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- In the summer of 2007, Maripi and Dante's first offspring was a female, Aurora, who now resides at the Zoo Parc de Beauval in France.
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Taxonomy. The giant anteater got its binomial name from Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Its generic name, Myrmecophaga, and specific name, tridactyla, are both Greek, meaning "anteater" and "three fingers", respectively. [6] Myrmecophaga jubata was used as a synonym.
M. tridactyla. Binomial name. Myrmecophaga tridactyla. Linnaeus, 1758. Giant anteater is the common name for the largest species of anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, characterized by a long, narrow, tapered snout without teeth, very long tongue, long and bushy tail, and five digits on each foot, including four with claws on the forefeet and ...
The giant anteater uses its sharp claws to tear an opening into an anthill and put its long snout, sticky saliva, and efficient tongue to work. But it has to eat quickly, flicking its tongue up to ...
m ft. The Giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteaters, of which is the largest member. The Giant anteater is mostly terrestrial, in contrast to other living anteaters and sloths.
Giant anteaters have the largest degree of rostral elongation relative to their size of any other ant-eating mammal. The tamanduas are medium-sized species smaller than the giant anteater, with a total body length of around 0.77–1.33 m (2.5–4.4 ft) and a mass of 3.2–7.0 kg (7.1–15.4 lb).
The anteater's narrow tongue is about 2 feet (60 centimeters) long and is shaped like a strand of spaghetti. This amazing tongue has teeny, backward-pointing spines covered in sticky saliva that aid in feeding. Relying on its acute sense of smell, the giant anteater detects an ant mound and swiftly rips into it with its sharp, formidable claws.
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.
