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
From Universal Class, fun self-paced classes:
Finding Your Animal Teachers
Animals For Everyone: Mammals
Showing posts with label giant anteater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giant anteater. Show all posts
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Teachings of the Giant Anteater: Enjoy the Scenery
Giant Anteater: Enjoy the Scenery
The largest of all the Anteaters, Giant Anteater is a comical looking Animal with her long nose and hairy tail. Rare among Mammals, Giant Anteater has no teeth. Sniffing out Ants with her spectacular nose, Giant Anteater vacuums Them up. (Her long nose is a bone tube fused by her upper and lower jaws.)
Shuffling along on her knuckles to protect her sharp claws, Giant Anteater roams the swamps and open forests of South America in search of tasty Insects. Smelling a Termite mound, She digs into it dislodging the hapless Insects. Discovering a log, Giant Anteater tears into it for Ants. Her acute hearing also allows Her to hear the Insects as They escape.
Because Giant Anteater has the lowest body temperature of any land Mammal, She has to sleep fifteen hours a day. Finding an abandoned burrow, She curls up and sleeps. Her long brushy tail acts as a sunshade and blanket.
Giant Anteater asks us to take the time to enjoy the scenery. Leisurely roaming from place to place, She finds new smells and sounds to delight in. Lingering long enough to savor them, Giant Anteater moves on to the next adventure.
Wisdom of the Giant Anteater:
Take the Slow Road
Make Time for Leisure
Sniffing Out Good Things
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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008
From Universal Class, fun self-paced classes:
Finding Your Animal Teachers
Animals For Everyone: Mammals
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UCIrvine has as their mascot the Anteater.
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