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- The 2-foot-long tongue is attached to the sternum and can flick in and out up to 150 times per minute.
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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.
- 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.
But their long tongues are more than sufficient to lap up the 35,000 ants and termites they swallow whole each day. As the largest of all four anteater species, the giant anteater can reach...
The giant anteater is 182 to 217 cm (5 ft in to 7 ft in) in length, with weights of 33 to 50 kg (73 to 110 lb) for males and 27 to 47 kg (60 to 104 lb) for females. It is recognizable by its elongated snout, bushy tail, long fore claws, and distinctively colored pelage .
The Giant anteater is one of the two mammal species, not having any teeth, even in adult individuals. Compared to other mammals with similar body size, this anteater possesses the longest tongue, protruding out of its mouth for more than 60 cms (2 ft). The tail of the Giant anteater greatly helps the animal.
Head and body length measures 1,000 to 1,200 mm and tail length 650 to 900 mm. Weight ranges from 18 to 39 kg. Giant anteaters have fur that is thick and coarse and longer towards the tail. Their coat is brown with black and white stripes on the shoulders and a crest of hair along the middle of the back.
Jan 17, 2018 · Length: 182 to 217 cm (5.97 to7.12 ft.) Head Length: 30 cm (12 in) Tongue Length: Up to 60 cm (24 in) Weight: (Male) 33 to41 kg (73 to 90 lb.); (Female) 27 to 39 kg (60 to 86 lb.) Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
