The aardvark (/ˈɑːrdvɑːrk/ ARD-vark; Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. The aardvark is the only living member of the genus Orycteropus, the family Orycteropodidae and the order Tubulidentata. It has a long proboscis, similar to a pig's snout, which is used to sniff out food.
The aardvark is an afrotherian, a clade that also includes elephants, manatees, and hyraxes.