Pictures and facts about the Giant anteater

Myrmecophaga tridactyla posters

Giant anteater

Order : Xenarthra
Family : Myrmecophagidae
Species : Myrmecophaga tridactyla

The Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is the largest of the anteaters and lives Central and South America. Its diet consists mainly of ants and termites. Sometimes it feeds on up to 30,000 in a single day, moving from one anthill or temitehill to another. They do not have any teeth, even when reaching adulthood. The only mammals that has no teeth too, when mature, are the Pangolins. The middle three digits on their forefeet have longer claws, which they use to break open mounds of ants and termites. Actually they have five digits, despite their name 'tridactyla', which means 'three fingers' in Greek, the two outer digits are much smaller. The Giant anteater is the mammal with the longest tongue in relation to its body and can extend it as much as 150 times per minute and as long as 61 centimeters. They do not use their claws to digg burrows, yet they sleep in dense vegetation, abandoned burrows, or a hole in the ground. They are hunted on by jaguars and pumas, but their primary threat is habitat destruction. Giant anteaters are listed as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN.

Picture of the giant eater by Malene Thyssen, www.mtfoto.dk/malene/, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5

Facts about the giant anteater

Classification: Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Order Edentata, Family Myrmecophagidae, Genus Myrmecophaga, Species tridactyla Status: Giant anteaters are listed as vulnerable under CITES Appendix

The family Myrmecophagidae is the only family without them, and, actually, the giant anteater is the only one without them.

Description: The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a mammal, roughly the size of a german shephard dog. (Full text)

Hormiguero Gigante or Myrmecophaga tridactyla is listed on the IUCN Red list (1996) as Vulnerable due to A1cd. (Full text)

Tamanoir or Myrmecophaga tridactyla is listed on the IUCN Red list (1996) as Vulnerable due to A1cd. (Full text)

Giant Anteaters are not territorial, but will select home ranges in which they will live. (Full text)

The giant anteater is the largest of the three. (Full text)

shtml'); CallAdv(); CreateTd(9) GIANT ANTEATER The Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is rarely seen in the wild, unlike evidence of its activities, where it has ripped open red forest clay ­ using its powerful front claws ­ in search of food. (Full text)

html'); CallAdv(); CreateTd(4) GIANT ANTEATER The Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is rarely seen in the wild, unlike evidence of its activities, where it has ripped open red forest clay ­ using its powerful front claws ­ in search of food. (Full text)

The giant anteater is classified as Myrmecophaga tridactyla, the pygmy anteater as Cyclopes didactylus, and the lesser anteaters as Tamandua tetradactyla and Tamandua mexicana. (Full text)

Giant Anteater (Myrmecophagidae tridactyla) The giant anteater is a toothless mammal. (Full text)

With its long snout, bushy tail and solid limbs, the giant anteater - Myrmecophaga Tridactyla - is one of the most unusual looking mammals in existence. (Full text)

Printouts The Giant Anteater is the biggest species of anteater. (Full text)

In some areas, Giant Anteaters are becoming quite rare due to the trade in exotic pets, and the destruction of their habitats; in captivity they have lived for up to 14 years. (Full text)

Giant Anteaters are found from Belize to northern Argentina, including Iwokrama Forest and the Rupununi Savannahs. (Full text)

Wielding a host of decidedly unique body features, the giant anteater is easily one of the odder-looking animals known to roam the forests and savannas of Central and South America. (Full text)

Giant anteaters are part of the family Myrmecophagidae. (Full text)

One adaptation of the giant anteater is its hearing. (Full text)

Giant Anteater The giant anteater is a large, toothless creature. (Full text)

Giant anteaters are hunted in South America for their meat and for trophies. (Full text)

Palavras-chave: Tamanduá-bandeira, Myrmeco-phaga tridactyla, carrapato, Amblyomma calca-ratum, São Paulo ABSTRACT Ocurrence of Amblyomma calcaratum parasitizing giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is described in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. (Full text)

Giant anteaters are native to the swamps, grasslands and humid forests from Southern Belize to Northern Argentina, and are members of the last living group of animals to have evolved in South America when it was an isolated island continent. (Full text)

The giant anteater is a member of the Order Xenarthra, which also includes the armadillos and sloth. (Full text)

Giant anteaters are the prey of pumas and jaguars. (Full text)

The giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla is 1. (Full text)

The giant anteater is a curious South American mammal that feeds almost entirely on ants and termites. (Full text)