The aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is one for a nighttime snack. This mostly nocturnal animal spends the day sleeping in its burrow, but at night it springs into action, consuming as many as 50,000 insects in one evening!🐜

It uses its 1-foot- (0.3-meter)-long tongue to scoop up ants and termites, which it swallows whole. It lives in parts of southern Africa including Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, where it inhabits grassland and savannas. This expert digger can excavate more than 1.7 feet (0.5 meters) in 15 seconds—which comes in handy when it’s looking for its next meal, making a place to nap, escaping from predators, or creating elaborate tunnels where moms give birth to young.

Photo: Albert Herbigneaux, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, flickr

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