Aardvark means 'earth pig' in Dutch. This is probably due to the fact that it has a long snout, rather like a pig. It has long head with large tubular ears, and a long sticky tongue for catching insects. Aardvarks use their strong claws to break into termite mounds. They push their nose inside and catch the insects using their incredible sticky tongues, which are about 45 centimetres long. Their noses are covered in thick bristles to help stop termites from climbing up inside their nostrils while they are foraging for food. Eeek! What a thought!
Aardvarks live in most areas of Africa south of the Sahara. They are solitary, nocturnal mammals. They can dig out a burrow over a metre deep faster than a team of six people digging furiously with shovels.
Although they cannot see very well, aardvarks have very large ears and a good sense of hearing, and their sensitive nostrils help them to sniff out their favourite snack - termites! For more information.
Well aardvarks are pretty amazing creatures but Labradors are officially man's best friend. The hounds marked their 15th year in a row as the most popular pooch in Britain. The top five mutts in the Kennel Club's annual list are
- Labrador
- Cocker Spaniel
- English Springer Spaniel
- German Shepherd
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Lots of people love labs because they usually have a good temper, and are devoted to their owners. They're also good working dogs, with lots of them being used to help people with poor eyesight and to hunt for drugs and weapons.
The sound of people being sick has been voted the worst sound in the world. Over the past year, more than a million people have been voting on the noises that drive them nuts so scientists can work out what makes them so annoying. Screaming babies, squeaky see-saws, violins being played badly and whoopee cushions also made the top 10. But for kids under the age of 10, the world's worst sound was the dreaded sound of the dentist's drill. Eurgh! What do you think?
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