The largest of the anteater species and member of their order – Pilosa, which they share with sloths. Their greyish or brown coat is long with black and white diagonal markings covering their shoulders. The fur is shaggy on the underside and coarse on the upper side. The tongue is sticky and extremely long, protruding from the mouth for more than 60cm (2 ft). It is the longest compared to other mammals with similar body sizes.
Since they are not immune to ant bites, they typically do not stay long at colonies of ants or termites and move on after feeding for a minute. These anteaters can eat a huge number of ants, up to 30,000-35,000 ants per day.
Distribution
Argentina
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
El Salvador
French Guiana
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
VenezuelaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
Giant anteater on banknotes
