The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word AARDVARK
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
A
R
D
V
A
R
K
More clues leading to the result AARDVARK
- Ant-bear’s way to board a Bible rescue boat
- . Animal lover’s heart captured by motorists on road next to animal sanctuary
- Early dictionary entry shows RADA’s crappycraft
- RADA 5, surprisingly, aboard floating zoo with one of its occupants?
- The Bible describes way this vessel rescued animal
- Video ref in Dakar bust-up that’s typically seen in Africa
- First animal to be identified in Oxford?
- People called out to breakdown on road see mobile menagerie animal
- A sparse, essentially loveless Dvorak composition — hence his long face?
- ‘Arsh-sounding verb ‘to listen’still among Chambers’ top words!
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "animal" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case animal = aardvark.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does AARDVARK mean?
AARDVARK noun- The nocturnal, insectivorous, burrowing, mammal Orycteropus afer, of the order Tubulidentata, somewhat resembling a pig, common in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
- A silly or credulous person who is prone to mistakes or blunders.