Tamanduas have shorter fur and proportionately shorter muzzles than giant anteaters. Myrmecophaga jubata was used as a synonym. That’s right, anteaters. There is only one Anteater mascot among NCAA Division I schools and it belongs to UC Irvine. The silky anteater is found from southern Mexico southward to Bolivia and Brazil. Anteaters eat ants because there is little competition for this food source, it is plentiful, and full of nutrition. Its body can reach lengths of four feet (1.2 m) and it can grow to two feet (0.6 m) long. Anteaters are among the three families of the only surviving group of mammals that were once diverse and inhabited the region of South America (the other two are armadillos and sloths). The animal has a dense and soft fur whose color ranges from yellowish to gray with a silvery luster. Silky anteaters inhabit a broad range of forest types including mangrove, semi-deciduous and tropical evergreen forests at an elevation of 4,900 feet. The tamandua's mouth is only as round as a pencil, but it can also lick up honey and soft, juicy fruits. The silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus), also known as pygmy anteater, is the only living species of anteaters in the Cyclopes genus and Cyclopedidae family. The largest of the four anteater species, giant anteaters reach 6-8 feet (1.8-2.4 meters) in length, including both nose and tail. About one-half of that length is the furred prehensile tail. How many teeth do anteaters have? A pangolin can consume 140 to 200 grams (5 to 7 ounces) of insects per day. Anteaters, along with sloths, are placed within the mammalian order Pilosa of the magnorder Xenarthra. When harried, it is capable of a clumsy gallop. Native to Central and South America, these insectivores, along with three other siblings (Silky Anteater, Northern, and Southern Tamandua), belong to Anteaters’ species. It is also exquisitely camouflaged, its silky yellowish coat matching both the colour and the texture of fibrous seed masses produced by the silk-cotton tree (see kapok). With a long extendable tongue covered in sticky saliva the animal, just like the other species of anteaters has adapted to its unusual diet of ants and termites. Anteaters were once speculated to be related to pangolins and aardvarks due to the similarities of the physical characteristics of the two animal species. Using its keen sense of smell to track ants, the giant anteater walks with a shuffle, bearing its weight on the sides and knuckles of its forefeet. The giant anteater is also a good swimmer. A 16-inch-long (41 centimeters) sticky tongue with small barbs on it is just right for stealing ants and termites from their home. The giant anteater and tamanduas constitute the family Myrmecophagidae, which means “ant-eating” in Latin, whereas the silky anteater is classified in a family of its own, Cyclopedidae. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-four-types-of-anteaters.html Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. There are four species of anteaters, all residing in Central or South America. However, out of all four, only Giant Anteaters have survived the test of time and are still seen today. The Giant Anteater spends a great deal of its time eating every single day. The silky anteater has large eyes that allow foraging at night. Pangolins have very poor vision. However, each of the four individual species of anteaters comprises of names from other languages including English. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The giant anteater is classified in the order Pilosa, the same as sloths. I’ve divided this blog post into each type of anteater. Plural. The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the giant anteater as vulnerable. The most recognizable species is the giant anteater. The northern tamandua (T. mexicana) is found from eastern Mexico to northwestern South America; the southern tamandua (T. tetradactyla) is found from the island of Trinidad southward to northern Argentina. They talk by moving the ends of their noses up and down. They also lack teeth. Giant anteaters are listed among the 'endangered' species in the world. Females are of the magnorder Xenarthra by pet dogs 45 kilograms ) how many anteaters are there. Of the magnorder Xenarthra https: //www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-four-types-of-anteaters.html the giant anteater is a anteater... Into each type of anteater: giant anteater, but some are entirely tan entirely... The US, just ninety anteaters are found in Germany show that the anteaters lived there more than hectares! 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