Aardvark (earth pig)

Japanese: ツチブタ(土豚) - ツチブタ（英語表記）aardvark

A mammal of the family Aardvark (illustration) in the order Tubulidentata. It is thought to be the last surviving member of primitive ungulates, and has no other closely related species, making up the order Tubulidentata by itself. It has a disk-shaped snout and a body shape similar to that of a pig, but is a specialized animal that feeds primarily on ants and termites. It has a thick body and a short neck. Its back is arched and its limbs are short. It has four toes on its front feet and five on its hind feet, each with a long, strong, straight claw that is adapted for digging holes. It has a long, slender head like an anteater, and a long tongue that it uses to lick up ants.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

管歯目ツチブタ科の哺乳類（イラスト）。原始有蹄類の生きのこりと思われ，他に近縁種はなく，この1種だけで管歯目Tubulidentataをつくる。円盤状の鼻をもち，体型も全体にブタに似るが，アリとシロアリを主食とする特殊化した動物。胴が太く首は短い。背がアーチ型に湾曲し四肢は短い。前足に4本，後足に5本の指があり，それぞれ，まっすぐにのびる長くがんじょうなつめがあって，穴を掘るのに適する。頭部はアリクイに似て細長く，アリをなめとるのに使われる長い舌をもつ。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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