A long tongue

This incredible animal is a medium-sized mammal, related to sloths and armadillos. We are talking about the giant anteater. It is the largest among anteaters, reaching 2 meters in length and weighing about 40 kg. This species of anteater is distributed throughout Brazil, including the Amazon and likes fields with open vegetation.

These animals have a large tail, with thick and long hair — some around 30 cm long — in mixed shades of brown, being a form of camouflage in areas of dry vegetation and it is because of their tail that came the popular name in Brazil: “tamanduá bandeira” (which translates to “flag anteater”).

The giant anteater has an elongated snout and a toothless mouth. In addition, this animal has an incredible and powerful sense of smell that allows it to find food smelling from a long distance, even from under the ground. They use their sharp front claws to dig up ants and termites, which they catch with the help of a long (up to 60cm) and sticky tongue. They can eat up to 30,000 ants in a single day and this means that anteaters act to control insect populations.

After they are born, the puppies are carried by the females on their backs for 6 months of the first year of life. Therefore, the puppy looks like a backpack, and mixes with the mother’s coat, forming a camouflage that helps with the protection of the young anteater.

Although they are large and heavy, their immense claws allow them to climb trees. This defensive behavior is fundamental to protect themselves from some predators. They’re not aggressive, however, if they feel threatened they sit on their hind legs and attack with their immense claws and if it is necessary to run suddenly or swim, they can do so easily.