A domestic anteater, a kind and quiet pet. Anteater animal. Habitat and characteristics of the anteater
A more unusual animal than ant-eater It's hard to imagine. Some believe this is a joke of nature. And in fact, he looks very exotic. The very first thing you notice when looking at an anteater is its long muzzle with a very small mouth. He also has a very long fluffy one, which from the outside looks like a broom. Interestingly, the length of the anteater's tongue can reach 60 cm. This is the longest tongue in the world!
There are only three types of anteaters: dwarf, giant, or four-toed.
They differ greatly from each other, primarily in size. The dwarf anteater is only 15-20 cm long and weighs about 400 grams. The giant anteater is simply huge, it can reach a length of 2 meters and weighs 30-35 kg, the tamandua is medium in size, approximately 50-60 cm in length and 3-4 kg in weight.
Anteaters belong to the order of edentates. This, in addition to them, also includes. These animals are completely different from each other.
The anteater can only be found in South and Central America.
Anteaters are nocturnal animals; during the day they sleep, curled up and covered. Small species climb trees and giant anteater sleeps right on open area on the ground. He has no one to fear. Sometimes they try to attack him big cats, but he boldly defends himself with his long claws (up to 10 cm). Small anteaters can be attacked by boa constrictors, owls, and jaguars, but they also defend themselves with the help of their claws, so catching them is not so easy. And tamadua also emits an unpleasant odor, for which it was nicknamed “forest stink” in its homeland.
Living vacuum cleaners
Anteaters are sometimes called “living vacuum cleaners.” In fact, they are always in search of food and, with their huge tongues, suck up small insects that get in their way. They walk with their heads down, turning over driftwood and stones along the way, in search of food. Their sense of smell is very acute. And other senses are poorly developed.
In nature, anteaters feed exclusively on small insects, destroy termite mounds and anthills and lick ants and termites with their sticky, powerful tongue. Separately, it is necessary to say about the language of anteaters. It is very long and powerful, and can move at great speed (up to 160 times per minute). But the anteater has no teeth, so it can only eat small insects. His stomach is very strong, it seems to grind food, making up for the lack of teeth.
Anteaters live alone, very rarely meeting each other. Their mating season occurs twice a year. But they do not have any courtship. The female always gives birth to one baby, which immediately climbs onto her back and is very for a long time spends with her. There are often cases when a mother anteater carries a baby on her back, almost the same size as herself.
Perhaps there are not many animals on earth as strange and unusual as the anteater. When you see this creature, the first thing that catches your eye is its long and narrow snout, like a tube, with small eyes and a very small mouth. But the huge claws, thick fur and long fluffy tail of the giant anteater are the envy of all animals.
The anteater belongs to the class of mammals of the anteater family, the order of edentates. The family includes 3 modern genera:
1) The genus Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga Linnaeus) is represented by the species Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).
The body length of this species is 1-1.9 m, weight 18–39 kg. The body is compressed from the sides, the neck is elongated, greatly expanding towards the base. The tail is long. The paws are five-toed, the front ones are longer than the hind ones.
In the photo, the giant anteater shows off its luxurious tail.
A giant member of the family inhabits South America east of the Andes, south to Argentina and Uruguay, as well as southern part Central America. Lives in various biotypes from swampy plains and pampas to tropical rainforests.
2) The genus of four-toed anteaters (Tamandua Gray) is represented by the species four-toed anteater, or tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla).
Body length 53–88 cm, weight 3.6–8.4 kg. On the forelimbs, 4 fingers are armed with long claws, on the hind limbs, all five fingers are armed with short claws. The tail is long, its tip is bare, and is capable of grasping tree branches.
In the photo there is a tamandua anteater: he is as comfortable in the trees as on the ground.
Tamandua lives in Central and South America to the north of Argentina and Uruguay. Distributed in various types forests, tries to stay in areas close to water with thickets of climbing plants. Can climb mountains up to 2000 m.
3) The genus Dwarf Anteater (Cyclopes Gray) is represented by the species Dwarf Anteater (Cyclopes didactylus).
Body length 15–20 cm, weight no more than 400 grams. The body is cylindrical. The limbs are five-fingered. Tail longer than body, with a wide base, grasping, at the end of the tail there is a bare area.
Anteaters are the only representatives of the Incomplete-edentates (Xenarthra), (which, along with them, includes the extinct glyptodonts) that do not have teeth.
The muzzle of the animals is disproportionately long; in the giant species, the head exceeds 30 cm. The mouth opening is very narrow. The tongue, narrow and round in cross-section, is very long: in the tamandua it extends to 40 cm, and in the giant anteater - up to 61 cm. In all species, the tongue is covered with small back-pointing spines and a thick layer of sticky saliva, which is secreted by large salivary glands.
The giant and dwarf species have the largest claws on the second and third toes, while the tamandua has the largest claws on the second, third and fourth. When moving, animals bend and tuck their fingers inward, avoiding contact of sharp claws with the ground.
Only the giant anteater can boast of long and elastic hair; other species have short hair.
Based on slight differences in coloration, giant anteaters are divided into three subspecies, and the Mexican tamandua into 5.
The main part of the fur of the giant species is colored silver-gray. Color variations depend on the size and intensity of the dark color of the "vest"; however, such coloring is inherent to all individuals to one degree or another.
Tamandua has a very wide variety of color variations. Animals in the northern part of their range have uniformly light skin, while in the southern part they have a pronounced dark “vest.” Differences between species are most pronounced at the boundaries of their ranges. In the northern regions, anteaters are uniformly golden in color or with a dark stripe on the back, but as they move south they become increasingly gray and with a darker stripe on the back.
Anteater diet
The diet of these mammals consists exclusively of social insects, primarily ants and termites, and such a diet requires adaptations not only of the chewing apparatus and digestive tract, but also of behavior, metabolic rate and mode of movement. The giant species eats large-sized ants and termites, the tamandua eats medium-sized ones, and the dwarf species specializes in the smallest. Tamandua, for example, usually eats up to 9 thousand ants per day, and the giant one can eat 30 thousand ants per day.
These animals are picky and avoid swallowing soldier ants, as well as ants and termites that have chemical defenses.
Anteaters usually do not drink, but are content with the water they receive with their food.
The method of food absorption is unique among mammals. Anteaters contract their chewing muscles in order to turn out the halves of the lower jaw, and thus open their mouth. The mouth is closed by the pterygoid muscles. The result is simplified and minimal jaw movement consistent with the inward and outward movement of the tongue. This technique allows for almost continuous swallowing and maximizes the rate of food consumption. These movements of the tongue are controlled by a special muscle that is attached to the base of the sternum.
Another one unique feature anteaters - lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which should help digestion. And it is replaced by formic acid from food.
All anteaters have low level metabolism, while the giant representatives of the family have the most low temperature bodies among placental mammals(32.7° C). The body temperature of the tamandua and the dwarf species is slightly higher.
Lifestyle of anteaters
All species lead a solitary lifestyle.
The giant anteater lives on the ground and feeds primarily during the day, although if disturbed by people it becomes nocturnal.
Tamandua can be active at any time of the day; it is equally at home both on the ground and in the trees.
The dwarf species leads a completely arboreal lifestyle and is active mainly at night.
All species can dig, climb and walk on the ground. However, the giant anteater rarely climbs, preferring to stay on the ground, while the dwarf anteater, on the contrary, is comfortable in trees and reluctantly descends to the ground.
Tamanduas make nests in tree hollows; giant ones dig small depressions in the ground in which they can rest for up to 15 hours a day. For camouflage, they cover their body with a huge shaggy tail. Pygmy anteaters usually sleep with their arms wrapped around a branch and their tail wrapped around their hind legs.
Individual sites of giant representatives of the family in places of abundance of food can be only 0.5 km2 in area. Such areas exist, for example, in tropical forests on Barro Colorado Island (Panama). But in places where there are not many ants and termites, one giant anteater may require up to 2.5 hectares.
The appearance of offspring
In the giant species and tamandua, the mating season is in the fall, and a single young is born in the spring. The baby is born mature and already has sharp claws. Using its claws, the little anteater climbs onto its mother's back almost immediately after birth. The cub feeds on milk for about six months, but can remain with its mother for another 1.5 years until it reaches sexual maturity.
Baby giant anteater - exact copies parents, and tamandua babies do not look very much like their parents; their color can vary from white to black.
In dwarf anteaters, mating occurs most often in the spring, sometimes in the fall. Both mother and father carry the young on themselves and feed them regurgitated, semi-digested ants.
Enemies
IN natural environment Only pumas and jaguars pose a danger to giant anteaters, but since our hero is able to stand up for himself, they usually prefer not to mess with them. When repelling an attack, the animals stand on their hind legs and desperately chop the enemy with claws reaching a length of 10 cm. They can even squeeze and crush the enemy.
Pygmy anteaters are less fortunate: in nature, even predator birds and boa constrictors. But these little ones also try to defend themselves: in case of danger, they stand on their hind legs in a protective stance, and hold their front paws with long claws in front of their muzzle. And tamanduas also use a strong odor secreted by the anal gland as additional protection.
Conservation in nature
Locals Anteaters are rarely hunted for meat; Tamandua skins are used in artisanal tanning, but only insignificantly. However, the giant anteater has disappeared from much of its historical range in Central America due to habitat destruction and human activity. In South America, anteaters are often hunted for trophies by animal traders. In some parts of Peru and Brazil they were completely exterminated.
Tamandua is also persecuted - it defends itself effectively, so they hunt it for sport with dogs. Tamanduas often die under the wheels of cars. However, the most serious threat to these animals is habitat loss and the destruction of the few insect species on which they can feed.
Anteaters are unusual animals with a rather strange appearance, significantly inferior in popularity to other animal species. There are only four species of anteaters: giant, four-toed, tamandua and dwarf, all of them are united in the family Anteater in the order Inferior. Accordingly, the only relatives of anteaters are armadillos and sloths, although outwardly these animals are completely different from each other.
Four-toed anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla).
The sizes of anteaters vary over a very wide range. Thus, the largest giant anteater is simply huge, its body length can reach 2 m, of which almost half is the tail, it weighs 30-35 kg. The tiniest dwarf anteater has a body length of only 16-20 cm and weighs about 400 g. Tamandua and four-toed anteater have a body length of 54-58 cm and weigh 3-5 kg.
The head of anteaters is relatively small, but the muzzle is very elongated, so its length can reach 20-30% of the body length. The muzzle of anteaters is very narrow, and the jaws are fused together so that the anteater practically cannot open its mouth. Essentially, the anteater's face resembles a pipe, at the end of which there are nostrils and a tiny mouth opening. On top of that, anteaters are completely devoid of teeth, but the long tongue stretches the entire length of the muzzle, and the muscles with which it is attached are unprecedentedly powerful - the muscles that control the tongue are attached to the sternum! The giant anteater's tongue is 60 cm long and is considered the longest of all land animals.
A baby giant anteater, sitting on its mother's back, stuck out its long tongue. In terms of flexibility and mobility, the tongue of anteaters can be compared to that of a snake.
The eyes and ears of anteaters are small, the neck is of medium length, but it seems shorter because it is not very flexible. The paws are strong and end in powerful claws. Only these claws, long and curved like hooks, remind us of the relationship of anteaters with sloths and armadillos. The tail of these animals is long, and in the giant anteater it is completely inflexible and is directed all the time parallel to the surface of the earth, while in other species it is muscular and tenacious; with its help the anteaters move through the trees. Wool tree species the anteater's is short, while the giant anteater's is long and very tough. The hair on the tail is especially long, which gives the giant anteater's tail a broom-like appearance. The color of the giant anteater is brown, the front legs are lighter in color (sometimes almost white), and a black stripe stretches from the chest to the back. The remaining species of anteaters are colored in contrasting yellowish-brown and white tones; the color of the tamandua looks especially bright.
Puffy paw pads are bright orange pygmy anteater(Cyclopes didactylus)
Anteaters, like other representatives of the order Incomplete-toothed, live exclusively in America. The largest range of giant and dwarf anteaters is found in Central and most of South America. Tamandua lives only in central South America - Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. The northernmost species is the four-toed anteater, whose range extends from Venezuela north to Mexico inclusive. The giant anteater inhabits grassy plains (pampas), while other species are closely associated with trees and therefore live in sparse forests. The rhythm of life of these animals is unhurried. Most Over time, they walk on the ground in search of food, along the way turning over stones, snags, and stumps along the way. Because of their long claws, anteaters cannot rest on the entire plane of their paws, so they place them slightly obliquely, and sometimes rest on the back of the hand. All types of anteaters (except the giant one) easily climb trees, clinging with clawed paws and holding on with a tenacious tail. In the crowns they examine the bark in search of insects.
These animals are more active at night. Anteaters go to sleep, curled up and covering themselves with their tails, and small species try to choose more secluded places, and a giant anteater can sleep without hesitation in the middle of a bare plain - this giant has no one to fear. In general, anteaters are not very smart (the intelligence of all edentates is poorly developed), but nevertheless, in captivity they like to play with each other, starting clumsy fights. In nature, anteaters live alone and rarely meet each other.
The giant anteaters at the zoo were having a friendly romp.
Anteaters feed exclusively on insects and not all of them, but only the smallest species - ants and termites. This selectivity is due to the lack of teeth: since the anteater cannot chew food, it swallows insects whole, and in the stomach they are digested by very aggressive gastric juice. In order for food to be digested faster, it must be small enough, so large insects anteaters don't eat. However, the anteater makes the work of its stomach easier by partially grinding or crushing insects against the hard palate at the moment of swallowing. Since anteaters' food is small, they are forced to absorb it in large quantities, so they are in a constant search. Anteaters move like living vacuum cleaners, tilting their heads to the ground and continuously sniffing out and drawing everything edible into their mouths (their sense of smell is very acute). Possessing disproportionately great strength, they noisily overturn snags, and if they encounter a termite mound on their way, they cause real destruction in it. With powerful claws, anteaters destroy the termite mound and quickly lick termites from the surface. During the feast, the anteater's tongue moves at tremendous speed (up to 160 times per minute!), which is why it has such powerful muscles. Insects stick to the tongue thanks to sticky saliva, salivary glands also reach enormous sizes and are attached to the sternum, like the tongue.
A pair of giant anteaters explore the area in search of food.
Mating in giant anteaters occurs twice a year - in spring and autumn, other species mate more often in autumn. Since anteaters live alone, there is rarely more than one male near one female, which is why marriage rituals these animals do not. The male finds the female by smell; anteaters are silent and do not give special calling signals. Pregnancy lasts from 3-4 (for the dwarf) to 6 months (for the giant anteater). The female, standing, gives birth to one calf, rather small and naked, which independently climbs onto her back. From that moment on, she carries it on herself all the time, and the cub tenaciously clings to her back with its clawed paws. At the giant anteater little cub It is generally difficult to detect because it is buried in the mother's coarse fur. Tamandua females often, while feeding on a tree, place the baby on some branch; after completing all her work, the mother takes the baby and goes down. Baby anteaters spend time with their mother long time: for the first month they are inseparably on her back, then they begin to descend to the ground, but remain associated with the female for up to two years! It is not uncommon to see a female anteater carrying a “baby” almost equal in size to her on her back. Different species reach sexual maturity at 1-2 years. Giant anteaters live up to 15 years, tamanduas - up to 9.
A female giant anteater with a baby on her back.
In nature, anteaters have few enemies. In general, only jaguars dare to attack large giant anteaters, but this animal has a weapon against predators - claws up to 10 cm long. In case of danger, the anteater falls on its back and begins to clumsily swing all four paws. The external absurdity of this behavior is deceptive; the anteater can cause severe wounds. Small species are more vulnerable; in addition to jaguars, large boas and eagles can attack them, but these animals also defend themselves with the help of their claws. In addition to turning over on their back, they can sit on their tail and fight off with their paws, and the pygmy anteater does the same thing while hanging on its tail from a tree branch. And tamandua also uses an unpleasant odor as an additional protection, for which local residents even nicknamed it “forest stink.”
Tamandua (Tamandua mexicana) in a defensive pose.
All species of anteaters are low-fertile by nature and are very dependent on specific food sources, so these animals have difficulty restoring their numbers in places where they are exterminated. Local residents have always hunted these animals for meat, so the giant anteater is already listed in the Red Book as endangered. However, the greatest danger to them is not hunters, but the destruction of natural habitats. Anteaters are also not often seen in zoos, perhaps due to the low public interest in the little-known animal. At the same time, keeping these animals in captivity turned out to be surprisingly easy. Gourmet anteaters in captivity easily switch to food that is unusual for them - they happily eat not only insects, but also minced meat, berries, fruits, and especially love... milk.
A zookeeper feeds termites to an anteater from a special container.
The uniqueness of the animal world never ceases to amaze. One of the most amazing animals is ant-eater.
The anteater belongs to the family of mammals, the order of edentates. This is how dryly it is written about him in encyclopedic sources. This is an interesting animal, to which our perception is still unusual. Its habitat is forests and savannas of the South and Central.
The anteater prefers the night to be active, and during the day it sleeps, covering itself with its tail and curling up into a ball. Anteaters of small species climb trees to avoid falling into the clutches of predators, while large or giant anteaters settle directly on the ground. He is not afraid of attack, because he can easily defend himself with powerful paws with claws that reach 10 cm.
Appearance This animal is very peculiar. Powerful paws, a small, elongated head, small eyes, ears are also small, but the muzzle is long, ending in a tiny mouth with no teeth.
The anteater has no teeth, but nature has provided it with a powerful and long tongue that exceeds the size of the tongues of a giraffe and even an elephant. The tongue is narrow - no more than a centimeter, anteater tongue length- 60 centimeters, which is almost half of the animal’s entire body (without the tail). The end of the tongue grows from the sternum. Moreover, the salivary glands moisten the tongue and give it incredible stickiness.
And this powerful organ moves at the greatest speed - up to 160 times per minute. Horny bristles, which cover the entire palate of the animal, help it scrape insects off its tongue.
The stomach is muscular, processes food with the help of small pebbles and sand, which the anteater specially swallows. The tongue is sticky, sticky, and all the small insects that the anteater hunts instantly stick to it.
And the main menu of this beast is ants and termites. However, anteater animal not capricious. In the absence of anthills and termite mounds, it easily absorbs larvae, centipedes, worms, and even just berries, which it picks off not with its tongue, but with its lips.
Anteaters are mainly divided into three types:
- Large anteater (giant) - the length of its body reaches 130 cm,
– Medium (tamandua) – from 65-75 cm,
— Dwarf (silk) – up to 50 cm.
Large giant anteater
This is the most big representative all anteaters. Its tail alone reaches a length of at least a meter. Its front paws are equipped with four toes with terrifying claws. It is because of the claws that the anteater has such a gait - it has to rely only on the outer side of the wrist, and tuck its claws.
Therefore, the anteater runner is quite weak. It is easier for an anteater to engage in a fight than to flee. To intimidate the enemy, the animal takes a “stand” - stands on its hind legs and threateningly raises its front legs forward. With its clawed paws it is capable of causing serious injuries.
The giant's fur is very hard and varies in length on all parts of the body. It is too short on the head, longer on the body, and reaches 45 cm on the tail. Great anteater lives only in South America. He is attracted to deserted places, where he is active at any time of the day, but when in the vicinity of a person he tries to leave the shelter only at night.
The huge, clawed paws of the anteater help it break through termite mounds and rake anthills, which it feeds on. Anteaters have two mating seasons - in spring and autumn, after which the female gives birth to one cub weighing 1.5 - 1.7 kg. She carries it for about six months, but little anteaters become independent only after two years. All this time they are with their mother.
Average anteater - tamandua
Tamandua is a special genus of anteater because it has 4 toes on its forelimbs and five on its hind limbs. He prefers to live in trees, because his length barely reaches 60 cm, with a tail - 100 cm.
It is half the size of its giant relative, although it is very similar to it, differing only in its tail. Its tail is thick and strong, facilitating tree climbing. The coat color of the southeastern tamandua is usually white-yellow, with a black back (as if wearing a T-shirt), a black muzzle and rings around the eyes.
The cubs are completely white and yellow in color; only by the end of the second year do they begin to acquire the color of an adult animal. And representatives of the north-west have a monochromatic color - gray-white, black or brown.
This anteater settles in the same countries where the giant one, but its range is slightly larger, reaching Peru. Prefers wooded areas, in bushes and even on the edges. It can be found both on the ground and in trees, where it climbs to sleep.
When laying down to sleep, it hooks its tail onto a branch, curls up into a ball and covers its muzzle with its paws. Tamandua feeds on ants, mostly those that live on trees. It is curious that when excited, this animal emits a very unpleasant, strong odor.
Pygmy anteater (silk)
This anteater is the complete opposite of its larger brother. Its body length is only 40 cm including tail. This animal also has a long muzzle and a strong, strong tail - after all, it has to live in trees all the time. Its fur is golden and silky, which is why the dwarf anteater was nicknamed silk.
Despite its small size, this animal is a worthy “fighter”; it meets its enemies with a fighting stance and attacks with its front, clawed paws. And yet, he has enough enemies, so the animal only leads night look life and does not descend to earth.
Pairs are formed only for the period of mating and raising offspring. After the first few days that the cub spends in the hollow, he is transferred to the back of his father or mother.
Both male and female raise the young with equal care. These interesting representatives anteaters different types both similar and different from each other. An anteater like a nambat is very curious, or marsupial anteater.
Marsupial anteater and its features
The marsupial anteater belongs to the order of predatory marsupials. He lives in. Animals from Western Australia have black stripes on their backs, and the inhabitants Eastern Australia have a more uniform color. This is a small animal, whose length does not exceed 27 cm, and its weight does not exceed 550 grams. the muzzle is elongated, pointed, the tongue is long and thin.
But, unlike other anteaters, they have teeth. Moreover, this animal is one of the most toothy predators on earth - it has up to 52 teeth. True, he cannot boast of the quality of his teeth - his teeth are small, weak, and asymmetrical. The eyes and ears are large, paws with sharp claws.
Interestingly, “marsupial” is not quite the correct name. The nambat does not have a pouch, and the cubs, of which the female brings 2 or 4, attach their mouths to the nipples and hang there. This is an amazing feature that no other animal can boast of.
Anteater as a pet
This animal is so interesting that many lovers of the unusual keep it at home. As a rule, tamanduas are started. Anteaters are very smart, their owners manage to teach their pets some commands, they even manage to open the refrigerator themselves.
And, of course, you shouldn’t upset them at all, otherwise the pet will be forced to defend itself. To prevent his claws from being so dangerous, it is recommended to trim them twice a week.
It is known that Salvador Dali, after reading Andre Breton’s poem “After the Giant Anteater,” became so interested in the anteater that he even kept one in his home.
He walked him on the streets of Paris on a golden leash and even went with his pet to social events. Anteater Dali considered a romantic animal. Anteaters are extraordinary animals. It is very sad that their numbers are only decreasing every year.
Order edentulous- Ordo Edentata
Anteater family- Familia Myrmecophagidae
Genus giant anteaters- genus myrmecophaga
- Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 (VI, 179)
Why is it listed in the Red Book?
The giant anteater may soon be endangered; the species' numbers are declining. Currently, in Argentina, wherever there are human settlements, they have disappeared.
In the north of the country they are rare; in Brazil are rare in the Amazon, national park Canastras are common in the east of the country; still common in a number of places in Paraguay (1970), rare in Peru, disappeared from many places; apparently no longer found in Guatemala, although they are reported on the Pacific coast between San José and the border with El Salvador; in Guiana (Fr.) and Costa Rica they are rare;
They are endangered in Bolivia. In Colombia, according to 1970 data, they disappeared from a number of places and are endangered along the Caribbean coast; elsewhere it may soon be endangered. It is not known whether the giant anteater ever lived in Uruguay, but in 1971 it was not discovered in that country.
There is no data available for Guatemala and by 1950 it appears to have disappeared, and if it survived, it was probably only in the area between San José and the border with El Salvador. Disappeared in El Salvador. By 1978 it was endangered in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
The decline in the number of anteaters is associated with hunting and changes in the animals’ habitat by humans. In Guiana (Fr.) and Brazil they are protected by law.
Where does it live?
Distributed from Guatemala, Venezuela and Guyana to Peru, Northern Argentina and Southern Brazil. Range of M. t. tridactyla ranges from Venezuela and Guyana to Peru, Paraguay, southern Brazil and northern Argentina. M. t. artata is found in Colombia and western Venezuela.
To the north it is replaced by M. t. centralis, which runs from Belize south along Caribbean coast to Colombia and along the Pacific coast to Guatemala. In Peru, the range is confined to the Amazon region.
How to find out
The sizes are the largest in the family. Body length 100-120 cm. Tail length 60-90 cm. Weight 18-25 kg. The body is compressed laterally. The head is strongly elongated in the facial region, which has a tube-like shape.
On the forelimbs, the second and third toes are very large with powerful claws; the fifth toe is absent. The hairline is high (low on the head), thick, but coarse.
Long hairs (up to 40 cm long) form high ridges on the ventral and dorsal sides of the tail. A ridge of elongated hair also runs along the middle of the back.
The coloring is gray, and the diagonal stripe running along the body from the chest to the sacrum is black with a white border.
The hind limbs, tail and belly are blackish. There are two nipples in the thoracic area. The tongue can extend up to 61 cm; its diameter at its thickest point is 10-15 mm.
Lifestyle and biology
Inhabits swampy areas rain forests and savannas. Terrestrial inhabitants. They stay alone. They are active mainly at night, but can also be found during the day.
They feed on ants and termites, which they catch with their tongues. Pregnancy 190 days. There is 1 cub in the litter. Life expectancy in captivity is 14 years.
In the squad partial teeth three families: anteaters Myrmecophagidae, sloths Bradypodidae and armadillos Dasypodidae. Some representatives of the named families are included in IUCN Red List c d Convention on international trade. In the family anteaters three kinds. One of them: the giant anteater Myrmecophaga is included in the IUCN Red List and the Convention on International Trade, and the tamandua genus Tamandua is only in the Convention on International Trade (Tamandua tetradactyla chapadensis is included in Appendix II). Sort of giant anteaters one species: the giant anteater M. tridactyla, which is included in the IUCN Red List and Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade.