Ten fun facts about Ant Eaters
Fact 1
Anteaters are solitary mammals found in South America and they live in rain forests, swamps, deciduous forests and grasslands.
Fact 2
They are toothless but have long snouts, tongues and claws. Their tongues are coated with a sticky thick layer of saliva that catches the ants and termites. They also eat fruits, eggs and soft bodied grubs
Fact 3
These animals can be aggressive and use their powerful legs and long claws to fight predators which include jaguars, cougars and humans.
Fact 4
The tongue of anteaters can grow to a length of 2 feet. It has tiny spines that point towards the back of their throats. They flick their tongues up to 150 times or more per minute.
Fact 5
Their length ranges from 14 inches to 6 feet and the length of their tail is from 650 to 900 mm. They are covered in spines and weigh from about 18 kg to 39 kg when full grown.
Fact 6
The lifespan of an anteater is about 25 years.
Fact 7
Anteaters sleep for 15 hours every day. Their eyesight is poor but they have a strong sense of smell that helps them detect their prey.
Fact 8
The gestation period is 190 days. Females give birth to one young and communicates by hisses, sniffs and snorts
Fact 9
Anteaters make a loud bellowing noise and rear their hind legs when challenges. They walk by flexing their digits upwards and turning their forefeet inwards.
Fact 10
The collective name for a group of anteaters is a parade.
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