What physical features protect the aardvark when digging into insect nests?
Answer
Thick skin protecting the nose and ears
When the aardvark breaches the defensive structures of an insect colony, it exposes itself to potential injury from defensive bites or stings delivered by the inhabitants. To counteract this, the animal possesses robust anatomical safeguards. Specifically, the powerful muscles around the nose and the skin protecting the ears are adapted to be thick and strong. This physical reinforcement prevents irritation or injury from defensive insect actions while the aardvark focuses its attention on using its specialized tongue to rapidly lap up the prey once the nest chamber is accessed.
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