Nocturnal mammal Proteles cristatus of the hyena family, Hyaenidae. It is yellowish grey with dark stripes and, excluding its bushy tail, is around 70 cm/30 in long. It is found in eastern and southern Africa, usually in the burrows of the aardvark. It feeds almost exclusively on termites, eating up to 300,000 per day, but may also eat other insects and small mammals.

Males mate monogamously but females, which have a much larger range, will mate with other males.