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Feb 1, 2024 · There are no federal regulations governing the ownership of anteaters. But state and local laws and ordinances may ban you from owning them, or at least require you to have a permit. Always double-check the laws in your area before deciding to purchase an anteater as a pet.
- Can You Own A Pet Anteater?
- Anteater Behavior and Temperament
- Housing
- What Do Anteaters Eat & Drink?
- Common Health Problems
- House Training
- Purchasing Your Anteater
- Similar Pets to The Anteater
Legality
Anteaters are legal to own on a federal level, but specific state regulations can vary from place to place. Before purchasing a pet anteater, it's a good idea to check with state and local ordinancesin your area to determine whether owning one would be legal and whether you need a license.
Ethics
Like with all pets, it is important to determine if you have the means, time, and energy to care for an animal before purchasing. Anteaters need a detailed amount of care, and are often not a good pet choice for people who work full time out of the home or have young children to take care of.
Native to several countries in South America, lesser anteaters reside in trees and on forest floors. They visit many nests each day in search of insects including ants and termites. Lesser anteaters spend much of their time climbing, aided by prehensile tails, which help them move from branch to branch like a monkey. Although their sight is poor, a...
In the wild, lesser anteaters spend half of their time in trees, so when kept in captivity, they need ample climbing opportunities. Sturdy tree branches and mounted poles—offered both indoors and outdoors—must be strong enough to hold the weight of this animal. Provide them in varying diameters for the health of this animal's foot muscles (similar ...
Like most exotic pets, a proper diet is critical to the well-being of an anteater. Anteaters have acidic stomachs, high protein requirements, and no teeth. They need to eat a large volume of insects, almost 10,000 ants, and termites every single day—such a volume is difficult to obtain in captivity. Most zoos offer these mammals a high-protein inse...
You may have a difficult time finding an exotics vetthat is able and willing to care for your anteater, but it's vital that you locate one. Anteaters are prone to respiratory diseases, especially when their environment is too drafty or cold. Lack of humidity may also cause foot problems such as dangerously dry skin and cracked paw pads. Organ failu...
Anteaters are difficult to potty train, so be prepared for the constant scent of foul-smelling urine when housing one indoors. Some owners claim to have success training their anteaters to use pee pads. However, anteaters like to mark their territory—especially their bedding areas—effectively making training a moot point. Defecation usually occurs ...
Ranging in cost between $3,500 and $8,000, a pet anteater is suitable only for those with a robust budget. Building an enclosure and providing long-term care will more than double your purchase amount. The price of this unique mammal—and the fact that they aren't readily available—deters most exotic pet enthusiasts. Remember that anteaters need ver...
If you’re interested in anteaters, check out: 1. Sloth Species Profile 2. Coatimundi Species Profile 3. Kunekune Pig Species Profile Otherwise, check out other exotic animalsthat can be a pet.
Dec 8, 2023 · Anteaters require a specialized diet, primarily consisting of insects such as ants, termites, and other critters that live in the dirt. In addition to insects, many pet anteaters enjoy: Soft fruits. Vegetables To ensure a balanced diet, a combination of: Lean ground beef. Dry dog food.
- Anteaters Are of the Same Order, Xenarthra, as Armadillos. "This order also includes sloths and armadillos," says Melissa Ciccariello, zookeeper in charge of anteaters for Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, via an email interview.
- They Don't Have the Longest Tongue of Any Animal. 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.
- Anteaters Slip Their "Spaghetti-like" Tongue Into Ant Hills and Termite Mounds to Eat. "They use their claws to break open ant and termite mounds," says Ciccariello.
- An Anteater Will Eat up to 30,000 Ants or Termites a Day. "While anteaters will eat primarily ants and termites, it's not uncommon for them to enjoy fallen fruit," says Schwartz.
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A giant anteater's tongue is 2 feet long and can flick in and out of its mouth 150 times per minute. It's coated in sticky saliva, which allows anteaters to slurp up ants and termites. Research has found that giant anteaters can identify a particular species of ant or termite by smell before they rip apart a nest.
Learn about the amazing adaptations of anteaters and how they use their tongues to catch insects in this fascinating article.
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.
