Giant Anteater
Conservation status
Near Threatened
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Superorder: Xenarthra Order: Pilosa Suborder: Vermilingua Family: Myrmecophagidae Genus: Myrmecophaga Linnaeus, 1758 Species: M. tridactyla
Binomial name
Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758

The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is found in Central and South America. It is the only species in the Myrmecophaga genus. Image File history File links Myresluger. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Near Threatened (NT) is an conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa which may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including milk producing sweat glands, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Orders and suborders Order Pilosa Suborder Vermilingua Suborder Folivora Order Cingulata See text for more details The superorder Xenarthra is a group of placental mammals (infraclass Eutheria), extant today only in the Americas. ... Families Bradypodidae Megalonychidae Cyclopedidae Myrmecophagidae The order Pilosa is a group of placental mammals, extant today only in the Americas. ... Families Cyclopedidae Myrmecophagidae Anteaters are the 4 mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua commonly known for eating ants and termites. ... Genera Myrmecophaga Tamandua Cyclopes Anteaters are mammals of the order Xenarthra and the family Myrmecophagidae, commonly known for eating ants and termites. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Year 1758 (MDCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... Families Cyclopedidae Myrmecophagidae Anteaters are the four mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua commonly known for eating ants and termites. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

It is a solitary animal, found in many habitats, including grasslands, deciduous forests and rainforests. It feeds mainly on ants and termites, sometimes up to 30,000 insects in a single day.

Subspecies

• Myrmecophaga tridactyla artata Osgood, 1912
• Myrmecophaga tridactyla centralis Lyon, 1906

Wilfred Hudson Osgood (December 8, 1875 - June 20, 1947) was an American zoologist. ...

Physiology

The Giant Anteater is one of only two taxa of mammals without any teeth even in a mature state (the Pangolins comprising the other). An ant eater instead crushes insects it consumes using hard growths found on the inside of its mouth, and its muscular stomach. Sand and small rocks have also been found in anteaters' stomachs, suggesting that these are ingested to aid digestion (possible gastroliths). Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ... Sexual maturity is the stage at which an organism can reproduce. ... Manis redirects here. ... Gastroliths (stomach stones or gizzard stones) are rocks, which are or have been held inside the digestive tract of an animal. ...

It grows to a size of 6 feet (1.8 m) to 8 feet (2.4 m) long, including a 3 foot (90 cm) to 4 foot (1.2 m) torso and tail. Generally it weighs from 65 (29 kg) to 140 pounds (65 kg).

The Giant Anteater is covered with stiff, straw-like hair which grows up to 40 cm long on the tail. Young have soft hair until they mature. The dominant colouring may be grey or brown, but all have a diagonal black and white shoulder stripe.

The Giant Anteater is generally acknowledged to have a keen sense of smell, used to locate ants, but is thought to have poor sight and hearing. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Despite its name, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, from the Greek meaning 'three-fingered ant eater', the anteater has five digits on each foot; however the middle three digits of the forefeet have elongated claws. These are extremely strong and are used to break open ant and termite mounds in order to feed, as well as effective defense from predators. The anteater walks on its knuckles in order to protect them, giving it a shuffling gait. The forefeet also have one other smaller claw, and the rear feet have five small claws.

The anteater's tongue can reach two feet (60 cm) in length, with a width of only 1/2 inch (12.5 mm). The anteater can cover its tongue in a sticky saliva, allowing it to trap ants, and can extend and withdraw it up to 150 times per minute. By convergent evolution pangolins, the giant anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, and the tube-lipped nectar bat all have tongues which are detached from their hyoid bone and extend past their pharynx deep into the thorax.^[1] This extension lies between the sternum and the trachea. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution is the process whereby organisms not closely related, independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. ... Manis redirects here. ... Binomial name Anoura fistulata Muchhala, 2005 The Tube-lipped Nectar Bat (Anoura fistulata) is a bat from Ecuador which was first described in 2005. ... The hyoid bone (Os Hyoideum; Lingual Bone) is a bone in the human neck, not articulated to any other bone; it is supported by the muscles of the neck and in turn supports the root of the tongue. ... The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the neck and throat situated immediately posterior to the mouth and nasal cavity, and cranial, or superior, to the esophagus, larynx, and trachea. ... Diagram of a tsetse fly, showing the head, thorax and abdomen The thorax is a division of an animals body that lies between the head and the abdomen. ... The sternum (from Greek στέρνον, sternon, chest) or breastbone is a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest). ... Windpipe redirects here. ...

The Giant Anteater does not sleep in any fixed place, instead curling up in abandoned burrows and hollows. It covers its body with its long, bushy tail to sleep.

It bears a single offspring after a gestation period of 190 days, which will stay near the mother until she becomes pregnant again. The baby spends much of the first part of its life riding on its mother's back, until it is nearly half her size.

In the wild, the Giant Anteater is nocturnal or active at night near human settlements and diurnal or active during the day elsewhere. It stays mainly on dry ground but is a strong and capable swimmer. A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... Diurnal may mean: in biology, a diurnal animal is an animal that is active in the daytime. ...

When threatened, it stands up on its hind legs, using its tail to aid balance, and may strike extremely rapidly with its claws or "hug" attackers much like a bear. An adult anteater is capable of fending off or even killing its main predators, big cats such as the jaguar and the cougar. For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Cougar (disambiguation) or Puma (disambiguation). ...

Giant anteater with offspring clinging to back.

The mating system of M. tridactyla is not known. Reproductive behavior is primarily observed in captivity. The male stands over the female, who lies on her side during copulation. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 3008 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Giant Anteater Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 3008 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Giant Anteater Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... A pair of lions copulating in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. ...

Gestation is approximately 190 days, after which females give birth to a single young that weighs about 2.8 lb(1.3 kg). Females give birth standing up and immediately the young anteater climbs onto her back. Young are born with a full coat of hair and adult-like markings. Breeding occurs year-round in captivity and the wild, though seasonal breeding times have been reported in portions of their range. Inter-birth intervals can be as low as nine months. Sexual maturity is reached between 2.5 and 4 years. The mammary glands are lateral to the 'armpits' on the chest. Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ... The term captivity is used to refer to the following meanings: the state of being confined to a space from which it is hard or impossible to escape; see imprisonment. ... Sexual maturity is the age/stage when an organism can reproduce. ... Mammary glands are milk-secreting adaptations of sweat glands and are the characteristic of mammals which gave the class its name. ...

• Breeding interval: Giant anteaters can breed as often as every 9 months, though it is often longer.
• Breeding season: Giant anteaters may breed year round, or seasonally depending on region.
• Number of offspring: 1 (average)
• Gestation period: 190 days (average)
• Time to weaning: 6 months (average)
• Time to independence: 24 months (average)
• Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2.50 to 4 years
• Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2.50 to 4 years

Communication and perception

Most communication occurs between young and their mothers or during fighting. It consists of snorts, sniffs, and hisses, as well as roaring during fights. Sight and hearing are diminished. Smell is highly developed-40 times that of humans.

Food habits

Giant anteaters eat ants, termites and soft-bodied grubs. Using the long, sharp claws on their forelimbs, they open insect colonies and tree trunks. They then use the tongue to collect the eggs, larvae, and adult insects. The salivary glands secrete sticky saliva during feeding that coats the tongue. They only stay at one ant colony for a short period of time because soldier ants arrive, but giant anteaters can consume a few thousand insects in minutes. The tongue is attached to the sternum and moves very quickly, flicking 150 times per minute. They sometimes eat fruit and eggs. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Families Mastotermitidae Kalotermitidae Termopsidae Hodotermitidae Rhinotermitidae Serritermitidae Termitidae Reference: Earthlife as of 2002-07-26 A termite (also known as a white ant) is any member of the order Isoptera, a group of social insects that eat wood and other cellulose-rich vegetable matter. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... Larvae are the plural of larva, juvenile form of animals with indirect development. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets... The salivary glands produce saliva, which keeps the mouth and other parts of the digestive system moist. ... For the band, see Saliva (band). ... The sternum (from Greek στέρνον, sternon, chest) or breastbone is a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest). ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ...

Threats

The jaguar (Panthera onca) and the cougar (Puma concolor) are known predators of giant anteaters. Anteaters use their immense front claws to defend themselves from predators, but their typical response to threat is to run away. Their size makes them invulnerable to all but the largest of predators, jaguars and pumas primarily. They are often killed by humans, either intentionally through hunting or unintentionally through collisions with cars. For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) Jaguars (Panthera onca) are large members of the cat family native to South and Central America. ... For other uses, see Cougar (disambiguation) or Puma (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) The puma (Puma concolor) is a type of large cat found in North, Central and South America. ...

In April 2007, an anteater at the Florencio Varela zoo in Argentina attacked Melisa Casco, a zookeeper, mauling her abdomen and legs with its sharp front claws. The 19-year old zookeeper was admitted to the hospital in critical condition, and later succumbed to her injuries.^[2]

Conservation status

Habitat destruction is the primary threat to giant anteaters. They are listed as Appendix II by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Appendix II is defined as a species not necessarily threatened to extinction but one that should be controlled in trade to avoid overuse. They are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). 'Vulnerable' is defined as an estimated population reduction of 20% in the next 10 years. Habitat destruction is a process of land use change in which one habitat-type is removed and replaced with another habitat-type. ... For other uses, see Extinction (disambiguation). ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

References

• Porini et al (2006). Myrmecophaga tridactyla. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened
• Louise H. Emmons and Francois Feer, 1997 - Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, A Field Guide.
• Gardner, Alfred (November 16, 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 102. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 

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Myrmecophaga tridactyla

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External links

• The Online Anteater: information, images, fun facts, and other stuff about the giant anteater
• ARKive - images and movies of the giant anteater.

Gallery

At Phoenix zoo Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 388 pixelsFull resolution (2880 × 1398 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Dictionary illustration Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). ...

In San Francisco ZOO