The Anteater Family: Conservation

Anteater Family: Conservation

Solitary Mammals, Anteaters live in the grasslands, savannas, and tropical forests of Central and South America. The most well-known of Anteaters, Giant Anteater has a long, tubular snout and a long, thin tongue. Spending her day shuffling awkwardly along on her knuckles, She sniffs for Ants and Termites. Finding an ant hill, Giant Anteater catches them with her long tongue, rapidly flicking it in and out of an ant hill.

Cousins of Giant Anteater, Tamanduas partially live in trees. These smaller Anteaters move from tree limb to tree limb, capturing Ants with their tongues or with their sticky fingers. Unlike Giant Anteaters, Tamanduas are active at night.

The smallest of the Anteaters, Silky Anteater lives exclusively in the trees of the rainforest. Called “silky”, this Anteater resembles the seed pod of the silk-cotton tree. To hide from Jaguar and Harpy Eagle, He remains motionless on that tree.

Anteaters roam widely from termite nest to nest. Although one Anteater eats 35,000 insects a day, They eat lightly from each nest. Anteaters make sure that Insects on their feed route can replenish their numbers. This method provides a continual food source for Them. Learn how to conserve from these odd-looking Mammals.


Wisdom of the Anteater Family:
Being Strange and Wonderful
Getting Ride of Pests
The Wandering Life
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Science Note: Many animals that are called “anteaters” are not related to the Anteater family. Banded Anteater (Numbat) is a marsupial. Spiny Anteater (Echidna) is an egg-laying mammal. Scaly Anteater (Pangolin) is in a mammal family of itself.

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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008

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