Anteater

Anteater is a common name for four living species: the giant anteater, northern and southern tamanduas, and the silky anteater. All share elongated snouts with toothless jaws and tongues that can flick in and out up to 150 times per minute. Sticky saliva and backward-facing barbs on the tongue capture insects, while powerful stomach acids grind prey along with sand swallowed during digging. Giant anteaters carry thick tails that act like blankets during cold nights on the savanna, whereas silky anteaters resemble small golden plush toys that coil into tree hollows.

Their limbs are equally specialized. Front feet possess large claws that can hook into termite mounds or rip apart rotten logs. To protect these claws, anteaters walk on their knuckles with wrists curled under, leaving distinctive footprints. When threatened, they rear up on hind legs, balance on their tail, and swing clawed forelimbs like boxing gloves. Despite their defensive pose, anteaters prefer to avoid conflict and rely on camouflage among tall grasses or vines.

Diet consists mainly of social insects. Rather than destroy an entire colony, anteaters feed briefly at each nest to allow insects to recover and to avoid aggressive soldier bites. Tamanduas spend much of their time in trees, raiding arboreal ant nests with prehensile tails for balance. Giant anteaters travel several kilometers per day, following scent trails to dozens of termite mounds that they revisit on rotation.

Females typically give birth to a single pup once a year. The baby clings to the mother’s back, its stripes aligning with hers so predators struggle to spot two separate bodies. After several months, the young begin to feed independently but may continue riding along during long walks between feeding sites. Lifespans vary from about seven years in the wild to more than two decades under human care.

Major threats include wildfires that race across grasslands, conversion of forests to soy or cattle ranches, and collisions with vehicles when anteaters cross highways at night. Conservationists patch together habitat corridors, rescue and rehabilitate fire-injured animals, and install road underpasses in key migration routes. Students can map ant diversity around schoolyards, build paper models showing how tongues roll up inside skulls, or participate in campaigns that discourage keeping anteaters as exotic pets. By protecting savannas, wetlands, and tropical forests, communities safeguard these quiet insect eaters and the ecosystems they balance.