Roaming the grasslands, savannas, and rainforests of Central and South America, the giant anteater is a bizarre and captivating terrestrial mammal perfectly adapted to a diet of ants and termites. With its elongated snout, bushy tail, and record-breaking tongue, this toothless giant is a master of insect hunting, and its unique body shape makes it one of the most recognizable animals in the Neotropics.
The giant anteater’s most extraordinary feature is its tongue. Measuring up to 60 centimeters long—longer than its entire head—it can flick in and out of its snout at a rate of 150 times per minute, capturing thousands of insects in a single feeding session. Covered in sticky saliva and tiny, backward-pointing spines, the tongue acts like a living trap, snaring ants and termites that cannot escape once caught. Since the giant anteater has no teeth, it relies on its strong stomach muscles and swallowed pebbles to grind up its prey, much like a bird’s gizzard.
To access insect colonies, the giant anteater uses its powerful front claws—each up to 10 centimeters long—to tear open termite mounds and ant nests. These claws are so sharp and strong that they can rip through tough soil and wood, but they are also delicate enough to avoid destroying the entire colony, allowing the anteater to return for more food later. To protect its claws while walking, the giant anteater curls them under its feet, walking on its knuckles like a gorilla—a unique gait that prevents wear and tear on its vital hunting tools.
Giant anteaters are solitary animals, except for mothers with their young. Females carry their pups on their backs for up to a year, the pup’s striped fur blending with the mother’s bushy tail to camouflage them from predators like jaguars and pumas. Despite their large size (up to 2 meters long and 40 kilograms), giant anteaters are non-aggressive and will flee from danger if possible. If cornered, however, they can stand on their hind legs and use their front claws to deliver powerful swipes that can injure even large predators.
Sadly, giant anteaters are classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN, with populations declining due to habitat loss, road accidents, and hunting. Their specialized diet makes them particularly vulnerable to deforestation, which destroys the ant and termite colonies they depend on. Conservation efforts, including protected habitats and wildlife corridors, are crucial to ensuring these fascinating tongue specialists continue to thrive in the wild.
