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While the giant anteater's tongue is about 20 to 24 inches (51 to 61 centimeters) long, the blue whale has the largest tongue of any animal alive today, according to Schwartz. "Even in the category of tongue length in relation to body size, the anteater still doesn't win," he explains.
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- What's The Difference Between an Anteater and an Aardvark
Explore the fascinating world of anteaters and their remarkable tongues that stretch up to two feet! Discover how these long, sticky tongues are perfectly de...
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Learn about the amazing adaptations of anteaters and how they use their tongues to catch insects in this fascinating article.
- Physical characteristics
- Appearance
- Behavior
- Description
- Distribution and habitat
- Diet
- Reproduction
Giant anteaters have a long, distinctive snout with a 2-foot-long tongue and no teeth. They may have diminished senses of hearing and sight, but they have a highly developed sense of smell.
These anteaters are distinctively patterned in various shades of brown with wide, black stripes that run from their upper front legs toward their spine. Their front legs are white, and they have a bushy tail. They have no undercoats to provide warmth; instead they have bristly, short hair on their shoulders and longer hair on their legs and tail, w...
Giant anteaters protect their sharp front claws by tucking them into their palms and walking on their front knuckles. Their back feet and claws are more similar to bears (they only knuckle walk with their front feet). They walk in a slow, shuffling gait but when necessary can gallop at over 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour). They can also ...
The largest of the four anteater species, giant anteaters reach 6-8 feet (1.8-2.4 meters) in length, including both nose and tail. They weigh between 60 and 100 pounds (27 and 45 kilograms). However, it is nearly impossible to differentiate the adult male from the female using external anatomy alone.
Giant anteaters are found throughout Central and South America except for Guatemala, Uruguay and El Salvador, where they are considered to be extinct. They live in wetlands, grasslands and tropical forests.
Research has found that giant anteaters can identify the particular species of ant or termite by smell before they rip apart the prey's nest. When feeding, sticky saliva coats the tongue. The 2-foot-long tongue is attached to the sternum and can flick in and out up to 150 times per minute. Anteaters feed almost exclusively on ants and termites, who...
Giant anteaters reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years of age. Gestation lasts about 180 days (six months). They give birth to a single young and suckle the offspring from a pair of mammary glands located on the chest.
- Anteater Tongues Are Covered in Spines. Anteaters use their tongues as their primary tool for gathering food. These organs can be up to two feet in length and come covered in small, spiny protrusions and sticky saliva.
- They Have Knifelike Claws. Though they have four feet, only the forefront toes have claws on them. Interestingly, when walking, anteaters curl their feet into fistlike balls to keep the claws protected and prevent dulling.
- Anteaters Don't Just Eat Ants. The average giant anteater eats up to 30,000 ants and termites in a day. They use quick flicking motions to scoop and suck up their food, up to several hundred flicks per minute.
- Anteaters Have No Teeth. In scientific terms, an animal with no teeth at all is known as an edentate. Sloths and armadillos are edentates, as well. Their lack of teeth doesn't seem to pose any problems for anteaters, as their tongues and claws do all the work when it comes to foraging.
Anteaters have barbed tongues. An anteater’s tongue is covered in sharp barbs to help it grab its food. The tongue can flick in and out up to 150 times per minute, allowing it to grab large amounts of food. Conclusion. Anteaters are intriguing creatures native to Central and South America. They eat a variety of foods in addition to ants, can ...
Sep 14, 2023 · With a lengthened tongue that can extend up to two feet, anteaters have the remarkable ability to capture and consume large quantities of ants and termites. Their powerful front claws are ideal for digging into anthills and termite mounds with ease. Another interesting characteristic of the anteater is its long and bushy tail. While primarily ...
