Skip to main content
Close

Giant Anteater

Myrmecophaga tridactyla

Photo by James McNair
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

28.0836, -80.6081

Field Notes

Description:

Anteaters are edentate animals—they have no teeth. But their long tongues are more than sufficient to lap up the 35,000 ants and termites they swallow whole each day.

The anteater uses its sharp claws to tear an opening into an anthill and put its long snout and efficient tongue to work. But it has to eat quickly, flicking its tongue up to 160 times per minute. Ants fight back with painful stings, so an anteater may spend only a minute feasting on each mound. Anteaters never destroy a nest, preferring to return and feed again in the future.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giant-anteater/

Habitat:

Zoo

Notes:

My favorite animal

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment

Sign in to comment

Spotted for Missions

Photographed
PublishedOctober 8, 2014

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon