Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus). Photo © Dominik Käuferle · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus). Photo © Greg Hume · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
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
Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus). Photo © Thomas Retterath
Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus). Photo © Marco Valentini