves all the white-colored subspecies out of the Canis lupus scientific name and relocates them under a separate species name, Canis albus, which is the scientific name for a species called the white wolf, in which the Tundra Wolf (Canis albus albus) of northern Eurasia is the nominate subspecies, the other six subspecies of white wolf include the Arctic Wolf (Canis albus arctos), the Hudson Bay Wolf (Canis albus hudsonicus), the Mackenzie River Wolf (Canis albus mackenzii), the Baffin Island Wolf (Canis albus manningi), the Greenland Wolf (Canis albus orion), and the Barren-Ground Wolf (Canis albus tundrarum), also this classification regards the genus Canis to be polyphyletic because the ethiopian golden wolf, common golden wolf, golden jackal, and coyote are not considered part of the genus and should instead be relocated to two separate genera being Flavocyon and Prolupus respectively, Flavocyon for the golden wolves to which the Common Golden Wolf (Flavocyon lupaster) is the type species and Prolupus for both the golden jackal and coyote to which the Golden Jackal (Prolupus aureus) is the type species, while Prolupus is the sister genus to Canis, Flavocyon is certainly not, Flavocyon is only more derived than both Lupulella (African Jackals) and Lycaon (Painted Dogs) but is basal to the clade consisting of Cuon (Dhole lineage), Prolupus (Laurasian Jackals), and Canis (True Wolves and Oceanian Wild Dogs).

[@samrizzardi2213]

@@indyreno2933 I'm having trouble following what you're saying. Who is the taxonomic authority on _Flavocyon_ and when was it proposed as a valid genus? I looked it up and all I found was a Kazakh social media site. Also, on what basis are white coloured wolf subspecies separated from _Canis lupus_ ? Every wolf-related genomic study I've come across shows that different wolf genotypes do not correspond to pelt colour.

[@adriaandelport8648]

I’m so happy to see your channel grow!

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Thanks so much, Delport-san! 🥰😉 How you're well, friend!!

[@nathanstrother7593]

More people need to know about Aardwolves I want to see movies toys mugs and even T-shirts based off this animal

[@EchoingVegas]

Shoutout to the Wild Kratts for helping me discover Aardwolves in the first place

[@samrizzardi2213]

Always found it strange that they have the same diet as the bat-eared fox, yet they have the least number of teeth among carnivorans, yet the bat-eared fox has the most.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

It's amazing how animals can have similarities but still be different!

[@indyreno2933]

Did you know that the Bat-Eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis) is the closest living relative of the Raccoon Dogs (genus Nyctereutes)?

[@samrizzardi2213]

@@indyreno2933 Yeah, that means that the raccoon dog is actually a fox, and we should stop using the term "fox" for so-called "South American foxes" and "grey foxes", as former are more closely related to wolves and the latter are a separate branch entirely.

[@samrizzardi2213]

@@indyreno2933 _foxes are actually a wastebasket taxon and a paraphyletic group_ Not unless you consider "fox" to be synonymous with the tribe Vulpini

[@indyreno2933]

Actually, this does not mean that raccoon dogs are foxes, they actually are not foxes, in fact foxes are actually a wastebasket taxon and a paraphyletic group because raccoon dogs do not count as foxes, neither do wolves, jackals (including the coyote), or other wild species with the word "dog" in their name, also, you are only correct on Urocyon (Grey Fox and Channel Island Fox) being an outgroup, as Urocyon is the only extant genus of the tribe Urocyonini, which is the most basal of the three tribes within Caninae, however, a correction, both the raccoon dogs (genus Nyctereutes) and old world foxes (genera Vulpes, Neocyon, Alopex, Fennecus, and Otocyon) are actually more closely related to the Canina subtribe than to the South American foxes, which are more closely related to the short-eared jackal, bushdog, and maned wolf, other than Urocyonini, the advanced tribes within Caninae are the new world Cerdocyonini (includes Atelocynus, Speothos, Chrysocyon, Bassarilupus, Pseudalopex, Lycalopex, and Cerdocyon) and the old world Canini (includes Vulpes, Neocyon, Alopex, Fennecus, Otocyon, Nyctereutes, Lupulella, Lycaon, Flavocyon, Cuon, Prolupus, and Canis), the former is split into two subtribes, Chrysocyonina - the South American Wolf-Like Canines (contains Atelocynus, Speothos, and Chrysocyon) and Cerdocyonina - the South American Foxes (contains Bassarilupus, Pseudalopex, Lycalopex, and Cerdocyon), while the latter is also divided into two subtribes, Vulpina - the Raccoon Dogs and Old World Foxes (contains Vulpes, Neocyon, Alopex, Fennecus, Otocyon, and Nyctereutes) and Canina - the Old World Wolf-Like Canines (contains Lupulella, Lycaon, Flavocyon, Cuon, Prolupus, and Canis), therefore Canini now is restricted to only genera of old world origin while the South American dogs are members of a distinct tribe that originated from the new world, a better example of parallel evolution.

[@indigotaylor-noguera7119]

Yes, I was very familiar with Aardwolf long before KZbin even existed.

[@dianewalker9154]

Saw one this month on the Namibia webcam. It came to drink from the waterhole. A wonderful sight indeed!!!

[@AnimalFactFiles]

That's so cool!!

[@arcticdino1650]

They are quite cute

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Completely agreed!

[@abeceda103]

Do some amazing fact files about Magpies!

[@Daveyjdigital]

First time hearing about these was today

[@tinyGrim1]

ohhh I love these. they eat insects. thank you very much ❤️❤️ . I didn't know they moved a lot & made burrows tho . thank you ❣️

[@AnimalFactFiles]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@abeceda103]

Do Collared peccary and Zebra please

[@gigathespacehog1273]

I only knew about Aardwolves because of their appearance in the Lion Guard.

[@GaryRManganiello]

I wonder if they're related to the thylacine?

[@scalenetriangle6668]

Not at all... Thylacines are marsupials. Aardwolves (and Hyaenidae in general) are placental mammals.

[@abeceda103]

Do collared peccaries please

[@scalenetriangle6668]

>Size: 3 ft (91 cm) at the shoulders The Kruger website itself mentions 40-50 cm (16-20 in) height at the shoulders, not 91. Perhaps you meant their total length? Their body length is 55-80 cm along with tail length of 20-30 cm. >Diet: almost entirely termites, also take eggs, small rodents, and carrion on occasion Not a correction, since it is correct according to sources, though I find it interesting that a lot of other sources consider them feeding on carrion a myth. The explanation is that if they're hunched over a carcass, they're actually eating larvae and beetle on it. Could be? 🤔 Wikipedia also mentions that they don't like meat unless it's cooked or ground for them... I'm assuming the occasional feeding on a small bird or mammal (vertebrates) is only when their main food source (termites, other invertebrates) is unavailable...

[@indyreno2933]

Can you do fact files on hooded seals?

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Cool suggestion! Thanks!

[@littlefire6255]

Majestic 😍😍😍

[@Junketh71]

They look rather adorable.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Completely agreed! 😻

[@juliac3933]

They have a cool pattern

[@AnimalFactFiles]

We agree!

[@spitfirebird]

We actually have aardwolves at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden here in Ohio, and they are the only ones in the united states!

[@rdel714]

That's what you think I have one but it's disguised as a overweight elderly pug named Boris😂

[@warthogpower7729]

did you know southern aardwolf have a reddish brown coat

[@AnimalFactFiles]

I did not! That's really cool!

[@warthogpower7729]

@@AnimalFactFiles I know right 💜 💜 💜

[@danielled8665]

Jokes on you that's one of my favorite animals.

[@jakebranch2599]

I heard of Em

[@maiteetchevarne5369]

Great video! and yes, I've heard of it before. NEXT VIDEO: Keel-billed toucan

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the suggestion!!

[@abeceda103]

Next video is zebra

[@lexiedgrooms5361]

This more belongs in prehistoric time

[@sriyanperera6607]

Aardwolf- smaller relative of the hyena.

[@simonpitt4632]

this videos are esentially just learn everything about this animal

[@midnightfox746]

Someone call Apogee!

[@pranititiwari6525]

In India., an animal called "zarakh",looks a lot like the hyena....zarakhs are supposed to be on the verge of extinction...hree😮😮

[@Akutheos]

We call them striped hyenas.

[@abeceda103]

Do Zebras please

[@AnimalFactFiles]

We're working on this now! Should be out next month ❤️

[@nebulaaah]

I'm intrigued that the American narrator said 'bum' instead of 'butt'.

[@AntarosSweet]

I had heard of aardwolves before due to "true facts".

[@jasonlara5069]

That a weird animal to be related to cats. It looks mostly like a fox to me.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

It's amazing how animal relationships work out sometimes!

[@hyena_fan]

Cute

[@AnimalFactFiles]

We agree!

[@eunaekim9216]

Not a 🐺 or a 🦊. More of a 🐱?

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Exactly! 😻

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

When you do the Japanese bullhead shark, can you please say they are renowned for appearing in lots of games making them the most well-known bullhead shark species?

[@vernonfridy8416]

The Aardwolf IS a hyena.

[@AnimalFactFiles]

Exactly! 😸

[@indyreno2933]

It's actually not a hyena, but is only the closest living relative of the hyenas, the aardwolf is the only living representative of a different family called Protelidae, which is part of the broader superfamily Hyaenoidea.

[@vernonfridy8416]

@@indyreno2933This is considered quite incorrect. While the family Protelidae was proposed by William Henry Flower in 1869, this was subsumed into Hyaenidae. You’re the one who said that the Black-footed Ferret and American Mink are in their own genera, so how can I take your taxonomy notes seriously? Where did you get this information anyway? Do you do your own scientific studies, or what? To be fair, you could still make a taxonomic case that the Aardwolf and its extinct “dog-like” relatives, are not hyenas, as they are in a different subfamily from the so-called “bone-crushing hyenas” (which include the other 3 living hyaenid species). However, most zoologists use the term “hyena” for all hyaenids.

[@vernonfridy8416]

@@AnimalFactFiles I mention this because parts of the video imply that the Aardwolf is distinct from hyenas. While it is the furthest removed evolutionarily of the living species, it is still a hyena itself (specifically the last of the lineage of “dog-like hyenas”), as it is in the family Hyaenidae.

[@nathanstrother7593]

In Noah's Ark God created the Aardwolf it's designed to do what it does do what it does do it does do well doesn't it yes it does I think it does do you I do hope you do too do you