Animal Profiles
Mammals

Anteater

Myrmecophagidae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Anteaters are insect-eating mammals with elongated snouts. This account describes the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), a mostly ground-dwelling species of tropical America.

Myrmecophaga tridactyla (anteater)

Representative species: Myrmecophaga tridactyla.

Fernando Flores from Caracas, Venezuela · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
Giant anteaters inhabit parts of Central and South America. Grasslands, forests and wet areas provide feeding grounds, while secluded cover offers resting places.
Habitat
Grassland, Rainforest, Wetlands
Diet
Insectivore
Food
Ants, termites and soft-bodied insect larvae make up most meals.

Classification

Common name
Anteater
Browse group
Mammals
Scientific name or taxon
Myrmecophagidae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Pilosa
Family
Myrmecophagidae
Source classification
Mammalia

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • It has no teeth.
  • Its large foreclaws open insect colonies.
  • A sticky tongue gathers insects.

Habitat and range

Giant anteaters inhabit parts of Central and South America. Grasslands, forests and wet areas provide feeding grounds, while secluded cover offers resting places.

Appearance and adaptations

A narrow snout and bushy tail give this species a distinctive outline. Long foreclaws are folded out of the way when it walks.

Diet and behaviour

Ants, termites and soft-bodied insect larvae make up most meals. Usually solitary, it visits insect colonies briefly before moving on. Activity can shift with weather and human disturbance; it also swims readily.

Sources

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