The giant anteater inhabits several habitats including rainforests and grasslands primarily feeds on ants and termites. A population loss has been estimated based on local extinctions, habitat loss, and deaths caused by fires and road kills. Their range extends from southern Belize down to northern Argentina. These distinctive looking animals have been around for 25 million years and -- with enough habitat protection -- should continue to survive far into the future. Which Four Presidents Are On Mount Rushmore? Countries Where Illegal Wildlife Trade Is A Major Threat To Wildlife. Giant anteaters occur from Honduras in Central America, south through all of South America to the Gran Chaco region of Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. With a head-body length of 1–1.4 m, a tail of 60–90 cm and a weight of 22–45 kg, this is the largest anteater species. Both males and females are of the same color and size ranging from 40 to 51 inches in length including the tail. Learn More ». Learn More. Silky anteaters inhabit a broad range of forest types including mangrove, semi-deciduous and tropical evergreen forests at an elevation of 4,900 feet. The coarse, dense fur that covers its body is mostly dark brown or black but it has white forelegs with black bands around its wrists and a wide band of black fur … While their territory includes swamps and humid forests, they are mostly seen in grasslands where their termite and ant prey are more readily available. Its most characteristic features are the elongated head with a small, circular, toothless mouth; the small, rounded ears; and the long tail that is covered with long and brushy hair. Giant anteaters feed primarily on ants and termites. Occasionally, they also eat unusual items such as beetle larvae or honeybees that maintain their colonies in termite mounds. This species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The term anteater is a common name given to the four extant species of mammals of the suborder Vermilingua. This species is mostly terrestrial, in contrast to other living anteaters and sloths, which are arborealor semiarboreal. The giant anteater is the biggest of its family, 182 to 217 cm (5.97 to 7.12 ft) in length, with weights of 33 to 50 kg (73 to 110 … A single offspring is born after a pregnancy of around 6 months. Learn more, There are many ways you can protect rainforests, fight climate change, and help people and wildlife thrive. A characteristic triangular band enclosed by white lines extends from the chest and throat to the anteater’s back, and the white forelegs sometimes bear a black band or spots. In some parts of their range, giant anteaters are occasionally hunted for food, and are additionally caught in the wild to be kept as pets or for the illegal trade. The giant anteater has coarse hair which can be grey or brown in colour, with a white-banded black stripe running along the giant anteater's body.
This stripe is bordered by a thin line of white, gray or light brown fur. The term anteater is a common name given to the four extant species of mammals of the suborder Vermilingua.

The giant anteater has an elongated snout and a very bushy tail. Also known as Antbear, the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a huge insectivorous mammal species that is indigenous to South and Central America.

With a long extendable tongue covered in sticky saliva the animal, just like the other species of anteaters has adapted to its unusual diet of ants and termites. [They’re natural conservationists!]. Which Continent Is Situated In All Four Hemispheres?

The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), also known as the ant bear, is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. Link to IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessment. In a few instances, a giant anteater has killed a puma or jaguar while defending itself against attack. Giant anteaters are natural conservationists! By Joseph Kiprop on August 1 2017 in Environment.
The northern tamandua (Tamandua Mexicana) is a small anteater in the family of Myrmecophagidae of the tamandua species. The animal's fur is a pale yellow/tan color with a distinctive black fur resembling a vest over its back, shoulder, and sides. The coarse hair covering the body varies from light to dark gray or brown to grizzled. Encyclopedia of Rainforests. Animals are sometimes killed on roads or by dogs. of our income supported sustainability programs. How Much Of The Amazon Rainforest Is Left? The prehensile tail is hairless on its underside, and at the end, the fore feet have only four toes while the hind feet have five toes. Make your gift go further (and greener) with a monthly pledge, In 2019, 81% The mouth opening of the muzzle is small, but the salivary glands are large and secrete sticky The giant anteater is at risk of extinction due to habitat loss in large parts of its range, and  this is a significant threat to Central American populations in particular. Of the four different anteater species, the giant anteater is by far the largest. The giant anteater is the largest of four anteater species and can be five to seven feet long from nose to tail. The southern tamandua is found in regions with elevations of 5,200 feet inhabiting both wet and dry forests. In South America, this species seems to be extinct in Uruguay and in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. In the wild, giant anteaters consume mostly termites, ants, beetles, larger insect larvae, worms and the occasional fruit. They travel constantly in search of food, careful to only take a small number of insects from each nest to avoid overexploiting the food sources in their home range. The giant anteater also has a long, bushy tail which can be two to three … The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the giant anteater as vulnerable. Giant anteaters walk on their knuckles like some primates. However, such similarities have since been deduced to be of convergent evolution compared to common ancestry. The forefeet have four digits, with the second and third bearing long, powerful digging claws. The giant anteater has a narrow head, a long nose, small eyes and round ears. Giant anteaters have large front claws and powerful forelegs that allow them to break open termite mounds in a single swipe and make them a formidable opponent to predators. Adult northern tamandua weighs between 7.1 to 11.9 pounds. The giant anteater is recognized by its bushy tail, distinctively colored fur, elongated snout, and long fore claws. Connecticut: Oryx Press, 2002. Its tongue is an impressive two feet long, and half an inch wide. Because of the real threats to this species and the noticeable declines, a precautionary assessment of Vulnerable is given. However, each of the four individual species of anteaters comprises of names from other languages including English. It is covered with sticky saliva that helps it to pick up the insects that it eats, including termites and ants. Anteaters were once speculated to be related to pangolins and aardvarks due to the similarities of the physical characteristics of the two animal species. The giant anteater is considered the most threatened mammal of Central America; it seems to be extinct in Belize and Guatemala, and has disappeared from parts of Costa Rica.


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