Feb
Anteaters are not a typical animal you think of when it comes to pets at home or in the wild. This is because of their unique features that are very different from other familiar animals. They are one of a kind and can be considered cute but fearsome at the same time. If you want to learn more about these interesting creatures, here are some facts you might find quite fascinating:
Where are anteaters found?
Anteater is a name for four species of mammals from the suborder Vermilingua commonly known as ‘ant-eaters’. Contrary to what some may believe, anteaters do not lay eggs.
They live in Central and South America. They feed on insects, annelids and other invertebrates they find by digging with their sharp claws into anthills or termite mounds.
Do anteaters have teeth?
Anteaters are toothless animals, but they have long sticky tongues.
How many ants can an anteater eat?
A large anteater can eat 30,000 ants in one day. Anteaters can also eat termites and other insect larvae. They find their food during the night, building a burrow close to ant or termite nests.
Do anteaters eat fire ants?
Yes they do. They eat ant larvae, pupae and adults. The anteater cannot sting you with its tail, but it can whip it very fast in the air to protect itself from any animal that may try to attack it.
Did you know that anteaters can eat dozens of ants at once, on their long sticky tongue? Their sharp claws help them burrow into the nests and dig out the insects. During one night an anteater can eat 30,000 ants! A hungry anteater also likes termites and other insect larvae it finds during its nocturnal hunting.
Pictures of Anteaters
Geo Zoo has a number of great pictures of anteaters in this gallery below:
Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga triductyla) Anteater, cute animal from Brazil. Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, animal with long tail and log muzzle nose
This is one of the best collections of Anteater pictures on the internet.
Are there anteaters in the United States?
Yes, there are. The North American anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) lives in southern Arizona and Mexico. It is larger than other anteaters, with a weight of 72 pounds (33 kg). Unlike the other species, it has claws on all four feet.
Do anteaters bite? Are they dangerous?
Anteaters can be very dangerous. Their long and sharp claws, as well as their tongue and tail are very dangerous if threatened or attacked by an enemy.
The Giant Anteater is the largest species of anteaters. It has a weight of about 110 pounds (50 kg). Its fur is tan with white spots on its sides.
