This is Ardie the Aardvark made by the Cavanaugh Group for Coca-Cola. Ardie represents the country of Niger.

Aardvark is an Afrikaans term meaning "earth pig." It is the common name for a burrowing, ant-eating mammal. The aardvark is found in Africa. It forages mostly at night and lives in burrows and feeds on ants and termites. It is a large animal, about 7.5 ft long, including its long tail. It has an arched back, a tubular snout, and big, upright ears. It uses its sharp claws to break open termite nests . It uses its sticky tongue to capture the insects.

Unlike anteaters, which are toothless, the aardvark has 20 cylindrical, rootless teeth that grow continually throughout its lifetime.

The female gives birth to one or two offspring, which can dig their own burrows at the age of six months. Although timid, the aardvark will fight when it cannot escape or burrow to safety; it defends itself with its powerful claws or by striking with its tail or shoulders. The aardvark makes up the order Tubulidentata. It is classified as Orycteropus afer.

 

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