In Makushi, the giant anteater is called ‘Tamnuwa’. When it’s early in the morning or late in the afternoon, these giant anteaters can be seen roaming the grasslands and forest looking for termite castles and ant hills, in the savannahs of the Rupununi. During the heat of the day, the anteater curls up in the cool shade of trees and bushes, pulls its tail over itself like a blanket and rests.
The giant anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Scientific name), is the largest species of anteater; it is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. The giant anteater is generally acknowledged to have a very keen sense of smell that is used to locate ants, but is thought to have poor sight and hearing – it’s sense of smell is 40 times more sensitive than that of humans. It stays mainly on dry ground but is a strong and capable swimmer; it can reach 7 feet long from the tip of its snout to the end of its tail.
Species of Anteaters
There are four extant species in three genera:
- Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
- Silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus)
- Northern (Tamandua mexicana)
- Southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla)
The giant anteater is also classified with sloths in the order Pilosa.
Tip:
The scientific name Myrmecophaga tridactyla in Greek means ‘three-fingered ant eater/ ant eater with three toes’. However, the anteater has five digits on each foot but the middle three digits of the forefeet have elongated claws.
The Giant Anteater has some distinct features:
Claws: These are extremely strong and are used to break open ant and termite mounds in order to feed, and provide effective defense against predators; in a few instances, a giant anteater has killed a puma or jaguar while defending itself against attack. The giant anteater walks on its knuckles in order to protect its claws, giving it a shuffling gait. Their wrist bones are adapted for knuckle-walking in much the same way as those of chimpanzees.
Tongue: They have no teeth but their long tongues are more than sufficient to lap up the 30,000 ants and termites they swallow each day. The anteater can cover its tongue in a sticky saliva, allowing it to trap ants, and can extend and withdraw it up to 160 times per minute. Before being swallowed, insects are crushed against the palate; the anteater’s stomach, similar to a bird’s gizzard, has hardened folds and uses strong contractions to grind up the insects.
Fur: Their long hair and thick skin protect them from the stings of the ants and termites they are raiding and the texture and pattern of their fur cleverly camouflage them in the long savannah grasses where they range. The coarse, dense fur that covers its body is mostly dark brown or black but it has white
forelegs with black bands around its wrists and a wide band of black fur stretches across its chest and all the way to the middle of its back. This stripe is bordered by a thin line of white, gray or light brown fur.
Did You Know?
The giant anteater has the longest tongue of any animal. It can extend 2 feet beyond its mouth.
Scientific Classification of the Giant Anteater
Giant Anteater – Myrmecophaga tridactyla [Scientific name]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Clade: Tetrapodomorpha
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Pilosa
- Family: Myrmecophagidae
- Genus: Myrmecophaga
Linnaeus, 1758 - Species: M. tridactyla
Diet of the Giant Anteater
This animal is an insectivore, feeding mostly on ants or termites, they track prey by their scent. After finding a nest, the animal tears it open with its long fore claws and inserts its long, sticky tongue to collect its prey. They are careful to only take a small number of insects from each nest to avoid overexploiting the food sources in their home range. To drink, an anteater may dig for water when no surface water is available, creating waterholes for other animals.
Other prey include beetles and western honey bees that have located their hives in termite mounds; they also consume larger insect larvae, worms and the occasional fruit. In captivity, anteaters are fed mixtures made of milk, eggs, mealworms, and ground beef.
Habitat of the Giant Anteater
While their territory includes swamps and humid forests, they are mostly seen in grasslands where their termite and ant prey are more readily available. They travel constantly in search of food and are native to Central and South America. Giant anteaters can be either diurnal or nocturnal; they typically rest in dense brush, but may use tall grass on cooler days. They carve a shallow cavity in the ground for resting. The animal sleeps curled up with its bushy tail folded over its body. The tail serves both to conserve body heat and as camouflage.
Behavior and Reproduction of the Giant Anteater
When threatened it does not flee, but stands up on its hind legs, using its tail to aid balance and sometimes strikes extremely rapidly with its claws or “hugs” attackers much like a bear.
During courtship, a male consorts with an estrous female, following and sniffing her. While mating, the female lies on her side as the male crouches over her. A couple may stay together for up to three days and mate several times during that period. Gestation lasts around 190 days and ends with the birth of a single pup; females give birth standing upright. The mother carries its dependent pup on its back. After three months, the pup begins to eat solid food and is fully weaned by ten months. Young anteaters usually become independent by nine or ten months and anteaters are sexually mature in 2.5 – 4 years.
Giant Anteaters in Guyana
It would be a sight for sore eyes to see a giant anteater; fortunately the people of Guyana have that great opportunity to see the giant anteaters first-hand. It is unique for its elongated snout, bushy tail, long fore claws, and distinctively colored pelage (fur). The next time you are in the savannahs of the Rupununi, keep an eye opened for the eye-catching giant anteater!
Article References:
- https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/06/12/the-giant-anteater-myrmecophaga-tridactyla/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_anteater
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/g/giant-anteater/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anteater
- https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/features/03/13/giant-anteater/
