The anteater has no teeth. Instead, its large and sticky tongue, which can reach a length of up to about 24 inches, is used to capture and deliver food to its body. This tongue enables the animal to pull ants and other insects, such as termites, from their nests. 1)
The front limbs of the anteater are primarily for burrowing in the ground. They have 4 claws, and with 3 of them being extremely strong and very large. 2)
Anteaters live solitary lives for most of their lives and only pair up during the mating season. 3)
Pregnancy in these animals lasts about 180 days and ends with the birth of 1 young. 4)
A typical and very peculiar feature of the appearance of an anteater is its snout. It is very long in relation to the rest of the body, and also in comparison with other animals of this type. This snout also ends in a relatively small mouth opening. 5)
The body length of an anteater is 6-8 feet. 6)
The body weight of anteaters ranges from about 40 to 140 pounds. 7)
The anteater's main food is ants. They also eat insect larvae, fruit, and bird eggs. 8)
Anteaters live up to a maximum of 27 years. The average lifespan for females is about 11 years, and 15 years for males. 9)
Anteaters can be found in rainforest jungles, mixed forests, grassy plains, and steppes in Central and South America. 10)
Anteaters only attack when they have no way to escape. 11)
There are four species of anteaters the great anteater, the Mexican anteater (northern Tamandua), the four-toed anteater (southern Tamandua), and the silky anteater (dwarf anteater). 12)
An anteater can eat up to 35,000 ants in a day. 13)
An anteater has a 40 times better sense of smell than a human. 14)
Giant anteaters are the most endangered mammals in Central America. 15)
The largest relative of the great anteater is the dwarf sloth. They shared a common ancestor more than 55 million years ago. 16)