20 Interesting Facts About Anteaters

1. There are four species of anteaters: giant anteater, southern tamandua, northern tamandua, and silky anteater.
2. Anteaters vary in size. They can be as large as 1.8 m long (giant anteater) and as small as only 35 cm in length (silky anteater).
3. Anteaters have one of the lowest body temperatures among mammals. The lowest-ever body temperature recorded for a placental mammal is 32.7 Celsius in giant anteaters.
4. Tamandua anteater has one of the worst smells in the animal kingdom. It helps the animal to avoid predators like jaguars and other cats. While facing danger, it can also release a very unpleasant odor through the gland at the base of its tail. (Source)
5. Giant anteaters have powerful claws, which they use to find their food and for defensive purpose. They can even kill a jaguar with their large and powerful claws. (Source)
6. Giant anteaters can also kill human beings. Few incidents of anteaters killing hunters with their claws have been recorded. (Source)
7. Anteaters use their long tongues to feed on ants and termites. The most prominent one is the tongue of the giant anteater, which is 24 inches in length. These anteaters also have long tails and snouts.

   

   Giant anteater has 24 inch long tongue
   
   

8. Apart from its length, the tongue of the anteater has several other significant features. These tongues are rounded and smooth from the front and bumpy from behind. There are conical tips on tongues of a few species. They can stretch a long way. (Source)
9. This tongue is favorable for eating small insects. These tongues can move very quickly, which assists them in eating around 20,000 insects (mainly ants and termites) daily. They can also eat fruits, eggs, and even ground beef. (Source)
10. Anteaters have poor eyesight and hearing, but compensate for this with an excellent sense of smell. They use their sense of smell, which is 40 times better than human smell, for most of their hunting. (Source)
11. Anteaters have been present on earth for at least 25 million years. They initially appeared in South America. Currently, they are present only in the Americas (North, Central, and South America).
12. Anteaters are solitary animals. They generally avoid humans, other animals, and even anteaters. They only meet with other anteaters of the opposite sex for mating. Their behavior is hostile even while mating.
13. Anteaters are among a few terrestrial mammals without teeth in their mouth. Even their closest relatives, sloths and armadillos, have molar teeth.
14. Apart from the giant anteater, all the other species of anteater have a prehensile tail (used to grasp objects).
15. Anteaters have specially designed stomachs that can grind large quantities of ants and termites. The stomach doesn’t produce HCL (present in other mammals). Instead, the animal relies on formic acid released by its prey (ants) for digestion.
16. Silky anteaters are the smallest among all extant species of anteaters. However, they have the largest skulls among anteaters.
17. Male anteaters are one of the few mammal species having their testicles inside their bodies. Other mammals with similar feature are elephants, manatees, etc.
18. Anteaters take just a few seconds to feed on a single mound. It helps them avoid stings from soldier ants and keeps the mound available for feed in the future.
19. The tail of a giant anteater acts as an insulator (keep them warm at night and cool during the day). It also performs the function of camouflage and hides them from predators. 
20. Females give birth to a single offspring per year. Mother giant anteater usually carries the child on its back.