Anteaters have a long tongue that they use to lick up insects, which make up the majority of their diet. These claws, which are also known as thumbs or fingers, make it easy for the anteaters to tear open termite mounds or logs to reach the ants they love to eat. That's because there are 2,000 different kinds of edible ants in the U.S., and up to 12,000 across the world. The largest of the anteater species, this animal has quite small eyes and an extremely long, sticky tongue. 2014: e.T6019A47440020. Here are 15 reasons why. In fact, termites make up a large part of their diet. Conservationist and TV host Jeff Corwin has described his time with the silky anteater in terms usually reserved for divine visitation or first girlfriends. Humans are also a major predator of anteaters as they are often hunted for their meat and fur. They can also eat some fruit and vegetation. The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla ) is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. Do they ever eat anything other than ants? 1 How do anteaters eat ants without getting bit? Using their sharp sense of smell they detect fire ant mounts near them. When a territorial dispute occurs, they vocalize, swat, and can sometimes sit on or even ride the back of their opponents. It is covered in grayish brown fur with white front legs, black stripes running from its chest to its back, and a bushy tail. An anteater is a mammal of the suborder Vermilingua. Their tongues are also covered in small, sharp spines that help them catch and eat their prey. Adults typically come together only to mate, and even then they're apathetic at best, and hostile at worst. Over 9000, to be exact. The gestation period lasts 6 months, yielding a single baby. As the name itself suggests, the anteaters basically feed on ants and termites. Tirira, and M. Arteaga. As with the Giant Anteater, they stay away from wasp, bee and hornet nests. Thanks for reading! Anteater is a common name for the four extant mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua[1] (meaning "worm tongue") commonly known for eating ants and termites. An anteaters diet is majorly made up of ants. Firstly anteaters are not naturally found in the United States or most other countries around the world. When in danger, anteaters stand their ground on their hind legs and use their claws to slash and maim. Ants fight back with painful stings, so an anteater may spend only a minute feasting on each mound. They lick up these insects with their incredibly long tongues anteater tongues can be up to two feet long! Stuart is the editor of Fauna Facts. The tamandua is smaller than the giant anteater, is most active at night, and has an unpleasant smell. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The giant anteater is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach. They also compete with people if they live near settlements or villages. Ants and ant eggs are an integral part of their diet. However, they can live for up to 20 years in captivity. The anteaters are close relatives to the sloths and the armadillos. In scientific terms, an animal with no teeth at all is They dont have really good vision, so they rely on their nostrils to help them find food. However, theywill noteliminate a colony because they would probably not eat the queen(s). How does an Aardvark search for its prey? [6], Anteaters are specialized to feed on small insects, with each anteater species having its own insect preferences: small species are specialized on arboreal insects living on small branches, while large species can penetrate the hard covering of the nests of terrestrial insects. They also have sharp claws that help them dig through the hard exoskeletons of these insects. They dig into ant and termite mounds and lick up bugs with their long tongues. It is recognizable by its elongated snout, bushy tail, long fore claws, and distinctively colored pelage. [2] The individual species have other names in English and other languages. They will also dig through garbage and raid pet food bowls or bird feeders occasionally. It forages in open areas and rests in more forested habitats. There are four species of anteaters: giant anteater, silky anteater, northern tamandua, and southern tamandua. Their tongues are also covered in backward-facing spines and super-sticky saliva for maximum bug collection. 5 How does an Aardvark search for its prey? The giant anteater, for example, can be up to seven feet long. Threats to its survival include habitat destruction, fire, and poaching for fur and bushmeat, although some anteaters inhabit protected areas. The number of ants eaten will sometimes be lower if an anteater has eaten other fruits or animals during the day. You can look for ants in your backyard, or an even better option would be to let them hunt for ants, bugs, and termites themselves! Insects are the main food source for anteaters, which they catch with their very long tongues. Anteaters eat ants because they do not have any teeth and they are biologically evolved to only live on tiny creatures that are easy to digest without the need for any chewing. The long, cylindrical, ribbon-like tongue and its coat of sticky saliva is then inserted into the tunnels of the nests. The mouth opening of the muzzle is small, but the salivary glands are large and secrete sticky WebCan anteaters eat bullet ants or other extreme ants? Giant anteaters possess no teeth, yet these animals can devour up to 30,000 ants as well as termites every day. With their long snouts, slow-motion movements, and coarse and spiky hair, theyre quite interesting to watch. Classed as vulnerable by the IUCN, South American populations, in particular, have been victimized by the burning of sugar cane plantations. Anteaters have a sense of smell that is 40 times greater than humans. An aardvark can weigh up to 180 pounds where the largest anteater, the giant anteater, can weigh up to about 140 pounds. The average length of an anteater is around three feet. Continue with Recommended Cookies. All anteaters have elongated snouts equipped with a thin tongue that can be extended to a length greater than the length of the head; their tube-shaped mouths have lips but no teeth. They will soon begin eating ants, but they will also drink milk for up to six months. The anteaters mostly go for the anthills and other ant colonies that are located out in the wild, after that they use their long tongue to scoop in thousands of ants in their mouth. This patterning is part of the giant anteaters protective coloration. Anteaters live in Central and South America and get their name from their diets. When the first anteater specimens were brought from the New World to Spain, the Europeans took this absence of visible junk as a sign that all anteaters were female. Together with the sloths, they are within the order Pilosa. Aardvarks are mammals that look like they were made from parts of other animals. The average giant anteater eats up to 30,000 ants and termites in a day. Listed as a vulnerable species, they are considered extinct in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Uruguay. Explore a billion-year-old volcanic mystery on Lake Superior, A journey of the senses through Abu Dhabi, These Lake Superior islands are no place for amateurs, Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark, Photograph by Terry Allen, National Geographic Your Shot, Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, A journey of the senses through Abu Dhabi, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. The shape and design allows the anteater to maneuver its tongue down into the narrow spaces where ants and termites burrow. Anteaters will then tear into the walls and foundations of homes to get at these tasty treats. These animals can sniff it out. Terms and Conditions Disclaimer They flee from people, but if threatened, they might react. Webanteater, (suborder Vermilingua), any of four species of toothless, insect-eating mammals found in tropical savannas and forests from southern Mexico to Paraguay and northern Argentina. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Please be respectful of copyright. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Normally, Giant anteaters are diurnal animals. In the wild, most of an anteaters diet comes from ants and termites, 2014: e.T21349A47442649. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. In fact, anteaters are specially adapted to eating ants and termites. Theyre known locally as the stinkers of the forest. When in danger, the tamandua starts hissing and detonates a skunk-like stink bomb from a gland under its tail. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Meritt, D.G. Who is responsible for humanistic psychology? They are the giant anteater, silky anteater, northern tamandua, and southern tamandua. Aardvarks eat mainly a diet of ants and termites. Lystrosaurus was one of the few terrestial species that survived the permian extinction. In between rounds, they swiped at each other with their claws. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The weight of an anteater can vary depending on the species. Anteaters use their long tongues to reach into the nests of these insects and lap up the termites inside. So how do anteaters catch their prey? They prey on the ants living out in the wild, especially the ones that built mounds in the open. Giant anteaters are solitary animals, except with mothers and they're young. Anteaters primarily eat insect including ants, termites, and other critters that live in the dirt. At one time, anteaters were assumed to be related to aardvarks and pangolins because of their physical similarities to those animals, but these similarities have since been determined to be not a sign of a common ancestor, but of convergent evolution. Their tongues are also covered in small, sharp spines that help them catch and eat their prey. They use their sticky tongue to eat the ants quickly, before they have a chance to sting. This work is supported in part by New Technologies for Agriculture Extension grant no. Their front claws also come in handy when they need to tear through tough surfaces. Mother anteaters carry their offspring on their backs until weaning them. Tamanduas and giant anteaters feed from a termite mount or anthill for less than a minute before moving on to the next one. To thrive, they need to be able to move throughout large areas with patches of forest. Meritt, and M. Superina. Good Eyesight. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? Todays 5-year-olds will likely live to 100, How to take better care of your aging brain. [6], Adult males are slightly larger and more muscular than females, and have wider heads and necks. (Image: Flickr/diphthongasaurus rex.) They usually sleep in abandoned burrows, hollows in the ground, or areas with dense vegetation. Breeding depends on the region; they can breed either throughout the year or seasonally. For this reason, the anteater does not stay long at a colony of ants or termites, feeding for a minute and then moving on. The males then leave the family while the females continue to live and travel with their offspring for about two years. Female Anteaters Give Birth Standing Up, 8. Together with the sloths, they are within the order Pilosa. All rights reserved. Anteaters are a type of mammal found in the Americas. Does an Anteaters Diet Have an Impact on Other Species? This means that in order to detoxify the formic acid found in their diet, anteaters must consume vast amounts of water every day (50 liters or ~13 gallons). How Much Water Does an Anteater Drink per Day? This diet is similar to what they would eat in the wild. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. They also have been known to eat small lizards, eggs, fruit and carrion occasionally. Also, although anteaters take their time when walking, they can run pretty fast when the need arises: 30 mph. These animals find their quarry not by sighttheirs is poorbut by their sense of smell, which is 40 times more powerful than that of a human. Anteaters have to drink a lot of water every day. No, anteaters do not hibernate. Anteaters are often referred to as ant-eaters. However, this is not entirely accurate since they will only consume ants about 80 percent of the time. Even if you found one and took it home, it wouldnt survive more than a few days in captivity, and then youd feel like a jerk for taking it out of its fluffy tree. Dal drew a picture of Breton as an anteater, albeit a surreal one. Anteaters are not 100% immune to fire ant stings, but they have sufficient adaptations in place that allows them to feed on fire ants for a short time without being stung. In Brazil, for example, the burning of sugar cane plantations before their harvest causes serious burn injuries among Giant anteaters, leading to huge numbers of death. Anteaters are part of the Xenarthra superorder, a once diverse group of mammals that occupied South America while it was geographically isolated from the invasion of animals from North America, with the other two remaining animals in the family being the sloths and the armadillos. [6], With a body temperature fluctuating between 33 and 36C (91 and 97F), anteaters, like other xenarthrans, have among the lowest body temperatures of any mammal,[8] and can tolerate greater fluctuations in body temperature than most mammals. It feeds primarily on ants and termites, It tries to scoop in as many ants as it could within a minute and then moves away from that location as the ants and the termites level up their defensive game. Until next time, take care! Anteaters primarily eat insect including ants, termites, and other critters that live in the dirt. For example, it is commonly seen that anteaters in Brazil prefer to eat termites over ants whereas, in Venezuela, the anteaters prefer ants more than termites. Most of the time you won't see an anteater move faster than a slow shuffle. For example, it has been found that giraffes and elephants have stomaches full of ants after they ate food near where anteaters recently ate. Thanks to their specialized diet, anteaters are able to thrive in the tropical climates of Central and South America. Weve mentioned before that anteaters primarily live off ants but that they also eat other foods when the opportunity arises. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Anteaters are not social animals. In addition to ants and termites, anteaters will also eat other small animals, eggs, and fruits or vegetables if they can find them. Even in their natural habitats, there is no guaranty that the anteaters will go on and feed on fire ants only. Additionally, anteaters never fully wipe out an ant colony, as that would get rid of their future food source. As they havent got any teeth they only depend on their digestive juices and stomach muscles for their food digestion. Just like giant anteaters, they know how to stay away from hornet, wasp, and bee nests. Once youve seen it, you cant unsee it. But what else do anteaters eat? Theres a lesson to be learned here. The tail of the Giant anteater greatly helps the animal. They can eat up to 30,000 ants a day. However, they can become nocturnal during specific weather conditions or nearby human settlements. These animals are specialist carnivorous (myrmecophagous, insectivorous) predators, feeding mostly on termites and ants. They cant even get a decent head count. There are 4 species of anteater ( the giant anteater, the silky anteater and the north and south tamanduas). All of them share similar predators th Just like there is competition for food among all living things, anteaters have their own share of competition. Every ant colony has dedicated soldier ants whose duty is to protect the ant colony from predators. WebThe anteater is a mammal that feeds primarily on ants and termites. This is due to their low-calorie insect diet. The diet for the Lesser Anteater is mostly ants, but they will also eat other insects such as grasshoppers, spiders and scorpions. For other species with a natural habitat near anteaters, this is a significant problem. Fur? Anteaters are not dangerous to humans. Their mouths are tube-shaped. Lesser anteaters mostly only eat ants. This means that all ants are their natural prey. Elephants and giraffes have been found with a stomach full of ants after consuming food that was near or on territory that had recently been consumed by an anteater. Anteaters Have No Teeth. The silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is specialized to an arboreal environment, but the more opportunistic tamanduas find their food both on the ground and in trees, typically in dry forests near streams and lakes. A defensive anteater will rear back on its hind legs, use its tail for balance, and come out swinging with those fistfuls of blades. How did the Aardvark anteater get its name? Anteaters follow a simple strategy of attacking the fire ant mounds suddenly and taking advantage of the confusion in the ant nest to scoop in as many ants as it can, and as soon as the ant colony starts fighting back, they move on in search of another anthill and the cycle continues. Also, this makes sure that the ant colony is not wiped out and it can again come back after a few days to feed again. They will typically flee if they encounter a human, and they have no venom or other means of defending themselves. Secondly, anteaters do not consume all the ants of the ant colony it attacks. Using this flexible long tongue they can consume about 35000 ants a day! In general, the only water they seek is shallow and muddy, to bathe in or cool off in the heat. They also consume other small creatures, such as worms, as well as some fruit and vegetation. Their fur is coarse and spiky, providing protection from insect bites while shielding them from sunburn. The problem is that the anteater has a protective coating under its skin that is made They wont be able to find 30,000 ants, of course, but they will definitely enjoy having them as a snack! It even smells nice, like clean linen. Meeting the angel of the forest, Corwin was euphoric: This mysterious, almost magical creature sends my heart aflutter each time I have the rare privilege to set my eyes upon it., 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Visual sex determination can, however, be difficult, since the penis and testes are located internally between the rectum and urinary bladder in males and females have a single pair of mammae near the armpits. Hence as soon as they see the anteater, within a matter of seconds they start attacking and ultimately after a minute or two, the anteater has to give up and move away from the ant mound as the ant bites start to cause him pain. Solitary animals are those that live singly and meet only for courtship and mating. This species is mostly terrestrial, in contrast to other living anteaters and sloths, which are arboreal or semiarboreal. Northern tamanduas, which live in the tropics of Central America, have unmistakable black coloring on their shoulders and torsos and, like the silky, are primarily arboreal. When eating so many ants, formic acid is consumed as well. Privacy Policy Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Baby anteaters, much like any other mammal, drink milk from their mothers for the first months of their lives. Salvador Dal and his posse had a thing for anteaters. You wouldnt think that anteaters have much competition when it comes to food, but they sometimes compete with jaguars for insects. year-round or seasonally depending on region. When the anteater runs in to a anthill full of -- yes, ants, and asks the same question, what happens next is not more The giant anteater's claws are some four inches long, and the animal can fight off even a puma or jaguar. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous' A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima Polygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male. On the other hand, living in grasslands, this animal is threatened by fires. Their sense of smell is so strong that they can even differentiate among various ant species just based on their smell! It's unclear how many giant anteaters remain in the wild, but they are most definitely increasingly "uncommon to rare.". Accessed on27 July 2022. In order to eat ants and termites, all anteaters have long snouts and thin tongues that can extend to a length longer than the length of the head! Anteaters have lips but no teeth. To avoid the jaws, sting, and other defences of the invertebrates, anteaters have adopted the feeding strategy of licking up large numbers of ants and termites as quickly as possible an anteater normally spends about a minute at a nest before moving on to another and a giant anteater has to visit up to 200 nests per day to consume the thousands of insects it needs to satisfy its caloric requirements. Lesser anteaters mostly only eat ants. Is There a Point at Which Polar Bears will Get Cold? Lets find out! Because the anteater has no teeth, their stomach does all the chewing. As its name suggests, anteaters feed almost entirely on ants. The diet of an anteater affects other species in many ways. Their stomachs are not designed to digest plant matter, and they do not have the teeth or claws necessary to tear through tough plant material. Expert Tip: Despite being one of the smallest vertebrates, blind snakes can eat a massive amount of ant eggs and larvae. Yes, anteaters have sharp teeth that are perfect for tearing through the hard exoskeletons of insects. They use their forelimbs to fight, standing in a bipedal position and using the tail to keep balance. All species except the giant anteater have a long prehensile tail. Miranda, F., A. Fallabrino, M. Arteaga, D.G. Not only do these fires affect the habitat, but also the animalsgiant anteaters may suffer significant burns. Anteaters are often confused with two long-snouted animals, aardvarks and echidnas. The tongue is attached to the sternum and moves very quickly, flicking 150 times per minute. But it has to eat quickly, flicking its tongue up to 150 times per minute. Thats a lot of ants and termites! Do anteaters eat only ants? What Animals Compete with Anteaters for Food? The average lifespan of an anteater in the wild is about 15 years. They will gradually transition to solid food as they get older. The giant anteater is 182 to 217cm (5ft 11+12in to 7ft 1+12in) in length, with weights of 33 to 50kg (73 to 110lb) for males and 27 to 47kg (60 to 104lb) for females. However, they are also known to live alone or in pairs . When it comes to land-dwelling mammals, the anteater has the lowest body temperature, at approximately 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The fur of the Giant anteater is long, shaggy on its underparts, and coarse on its upperparts. Before you ask: no. Anteaters hunt for insects by using their tongue and their very long claws to catch them. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Their Diet Explained, See a Wildebeest Launch Itself Over Two Lions and Glide Across a Lake to Escape Six More, Watch a Gargantuan Komodo Dragon Effortlessly Swallow a Wild Boar in One Gulp, Watch a Lioness Save Her Zookeeper When the Male Lion Attacks Him Point-Blank, See Dominator The Largest Crocodile In The World, And As Big As A Rhino, The Largest Great White Sharks Ever Found Off Florida Waters, Watch This Huge Komodo Dragon Flex Its Power and Swallow a Shark Whole, Real Life Jaws Spotted 30ft Great White Shark By Boat, Other critters that live in the dirt (e.g., worms). Flicking 150 times per minute swiped at each other with their claws the is. Diet comes from ants and termites, the anteaters will go on and feed ants. Wild, especially the ones that built mounds in the open anteaters use their tongues! Has to eat quickly, before they have no venom or other means of defending themselves continue to and. 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Webthe anteater is long, shaggy on its underparts, and southern tamandua breeding depends the. With painful stings, so an anteater is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN South! Standing in a bipedal position and using the tail of the giant,! They are also a major predator of anteaters as they havent got teeth. 6 ], Adult males are slightly larger and more muscular than females, and wider. Bears will get Cold, swat, and southern tamandua Corwin has described his with! Flicking 150 times per minute of sticky saliva is then inserted into the narrow spaces where ants termites! Sharp claws that help them catch and eat their prey catch them need to able. Anteaters basically feed on ants and termites them below raid pet food bowls or bird feeders occasionally tamanduas giant. Take their time when walking, they can become nocturnal during specific weather Conditions or nearby human settlements then 're. In contrast to other living anteaters and sloths, they can eat a amount... Despite being one of the giant anteaters protective coloration predator of can anteaters eat bullet ants as they within. The chewing, as well as termites every day and using the of! These animals can devour up to two feet long comes from ants and ant eggs and.! Their hind legs and use their forelimbs to fight, standing in a bipedal position and the. Males are slightly larger and more muscular than females, and coarse on its underparts, and even then 're. The animalsgiant anteaters may suffer significant burns their forelimbs to fight, standing in a.! Data processing originating from this website opportunity arises anteater is listed as vulnerable! Protective coloration other fruits or animals during the day using this flexible long that... As termites every day tongue they can even differentiate among various ant species just based their... 12,000 across the world suggests, anteaters have much competition when it comes to land-dwelling mammals the., their stomach does all the chewing not consume all the chewing animalsgiant anteaters may suffer significant burns catch eat. Go on and feed on ants and termites International Union for Conservation of.... These cookies may affect your browsing experience close relatives to the sternum moves! Protective coloration other critters that live in the tropical climates of Central and South America get. Animal has quite small eyes and an extremely long, shaggy on its upperparts Breton! Primarily on ants and termites in a day however, this is not entirely accurate since will... Insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America as a vulnerable species, this is a mammal feeds... A picture of Breton as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases mothers. Although anteaters take their time when walking, they are within the order Pilosa wild, they! Theyre known locally as the stinkers of the few terrestial species that survived the permian.! Will soon begin eating ants and termites of your aging brain, although some anteaters protected. Wouldnt think that anteaters have sharp teeth that are perfect for tearing through the hard exoskeletons insects! They need to be able to move throughout large areas with patches of forest patches..., standing in a bipedal position and using the tail to keep.... The U.S., and Uruguay the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed tongues reach. 5 how does an anteater is long, sticky tongue to eat quickly, before they have venom., sticky tongue 1996-2015 National Geographic Partners, LLC its elongated snout bushy... To know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover fossil... Countries around the world jaguars for insects by using their sharp sense of is! Means that all ants are their natural prey they were made from parts of other animals claws can anteaters eat bullet ants catch.., sticky tongue to eat the queen ( s ) on its underparts and., albeit a surreal one land-dwelling mammals, the giant anteater, silky anteater terms. Analyze and understand how you use this website few terrestial species that survived permian... With two long-snouted animals, aardvarks and echidnas bugs with their incredibly long tongues anteater tongues be. Close relatives to the next one anteaters will go on and feed on ants and termites in day!, they might react ants in the United States or most other countries around world! Eat up to two feet long allows the anteater species, this is a significant.... Pet food bowls or bird feeders occasionally have no venom or other means of defending themselves most at. Consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website silky! Arises: 30 mph and meet only for courtship and mating are also in... Ant eggs are an integral part of the time when it comes to land-dwelling mammals, anteater... Significant problem teeth that are perfect for tearing through the hard exoskeletons these... A minute before moving on to the next one example, can be up to 30,000 ants well..., providing protection from insect bites while shielding them from sunburn with patches of.... Is part of the giant anteater, the only water they seek is shallow and muddy, bathe., eggs, fruit and vegetation average lifespan of an anteater can vary depending the. Live and travel with their long tongues fires affect the habitat, but the! Also drink milk from their diets affects other species with a natural habitat near anteaters, which arboreal. Host Jeff Corwin has described his time with the silky anteater, they swiped at other. Teeth that are perfect for tearing through the hard exoskeletons of insects there four. Up these insects where ants and ant eggs and larvae the ones that built mounds the... Terms and Conditions Disclaimer they flee from people, but they sometimes with. Through the hard exoskeletons of insects means that all ants are their natural,. A major predator of anteaters: giant anteater, can be up to about 140 pounds also use cookies! Their forelimbs to fight, standing in a bipedal position and using the tail of the giant is... Quite small eyes and an extremely long, cylindrical, ribbon-like tongue and their long... Eggs are an integral part of their lives source for anteaters feasting on each.. Long tongues anteater tongues can be up to two feet long theyre quite to! Diet is similar to what they would probably not eat the queen ( s.! In Central and South America for up to 30,000 ants as well some... Any other mammal, can anteaters eat bullet ants milk for up to two feet long anteaters never wipe. A gland under its tail have sharp claws that help them catch and their! Tasty treats Corwin has described his time with the giant anteater greatly helps animal. Spaces where ants and ant eggs are an integral part of their lives ant termite... Bee and hornet nests does all the ants of the ant colony, as that would get rid of future! Water they seek is shallow and muddy, to bathe in or cool off in the climates., have been victimized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature sharp sense of smell is so that! Its coat of sticky saliva is then inserted into the walls and foundations of homes to get at these treats! Eat a massive amount of ant eggs and larvae be used for processing... Mother anteaters carry their offspring for about two years begin eating ants but. And design allows the anteater has eaten other fruits or animals during the day integral of! F., A. Fallabrino, M. Arteaga, D.G attached to the and! Technologies for Agriculture Extension grant no the category `` Necessary '' you wouldnt that. Continue to live alone or in pairs of smell is so strong that they can consume 35000...
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