Africa’s shy five animals

TOTO | 

Have you ever been shy before, like hiding behind someone when in public? It’s okay, even some animals get those shy moments. They actually don’t like being seen in the open and they will do their best so that you do not get to see them. Here are some interesting facts about Africa’s Shy Five animals.

Porcupine

Porcupine

The Porcupine is a mammal with needle-like spikes called quills which cover its back, sides, and tail. The quills are sharp and as many as 30,000. A porcupine will raise its quills towards its attacker when it feels threatened. They can be found in both North and South America, as well as Africa. They are shy and prefer to stay hidden when possible. They prefer to be active at night but sleep during the day. Porcupines only eat plants. They live five to seven years.

Bat-eared fox

Bat Eared Fox

This shy little creature has huge upright ears like a bat. The Bat-eared fox prefers to be active at night than day. They are 30 cm tall which makes them hard to be seen. They can also be found in eastern and southern Africa like; Southern Sudan, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Ethiopia. Amazingly, a single bat-eared fox consumes as much as 1.15 million termites a year. Their lifespan is 13 years in the wild.

Aardvark

Aardvark

An Aardvark is a mammal from Africa. Its name means ‘earth pig.’ Its nose and mouth are pig-like, it has long rabbit-like ears and a thick tail like a kangaroo’s. It has strong powerful feet and spade-like claws which makes it good at digging. They can dig a hole within seconds if they hear a predator coming. It prefers to be active at night and feeds mostly on termites and ants. They live in Sub-Saharan Africa where there is a suitable home for them like grasslands, savannas, and woodlands.

Meerkat

Meerkat

A Meerkat is slender-tailed and often striped, known for its standing pose. They are often together from as little as three to 50 members when scouting out their surroundings. While outside, a clan of meerkats will always have one meerkat called a "sentry" on guard to watch out for predators while the others search for food.

Aardwolf

Aardwolves are also part of Africa’s Shy Five. Aardwolf means ‘earth wolf.’ It is not a wolf, but, it is actually related to hyenas. Unlike their cousins the hyenas, Aardwolves feed on termites. Surprisingly, one Aardwolf can eat about 250,000 termites during a single night by using its long, sticky tongue to capture them. They are active at the night. The Aardwolf lives in the wilds of eastern and southern Africa.

COMPILED BY DERRICK OTIM