Proteles cristatus

(Sparrman, 1783)

Southern Aardwolf

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Laurasiatheria
Order : Carnivora
Suborder : Feliformia
Infraorder : Viverroidea
Family : Hyaenidae
Subfamily : Protelinae
Genus : Proteles

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Resa Goda-Hopps-Udden., I, 1, 581

Original name as described

Viverra cristata

Other common names

Aardwolf

Type locality

Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Angola · Zambia · Namibia · Botswana · Zimbabwe · Mozambique · South Africa · Eswatini · Lesotho?

Taxonomy notes

previously included P. septentrionalis; specific epithet spelling changed from 'cristata' to 'cristatus' to match the masculine genus

Taxonomy notes citation

Werdelin, L., Kitchener, A. C., Abramov, A., Veron, G., & San, E. D. L. (2021). The scientific name of the aardwolf is Proteles cristatus. African Journal of Wildlife Research, 51(1), 149-152. · Allio, R., Tilak, M. K., Scornavacca, C., Avenant, N. L., Kitchener, A. C., Corre, E., ... & Delsuc, F. (2021). High-quality carnivoran genomes from roadkill samples enable comparative species delineation in aardwolf and bat-eared fox. Elife, 10, e63167.

IUCN Red List status

Not Evaluated

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006074

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Known distribution is shown in green and predicted distribution is in yellow. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Proteles cristatus harrisoni

W. Rothschild, 1902

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

harrisoni

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1939.3604

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/35359fd6-556b-4053-b3d1-45edcfa44b1c https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/cc06362c-2895-439b-8900-09ffcd75dd36

Authority page

443

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3268646

Authority publication

Novitates Zoologicae

Name usages

  1. Lydekker (1908:455, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/18741675) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39820)
  2. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Proteles cristatus canescens

Shortridge & T. D. Carter, 1938

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

canescens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

KM (number not known)

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

285

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40891086

Authority publication

Annals of the South African Museum

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Proteles lalandii

I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1824

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

lalandii

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MNHN-ZM-2014-7

Type kind

syntypes

Type specimen URI

http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/zm/2014-7

Authority page

371

Authority publication

Mémoires du Muséum d'histoire naturelle

Name usages

  1. Lesson (1827:179, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207647) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  2. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Proteles cristata transvaalensis

A. Roberts, 1932

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

transvaalensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 1915

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

6

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Viverra hyaenoides

(H. R. Schinz, 1825)

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

hyaenoides

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

344

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51523761

Authority publication

Stuttgart

Proteles hyœnoïdes

Lesson, 1842

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

hyoenoides

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

38

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Lesson (1842:38) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)

Proteles cristatus

E. Blyth, 1863

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

cristatus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

44

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534672

Authority publication

Calcutta

Name usages

  1. Blyth (1863:44, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534672) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37155)
  2. Matschie (1895:62, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14835455) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67260)
  3. Lydekker (1908:454, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/18741674) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39820)
  4. Allen (1909:172) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/16003)
  5. Roberts (1913:102, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50439560) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17656)
  6. Coetzee (1971:35) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67173)
  7. Corbet & Hill (1980:103) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  8. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:276) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  9. Kingdon & Hoffman (2013:282) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/27643)
  10. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006074) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)

Proteles cristatus cristatus

Coetzee, 1971

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

cristatus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

35

Authority publication

Washington

Name usages

Coetzee (1971:35) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67173)

Proteles cristata

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

cristata

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:252) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)
  3. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #18372) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  4. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #18372) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  5. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18372/45195681) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Proteles cristata cristata

D. E. Wilson & Mittermeier, 2009

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

cristata

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

252

Authority publication

Barcelona

Name usages

Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:252) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Viverra cristata

(Sparrman, 1783)

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

cristatus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

581

Authority publication

book

viverra hyenoides

(A. G. Desmarest, 1822)

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

hyenoides

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

538

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/39521982

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Proteles Lalandei

Wagler, 1830

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

lalandei

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

30

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38965728

Authority publication

Munich

Proteles typicus

A. Smith, 1833

Family

Hyaenidae

Root name

typicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

96

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15968212

Authority publication

South African Quarterly Journal

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

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