To compensate for the absence of teeth, anteaters have a tongue that is about two feet long which helps them slurp up over 35,000 ants and termites each day. They swallow sand and pebbles along with the insects to grind them down. They have a powerful sense of smell which often leads them to anthills. They use their claws to make an opening into an anthill and with their long tongue that can reach far inside the nest finish off their meal quickly.
According to the IUCN Red List, giant anteaters are the most threatened mammals in Central America. Listed as a vulnerable species, they are considered extinct in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Uruguay. One of the major threats giant anteaters face is the loss of their grassland habitats due to fires set by sugar cane growers who traditionally burn their fields prior to harvest to remove the plant’s outer leaves, making the cane stalks easier to cut. Not only do these fires affect the habitat, but also the animals—giant anteaters may suffer significant burns.
Other threats include hunting—both for food and because some humans consider giant anteaters pests—and their low reproductive rate. Giant anteaters are also frequently killed by road traffic in the Brazilian Cerrado biome, where a vast network of roads has disrupted their habitat.
Picture Credit : Google
