Aardwolf
Intuhu

© Nigel J Dennis

Igama

Intuhu (Aardwolf) [Proteles cristata]
Igama layo elithi-Aardwolf lihlathulula bonyana yi-wolf yemhlaba (earth wolf) ngelimi le-Afrikaans kanye nendlela engakho yokwakheka njengenja, umhlobo wokudla ephila ngakho okukukudla umuhlwa ewemba phasi kanye neenthubini.

Ukuvela nokwakheka kwayo

Isikhumba sayo sinombala osarulana okuvangeke ngombala ozotho kanye nemibala enzima ehlaleleneko, imaruthuruthu,umsilayo unzima encenyeni yesiphetho sawo, inamaboya nofana umdlengo omimida onzotho emhlana, begodu avamise ukuphakama lokha lokha ithukiweko nofana ithuselwa. Inesilinganiso sobude obuphakamileko obumasenthimitha amasumi amane ukuya emasumini amahlanu (40-50 cm, kanye nomsila omude ngamasenthimitha amasumi amabili ukuya emasumini amabili nahlanu (20-25 cm). isilinganiso sobude bayo ukusuka epumulweni ukuya emsileni esimacenthimitha amasumi asithandathu nahlanu ukuya emasumini abunane, kanye nesilinganiso sobudisi esimakhilogremu abunane ukuya kalisumi nambili (8 -12 Kg), injalo nje itshwaya ukuba yipisi encani emenida.

Ukudla

Umhlobo lo ongakajayeleki womdeni weempisi udla umuhlwa.njengombana ijayele ukudla umuhlwa nje amazinywayo kodwana ngaphandle kwalawo amade, sele arhunyele aba kwanga mapeksi wokuneka begodu akakghoni nokuhlafunya inyama. Amazinywayo amakhulu asakhula, begodu iwasebenzisele ukuvikela isikhundla sayo kezinye ezifana nayo. Ukudla kwayo kufaa hlangana imihlobo emibili kwaphela yomuhlwa, omunye wawo uvamise ukutjhagala khulu ngesikhathi samakhaza, njeke itjhugulukela komunye umhlobo ukuthi ikghone ukudla.
Ukuphila ngomhlobo owodwa wokudlokhu kwenza bonyana isilwanesi sikghone ukuphila kwaphela eendaweni ezinemihlobo le yomuhlwa omunengi.ngobusuku bunye isilwanesi sikghona ukudla umuhlwa nanyana kukukuphi obalelwa emakhulwini amabili weenkulungwana ukuya emakhulwini amathathu weenkulungwana zomuhlwa (200 000 - 300 000 termites). Ngokusebenzisa iindlela ezihlukileko zokulalela nokuzwa, ikghona ukuzwa umuhlwa okhamba phasi bese isebenzise ilimu layo elinabileko nelinamathelako iyawurhurhula. Injalo nje yaziwa nangokudla iinlwanyana ezinye ezifana namakhondlo, iinyonyana ezincani, amaqanda kanye nengcuba.

Ukuzala nokukhulisa

Njengombana eduna nesikazi ziphila ngokuhlukana nje, iphila ngokuzifihla nangepilo yamahloni, begodu lokho kwenza bonyana libe lincani khulu ilwazi elaziwako ngokuzipha kwayo, kodwana ikholelwa bona zijarhana kesinye nesinye isikahthi sonyaka. Lokhu kwenzeka ngemva kwesikhathi sekambiso yokumitha esimalanga avamise ukuba masumi alithoba ukuya ekhulwini, begodu kuvamise bona zizala amadzinyana amabili ukuya kamane. Nasele amadzinyana akhitjhe ebeleni nofana aphuhlisiweko, zombili eduna nesikazi zivamise ukuwapha umhlwa eziwuhlanzileko.

Ukuziphatha

Kumhlobo weenlwani ezitjhagala ngobusuku, zizuma ngokuhlukana, kodwana zihlangana kwaphela ngesikhathi sokujarhana. Zivamise ukubonwa ngambili nofana ngemihlambi omncani. Nokho umhlobo lo akhenge ifuze nofana ibenezenzo zomhlobo wepisi enemibalam nemida ngebanga lokuphila ngomuhlwa kwaphela. Njengombana ukudla kungakghonakali bona kwabelanwe nofana kulethwe emgodini, isilwanesi siyakateleleka bona sikhambe siyozizumela. Imigodazo ivamise ukuba ngileyo ebegade ihlala ama-springhare, kodwana kanengi zivamise ukusebenzisa leyo ebegade ingeyeenunu kanye nama-Aarvarks. Lo mhlobo wesilwani ozwana nokurhubha khulu imigodi begodu lapho kunganamigodi khona zizirhubhela yazo.

Lapho zitholakala khona

Zitholalakala kiyoyoke ipumalanga nesewula ye-Afrika, ngaphandle kwesewula emagega nelwalandle. Umhlobo lo weenlwani eziphila ngokudla inyama, ngokuzifihla nangokungabi yingozi, zibonakala zithanda ukubekezela iindawo ezisiquntu seendawo ezinganazulu, ezivulekileko, zomhlobo we-savanna kanye neenkhothini lapho ihlala khona emigodini. Kuneendawo embili ezihlukeneko zembalobalo zeenlwanezi, esinye sise kabeni yeSewula Afrika kuthi esinye sitholakale ukuyela ekabeni ye-Tanzania, etlhagwini ukuya esewula ye-Egypt. Iinlwanezi zivame ukutholakala khulu eenkhothini zeBotswana, Karoo,kanye nesiFundeni seTlhagwini Kapa.

Iimbalobalo ngepilwazo ezirhunyeziweko

Isilinganiso sobudisi (esikazi)
7,7 - 13,5 kg
Isilinganiso sobudele (eduna)
7,7- 13,5 kg
Isilinganiso sobude (esikazi)
90 cm
Isilinganiso sobude (eduna)
90 cm
Isikhathi sekambiso yokumitha Gestation Period
2 months
Inani/ isibalo samadzinyana No of Young
2 - 4 cubs
Umhlobo/ irhemo Order
Carnivora
Umdenazo Family
Hyaenidae
Ukuzala nokukhulisa Breeding
Ngemva kwesikhathi sekambiso yokumitha esiziinyanga ezimbili, zivamise ukuzala amadzinyana amabili ukuya kamane phakathi kwenyanga kaKhukhulamungu ukuya kuSihlabantangana.

Ihlathululo ngemitlhalaza

Inemizwani emihlanu eenyaweni zangaphambili, kodwana umzwani wokuthoma uphezudlwana begodu awenzi umtlhala, begodu inemizwani emine eenyaweni zemuva. Amaziphazo abonakala adweni nawuwaqala ngaphezulu, kodwana nawuwatjheja ngehlangothini zibonakala zibanzi begodu zakheke ngendlela eqinileko, zinjalo nje zide ngamasenthimitha amasumi amabili begodu zigobene.