Aardvark.
Even the name sounds kind of silly.Perhaps that's why this week has been designated National Aardvark Week, with the stated intent of promoting and enhancing the image of the aardvark.
Since when did aardvarks suffer from a poor image?
Well, some folks confuse aardvarks with anteaters, according to American Association of Aardvark Aficionados president Robert L. Bogart.
This shouldn't happen because aardvarks feed mainly on termites, not ants.
To bring the aardvark into proper perspective, Bogart holds a Miss Aardvark Contest. Contestants (humans, not aardvarks) send in a five-minute videotape answering general questions and doing their best aardvark call.
Bogart started the association in 1975 after he heard of a bunch of weird holidays and decided he wanted to make his own.
Before he knew it, the day took off, with the Philadelphia Zoo officials agreeing to let Bogart hold the Miss Aardvark contest at their aardvark exhibit and news organizations picking up the story across the country.
"The next thing we know, we had a holiday on our hands," he said. "It was kind of a practical joke which took off."
Nowadays, the organization has about 700 members worldwide. A $6 membership buys people an aardvark membership card and four issues of the aardvark newsletter, which explores such fields as other odd animal species (coming soon - yaks) and ecological issues.
Aardvarks are intriguing animals, if you're into that kind of thing.
Their name, from Dutch, translates to "earth pig."
And they just so happen to be the only living member of the Tubulidentata order. That means that aardvarks have "tube teeth" that continue to grow, Bogart said.
Aardvarks have a tongue that is 18 inches long, a useful tool in catching termites trying to wriggle away. The critters are about 4 feet long and have a piglike snout.