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Anteaters are the four extant mammal species in the suborder Vermilingua [1] (meaning "worm tongue"), commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together with sloths, they are within the order Pilosa.
- Kate Horowitz
- Their tongues are ridiculous. They start at the anteater’s breastbone and can extend up to two feet long. Their tongues are also covered in backward-facing spines and super-sticky saliva for maximum bug collection.
- They’ve got no teeth. iStock. After sucking that absurd tongue back into its face, an anteater swallows its food whole. The bugs travel down into the anteater’s stomach, where super-strong muscles grind them up.
- Their legs look like panda faces. Getty Images. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it. This patterning is part of the giant anteater’s protective coloration.
- They’ve got fistfuls of knives. Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0. The paws of all four species are tipped with enormous, knifelike claws so long and sharp that the anteaters have to walk on their knuckles or wrists to avoid stabbing themselves.
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Quick Facts About Anteaters. All species have a long, narrow snout and long, wormlike tongue, as well as sharp claws on their forefeet. Giant anteaters are dark brown and black in color, with shaggy fur on the tail. Tamanduas are lighter in color with a distinctive black “vest” marking across their shoulders. Silky anteaters are a solid tan ...
27-41. kg lbs. Length. 1-1.3. 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.
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 it is the largest member. The only extant member of the genus Myrmecophaga, it is classified with sloths in the order Pilosa. This species is mostly terrestrial, in contrast to ...
Anteaters are toothless and—as their name suggests—insectivorous, meaning they eat insects. Their diet consists primarily of ants and termites, which they capture by breaking apart insect nests with their clawed toes and then sticking their long tongues inside. These mammals live across North, Central, and South America and inhabit tropical ...
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 ...
