A defensive anteater will rear back on its hind legs, use its tail for balance, and come out swinging with those fistfuls of blades. Baby anteaters, much like any other mammal, drink milk from their mothers for the first months of their lives. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. This means that all ants are their natural prey. Does an Anteaters Diet Have an Impact on Other Species? Over 9000, to be exact. They will soon begin eating ants, but they will also drink milk for up to six months. These little creampuffs are arboreal, spending their entire lives high up in the trees. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Aardvarks also dig to get food. They flee from people, but if threatened, they might react. [6], Adult males are slightly larger and more muscular than females, and have wider heads and necks. When it's time to give birth, females deliver in an upright position, using their tail for support. Privacy Policy Second, silky anteaters need to live in the wild. However, they are known to eat the larvae of bees and wasps. For example, the giant anteater mostly eats ants and termites. By licking up insects with their Not only do these fires affect the habitat, but also the animalsgiant anteaters may suffer significant burns. They dont have really good vision, so they rely on their nostrils to help them find food. Giant Anteater on The IUCN Red List site -, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_anteater, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/14224/0. But their long tongues are more than sufficient to lap up the 35,000 ants and termites they swallow whole each day. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The bugs travel down into the anteaters stomach, where super-strong muscles grind them up. The tongue is attached to the sternum and moves very quickly, flicking 150 times per minute. Normally, Giant anteaters are diurnal animals. Humans are one of their main predators as they are often hunted for their meat and fur. Thus, when alarmed, they give out bellowing call. Anteaters have been known to supplement their diets with soft fruits such as mango and papaya, should they stumble across any. Within seconds they can break down an entire anthill and quickly flap their long spaghetti-like tongue into the nest. Anteaters have a sense of smell that is 40 times greater than humans. Anteaters are edentate animalsthey have no teeth. Yes, anteaters have several predators including jaguars, pumas, and ocelots. They dont live in the same parts of the world, and evidence shows that given the choice, anteaters prefer other small insects like termites over fire ants. The main diet for the Giant Anteater is ants and termites. The anteater's stomach, similar to a bird's gizzard, has hardened folds and uses strong contractions to grind the insects, a digestive process assisted by small amounts of ingested sand and dirt.[6]. Anteaters have been known to tear into houses walls and foundations to find ants and termites. They cant even get a decent head count. They start at the anteaters breastbone and can extend up to two feet long. Do they prefer one type above another? Who created it? Southern tamanduas range south to Uruguay (giant anteaters did also until their recent extirpation there) and the ranges of all species except the northern tamandua overlap in eastern Brazil. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach. What characteristics allow plants to survive in the desert? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Theyre known locally as the stinkers of the forest. When in danger, the tamandua starts hissing and detonates a skunk-like stink bomb from a gland under its tail. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. The anteaters are close relatives to the sloths and the armadillos. Although Mango-eater doesnt quite have the same ring to it as Anteater. Other animals living close to anteaters are also affected. Anteaters tend to go after less bitey prey. You can look for ants in your backyard, or an even better option would be to let them hunt for ants, bugs, and termites themselves! Explore a billion-year-old volcanic mystery on Lake Superior, A journey of the senses through Abu Dhabi, These Lake Superior islands are no place for amateurs, Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark, Photograph by Terry Allen, National Geographic Your Shot, Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, A journey of the senses through Abu Dhabi, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. On the other hand, living in grasslands, this animal is threatened by fires. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. How did the Aardvark anteater get its name? This means that in order to detoxify the formic acid found in their diet, anteaters must consume vast amounts of water every day (50 liters or ~13 gallons). Armadillos also make unsightly holes in lawns and are considered pests themselves. The aardvarks name comes from the Afrikaans/Dutch language and means earth pig, according to National Geographic. They can also be found in some parts of Mexico and Brazil. The timing of activity by an animal depends A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. As a result, homeowners may need to take steps to protect their homes and property from these hungry animals. What is wind chill, and how does it affect your body? The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. The problem is that the anteater has a protective coating under its skin that is made Mammals known for eating ants and termites, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anteater&oldid=1135431315, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopdia Britannica, Articles needing additional references from February 2012, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 January 2023, at 16:53. But what else do anteaters eat? All anteaters have elongated snouts equipped with a thin tongue that can be extended to a length greater than the length of the head; their tube-shaped mouths have lips but no teeth. Anteaters use their claws in self-defense and for tearing down ant mounds. Southern tamanduas can be found in places like Venezuela, Trinidad, and Uruguay. As with the Giant Anteater, they stay away from wasp, bee and hornet nests. How do anteaters eat ants without getting bit? The giant anteater is found in multiple habitats, including grassland and rainforest. While eating, they also ingest small stones and other detritus, which helps them digest their food by crushing them. Anteaters are not aggressive, but they can be fierce. Anteaters use their long, sharp claws to dig through the hard exoskeletons of insects. In his book Living on the Edge: Amazing Relationships in the Natural World, Corwin rhapsodizes about the anteaters angelic face Its dense pelage is as soft as cashmere and has the color of golden honey. Yes, anteaters will also eat other small animals, eggs, and fruits or vegetables if they can find them. Disclaimer: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Anthills and termite mounds are no match for the anteater, which grabs its food with rapid-fire flicks of the tongue, devouring hundreds at a time. Its daily energy intake from food is only slightly greater than its energy need for daily activities, and anteaters probably coordinate their body temperatures so they keep cool during periods of rest, and heat up during foraging. Under the Vermilingua suborder, there are four distinct types of anteaters. The diet for the Lesser Anteater is mostly ants, but they will also eat other insects such as grasshoppers, spiders and scorpions. Lets find out! "Giant anteaters are hunted for food throughout their distribution, and are additionally hunted as a pest, for pets, or for illegal trade in some parts of their range," the IUCN says. An anteater is a mammal of the suborder Vermilingua. They are native to Central and South America but can also be found in Mexico and Brazil. When it comes to land-dwelling mammals, the anteater has the lowest body temperature, at approximately 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, baby anteaters drink milk from their mothers breasts. [6], With a body temperature fluctuating between 33 and 36C (91 and 97F), anteaters, like other xenarthrans, have among the lowest body temperatures of any mammal,[8] and can tolerate greater fluctuations in body temperature than most mammals. In addition to fatalities and injuries by fire, they are also killed by cars and dogs. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Continuing this line of rigorous inquiry, they decided that the anteaters must mate through their noses. No, anteaters do not eat grass. The average weight of an anteater is around 50 pounds. Even in their natural habitats, there is no guaranty that the anteaters will go on and feed on fire ants only. Their stomachs are not designed to digest plant matter, and they do not have the teeth or claws necessary to tear through tough plant material. All these make the ants the perfect food for anteaters and the best thing about consuming ants is that they are available in huge numbers almost everywhere in the world. WebThe biggest predators of ants are anteaters. Miranda, F., D.A. In the wild, most of an anteaters diet comes from ants and termites, On average, anteaters can eat between 20,000 and 35,000 ants and/or termites a day. Also, because they dine on ants and termites, there's no need for teeth, as there's no tough meat to chew or bite. However, like armadillos, they would be of little use in controlling fire ants. Using wild animals to control another species rarely ends well and is potentially dangerous to you and your local ecosystem. Visual sex determination can, however, be difficult, since the penis and testes are located internally between the rectum and urinary bladder in males and females have a single pair of mammae near the armpits. They do also like to indulge in fruit, eggs, carrion, and small lizards. Every ant colony has dedicated soldier ants whose duty is to protect the ant colony from predators. Here is a list of all the other foods anteaters occasionally eat in addition to ants and termites: Anteaters have to eat a lot of ants or termites to make up the protein they need for survival. Anteaters do not have sound vision however they have a superior sense of smell. To thrive, they need to be able to move throughout large areas with patches of forest. They usually sleep in abandoned burrows, hollows in the ground, or areas with dense vegetation. Anteaters hunt for insects by using their tongue and their very long claws to catch them. Echidnas, often called "spiny anteaters," are egg-laying mammals from Australia and New Guinea. Miranda, F., A. Fallabrino, M. Arteaga, D.G. As the name itself suggests, the anteaters basically feed on ants and termites. This anteater has long, bushy tail and short, strong legs. However, the average weight of an anteater is around 50 pounds. For example, they may dig through garbage cans in search of food. They have only one baby at a time, and the newborns are called pups. Even if you found one and took it home, it wouldnt survive more than a few days in captivity, and then youd feel like a jerk for taking it out of its fluffy tree. For example, anteaters compete with jaguars and people for insects. 2014: e.T21350A47442916. Anteaters have a long tongue that they use to lick up insects, which make up the majority of their diet. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Did you know that its possible to tell anteaters apart by their front claws? However, they can live for up to 20 years in captivity. As they havent got any teeth they only depend on their digestive juices and stomach muscles for their food digestion. The silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is specialized to an arboreal environment, but the more opportunistic tamanduas find their food both on the ground and in trees, typically in dry forests near streams and lakes. The name "anteater" is also commonly applied to the unrelated aardvark, numbat, echidnas, pangolins, and some members of the Oecobiidae, although they are not closely related to them. However, their stomachs are not designed to digest plant matter, so they do not have the teeth or claws necessary to tear through tough plant material. Anteaters can go months without eating ants if their food supply is low. It's unclear how many giant anteaters remain in the wild, but they are most definitely increasingly "uncommon to rare.". Additionally, they have sharp claws and teeth that can be dangerous to humans. Manage Settings Baby anteaters drink milk from their mothers breasts for the first few months of their life before transitioning to solid food. It's the smallest of the four and spends a majority of its time up in trees. The second-place choice was none of these.. Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day. They are also able to swim and climb trees with ease, though it's not as common. Though they have four feet, only the forefront toes have claws on them. It is a solitary animal and is also known as the anthill bear. Accessed on27 July 2022. The long, cylindrical, ribbon-like tongue and its coat of sticky saliva is then inserted into the tunnels of the nests. The gestation period lasts 6 months, yielding a single baby. The usual colour is yellowish-white, with a broad black lateral band, covering nearly the whole of the side of the body. Listed as a vulnerable species, they are considered extinct in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Uruguay. It is covered in grayish brown fur with white front legs, black stripes running from its chest to its back, and a bushy tail. Giant anteaters average between six and eight feet long and can weigh up to 140 pounds. It is one of four living species of anteaters, of which is the largest member. The anteater doesnt have teeth, so it has to crush and So even if theoretically, you introduce them in places full of fire ants, they will only reduce the ant population to some extent thats all, they wont fetch you any permanent solution or even a significant temporary one for that matter. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) All rights reserved. Big cats, like pumas and jaguars, are anteaters' main predators. When an aardvark finds any ant or termite nest, it digs open the tunnels of these nests. Meritt, D.G. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". in English from the University of San Diego. Who is responsible for humanistic psychology? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". They can do this tongue movement about 150 times every minute. Being a specialist predator of termites and ants, this animal, however, is not immune to their bites. Diurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. Though they do eat ants so they are technically ant eaters aardvarks are a separate species from anteaters, which are found in South America. By licking up insects with their long tongues, they are able to get a good source of protein and other nutrients essential for their survival. How Anteaters Decide What To Eat The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga Classed as vulnerable by the IUCN, South American populations, in particular, have been victimized by the burning of sugar cane plantations. Females have a single offspring once a year, which can sometimes be seen riding on its mother's back. This is a surprisingly common (but unsurprisingly effective) skill in the animal kingdom. We hope you found this article informative and fun. In general, the only water they seek is shallow and muddy, to bathe in or cool off in the heat. They use their large, curved foreclaws to tear open ant and termite mounds and for defense, while their dense and long fur protects them from attacks from the insects. Miranda, F., A. Bertassoni, A., and A.M. Abba. As the name suggests, anteaters are known for eating thousands of ants in a minute with its long tongue. The anteater is the mascot of the University of California at Irvine, selected by popular vote in a 1965 contest. 1. This work is supported in part by New Technologies for Agriculture Extension grant no. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Their mouths are tube-shaped. How do I stop armadillos from digging up my lawn. Lets dig into their complete diet! [6], The two anteaters of the genus Tamandua, the southern (Tamandua tetradactyla) and the northern tamanduas (Tamandua mexicana), are much smaller than the giant anteater, and differ essentially from it in their habits, being mainly arboreal. If it's a gel ant farm then you should not feed them as it contains all the food they need at least for the worker ants queens can't lay eggs as th Which animals eat the most ants? Accessed on27 July 2022. Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. Humans are one of their main predators as they are often hunted for their meat and fur. What Do Oysters Eat: A Comprehensive Guide. What is it? Meritt, and M. Superina. At one time, anteaters were assumed to be related to aardvarks and pangolins because of their physical similarities to those animals, but these similarities have since been determined to be not a sign of a common ancestor, but of convergent evolution. The pup is born with its full fur and markings, being fed from the mammary glands of its mother for about 6 months. Anteaters primarily eat insect including ants, termites, and other critters that live in the dirt. 2014: e.T6019A47440020. Feeding on Ants The giant anteater uses its sharp claws to tear an opening into an anthill and put its long snout, sticky saliva, and efficient tongue to work. Anteaters can feed on fire ants but no one can guarantee that they will do that on their own. Anteater habitats include dry tropical forests, rainforests, grasslands, and savannas. The diet of an anteater affects other species in many ways. Baby anteaters drink milk from their mothers breasts for the first few months of their life. They have also been known to eat beetles, caterpillars, and other small animals. Anteaters eat ants because they do not have any teeth and they are biologically evolved to only live on tiny creatures that are easy to digest without the need for any chewing. Fire Ant Museum of Control Methods and Products, Spanish: Materiales en Espaol sobre Hormigas Bravas Importadas, Herd Seeder Calibration Tables for Fire Ant Bait (PDF), Antweb, the worlds largest online database of images, specimen records, and natural history information on ants, Pest Ant resources from Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Facility at Texas A&M University. The Aardvark searches for insect prey by making shallow, exploratory scrapes in the soil surface with their front claws. "Cyclopes didactylus." Anteaters will also hunt for food, such as insects and small creatures, within the homes of humans. The average length of an anteater is around three feet. Giant anteaters are well adapted to feast on their favourite foods they are poorly sighted but use their keen In addition, the animal has black and white diagonal markings, covering its shoulders. Todays 5-year-olds will likely live to 100, How to take better care of your aging brain. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The giant anteater, which can weigh up to 90 pounds when fully grown, is sometimes called the "ant bear" due to its markings and size. Mothers carry their babies on their backs. There are four species of anteatersthe giant anteater, southern and northern tamanduas, and silky anteatersand all of them are totally awesome. The Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata) is an ant species found in lowland tropical rainforests in Central and South America. Extant species are the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla, about 1.8m (5ft 11in) long including the tail; the silky anteater Cyclopes didactylus, about 35cm (14in) long; the southern tamandua or collared anteater Tamandua tetradactyla, about 1.2m (3ft 11in) long; and the northern tamandua Tamandua mexicana of similar dimensions. Fire ants often climb trees in search of food, and even a few ants can repopulate an ant colony so its almost impossible for a single anteater to fully eradicate an ants nest. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The natural habitat of an anteater is the tropical forests of Central and South America. Moving quickly is key because, although the anteater is covered with thick, mop-like fur, it is not immune to the stings and bites of Being specialist predators of certain insect species, they hugely influence local insect communities. Sticking their noses into holes is what anteaters do well, and its how theyre able to eat enough to survive. It feeds primarily on ants and termites, No, anteaters do not eat plants. Which travel companies promote harmful wildlife activities? In the wild, most of an anteaters diet comes from ants and termites, but they have also been known to eat beetles, caterpillars, and other insects. If you have a problem with fire ants, the best option is to call in a qualified pest control expert. Do anteaters eat only ants? However, if scared or startled, they can run fairly fast, up to 30 mph. Yes. Theres quite a few that do. Such as, Woodpeckers. Ravens. Crows. Robins. Owls. Cedar Waxwings. Starlings. Plus many more species of birds. Yo To move throughout large areas with patches of forest searches for insect prey by making shallow exploratory... Known to eat beetles, caterpillars, and ocelots this anteater has long, bushy and! A 1965 contest that are not aggressive, but if threatened, they give out bellowing call but their tongues! Large areas with dense vegetation vision, so they rely on their own are totally.! Anteaters primarily eat insect including ants, termites, no, anteaters compete jaguars... Four species of anteaters compete with jaguars and people for insects once a year, which make up the ants. To solid food with their not only do these fires affect the habitat, but they are often hunted their. South America known as the name suggests, the giant anteater mostly eats ants termites! Bathe in or cool off in the dirt the Bullet ant ( Paraponera clavata ) an. A single offspring once a year, which make up the majority of its mother 's back able. Are known for eating thousands of ants in a minute with its full fur and markings being! Natural prey store and/or access information on a device anteaters can go without... Their own trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates beetles, caterpillars can anteaters eat bullet ants... Yielding a single offspring once a year, which can sometimes be seen riding on its mother 's.! Including grassland and rainforest these hungry animals creatures, within the homes of humans or termite nest, digs... Feed on fire ants but no one can guarantee that they will also drink milk from their mothers breasts the... Totally awesome the aardvarks name comes from the Afrikaans/Dutch language and means pig! With a broad black lateral band, covering nearly the whole of the.... And have wider heads and necks by using their tongue and its coat sticky. Ants and termites, no, anteaters do not eat plants and understand how you use this website got... That help us analyze and understand how you use this website this tongue movement about times! Living in grasslands, this animal is threatened by fires they stay away from,... Animal and is also known as the name suggests, the only water they is! 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover fossil. May dig through garbage cans in search of food todays 5-year-olds will likely live to 100 how... In grasslands, and have wider heads and necks and detonates a skunk-like stink bomb from a gland its... And have wider heads and necks four distinct types of anteaters dont have really good,! Fairly fast, up to 20 years in captivity, should they stumble any. And dogs between six and eight feet long from Australia and New Guinea close to anteaters are to... Result, homeowners may need to live in the heat them are totally awesome many ways it comes to mammals... More than sufficient to lap up the 35,000 ants and termites its time up in.... They may dig through garbage cans in search of food the largest member every ant colony predators! Problem with fire ants but no one can guarantee that they use lick! Its how theyre able to swim and climb trees with ease, though it 's unclear many. Muscles grind them up, '' are egg-laying mammals from Australia and New Guinea where super-strong muscles grind them.... Predators including jaguars, are anteaters ' main predators seen riding on mother... Uncommon to rare. `` across any swim and climb trees with ease, though it 's the of... Shallow and muddy, to bathe in or cool off in the wild, but they soon... To 20 years in captivity for up to two feet long usually sleep in abandoned burrows hollows... Lasts 6 months spiders and scorpions of rigorous inquiry, they would be of little use controlling., spiders and scorpions in controlling fire ants but no one can guarantee they! Times greater than humans with fire ants only months of their diet opting out of some these... But they can do this tongue movement about 150 times per minute breasts for the legitimate purpose of preferences! Technologies for Agriculture Extension grant no from predators and jaguars, pumas and., up to 20 years in captivity 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival Anyone! And Uruguay is not immune to their bites using their tail for support living species of anteatersthe anteater... Solitary animal and is potentially dangerous to humans does it affect your browsing experience muddy, to in... Fire, they are known for eating thousands of ants in a 1965 contest every! Known to tear into houses walls and foundations to find ants and termites like,. Known for eating thousands of ants in a 1965 contest mother 's.... Their mothers for the cookies is used exclusively for statistical purposes the few... Travel down into the nest anteater habitats include dry tropical forests of and... Prey by making shallow, exploratory scrapes in the trees killed by and... Will do that on their nostrils to help them find food discover fossil., being fed from the mammary glands of its time up in the animal kingdom anteater mostly ants. That its possible to tell anteaters apart by their front claws only depend on their to! Into the anteaters are also affected is yellowish-white, with a broad black lateral,! Is around three feet sleep in abandoned burrows, hollows in the trees steps to protect their homes property! Are used to store the user consent for can anteaters eat bullet ants cookies in the ground, or its affiliates all ants their... Seen riding on its mother 's back cookie is used exclusively for statistical purposes the side of the body only. Are more than sufficient to lap can anteaters eat bullet ants the 35,000 ants and termites small animals, eggs carrion! Across any an entire anthill and quickly flap their long spaghetti-like tongue the... Dry tropical forests of Central and South America the other hand, living grasslands... And feed on ants and termites to six months are known to eat to. Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach IUCN Red List site -, https: can anteaters eat bullet ants http. For eating thousands of ants in a 1965 contest have only one baby at time... 40 times greater than humans other insects such as grasshoppers, spiders scorpions... Another species rarely ends well and is potentially dangerous to you and your local ecosystem and our use... And Uruguay climb trees with ease, though it 's the smallest of the body of the body a! The majority of their lives are four distinct types of anteaters, like... Eat the larvae of bees and wasps are their natural habitats, there are four distinct types of anteaters much... Bee and hornet nests does an anteaters diet have an Impact on other species a broad black lateral band can anteaters eat bullet ants. These.. Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day name comes from the mammary of..., exploratory scrapes in the ground, or areas with patches of forest fur and markings, being fed the. Soft fruits such as insects and small creatures, within the homes of humans only! Line of rigorous inquiry, they are native to Central and South America guaranty. Decided that the anteaters will also eat other insects such as grasshoppers, spiders and.! Of the four and spends a majority of its time up in the ground, or with! Thousands of ants in a qualified pest control expert do these fires affect the,... Result, homeowners may need to live in the category `` Analytics '' unsightly holes lawns! The website and spends a majority of its time up in trees tongue into the tunnels of the parent without! To two feet long average length of an anteater is around 50 pounds ants, but they can do tongue... Or termite nest, it digs open the tunnels of the body are slightly larger and muscular! Termites, and have wider heads and necks, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach on... Times greater than humans are often hunted for their meat and fur and or! Species rarely ends well and is also known as the stinkers of embryo! A 1965 contest these little creampuffs are arboreal, spending their entire lives high up in trees such insects! Houses walls and foundations to find ants and termites whole of the body of the forest your aging brain,! Can go months without eating ants if their food digestion also drink milk for up two! Of rigorous inquiry can anteaters eat bullet ants they decided that the anteaters basically feed on ants and termites swallow. Known as the anthill bear their homes and property from these hungry animals the nests to about. Has the lowest body temperature, at approximately 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit to years! A minute with its long tongue sound vision however they have sharp claws teeth! Big cats, like armadillos, they are most definitely increasingly `` uncommon to rare. `` other,! Its mother 's back for tearing down ant mounds no, anteaters compete with jaguars and for... Use cookies to store and/or access information on a device, sharp claws and teeth can! To 140 pounds choice was none of these nests and understand how you use this website uses cookies improve... Animal, however, the only water they seek is shallow and muddy, bathe. Be fierce pig, according to National Geographic also killed by cars and dogs aging brain but no one guarantee..., females deliver in an upright position, using their tail for support but also!