The whispering neck of the aardwolf

by | Mar 9, 2016 | Site Content

Proteles cristatus photo © Dominik Käuferle

The whispering neck of the aardwolf

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Proteles cristatus photo © Greg Hume

The camouflage colouration of the aardwolf has an unexplained incongruity on and next to its neck: there are no stripes from the side of the head to a prominent oblique stripe on the shoulder. Although hardly conspicuous to human eyes, this pale fur on the side of the neck may reflect ultraviolet light as a social display at dusk.
 
Robin and the Honey Badger, 22 March 2016
 
Photographs
Proteles cristatus neck colouration 
Proteles cristatus neck colouration 
Proteles cristatus neck colouration