# Aardwolf (*Proteles cristata*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/aardwolf  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a living mammal of the family Hyaenidae, subfamily Protelinae, in the order Carnivora. It is a nocturnal, terrestrial invertivore whose main foods are hodotermitidae and termite. A medium-sized mammal by adult body mass, it weighs from 8 to 12 kg, with a representative value of 8.1 kg. The IUCN Red List assesses it globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8 kg – 12 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 19.5 years – 25 years |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Main food | hodotermitidae, termite |
| Habitat | shrubland |
| Gestation | 88.3 days – 93 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2 – 4 |
| Age at maturity | 20.7 months |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Hyaenidae
- genus: Proteles
- species: *Proteles cristata* (Sparrman, 1783)

Synonyms: *Proteles cristatus*, *Viverra cristata*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the aardwolf?

The aardwolf is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Hyaenidae, subfamily Protelinae.

### What does the aardwolf eat?

The aardwolf is an invertivore whose main foods are hodotermitidae and termite.

### How heavy is an aardwolf?

Adult Aardwolves weigh from 8 to 12 kg, with a representative value of 8.1 kg.

### Is the aardwolf endangered?

No. The aardwolf is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does an aardwolf live?

Sources give a lifespan of 19.5 years for the aardwolf, with values up to 25 years.

### How many young does an aardwolf have?

An aardwolf has from 2 to 4 young per litter, after a gestation period of 88 days.

### Is the aardwolf nocturnal?

Yes. The aardwolf is nocturnal and terrestrial.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Aardwolf (Proteles cristata). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/aardwolf