Category: Mammals Phylum:    Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Edentata Family:  Myrmecophagidae Species:   Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Giant) Anteater - Anteater Videos Anteaters are found in Central and South America. They eat many kinds of insects, but generally feed on Ants and Termites. An Anteater uses the sharp claws of its forefeet to tear a hole in the wall of a termite nest, pushes its muzzle inside, and laps up the inhabitants by means of a sticky saliva on its 8 to 10 in. (20 to 25 cm) tongue. There are three South American species. The giant Anteater is of a startling appearance. Its long, cylindrical snout is balanced by a bushy tail. Its front feet face one another, the formidable claws folded inward so that the animal walks on its knuckles. The hind feet, however, stand flat on the ground. From nose to rump, the giant Anteater is 3 to 4 ft. (90 to 122 cm) long. Its tail adds another 2 to 3 ft (60 to 90 cm). Its hair is coarse and stiff, gray-brown on the head and body, becoming darker on the hindquarters and tail. Across the shoulders, wedge-shaped black stripes bordered with white effectively camouflage the animal by breaking up its outline. The giant Anteater lives in the swamps, grasslands and open forests from Belize and Guatemala to northern Argentina. It spends most of its life in search of food, shuffling around with its nose to the ground. Female giant Anteaters have single offspring. The young are thought to be born in spring, after a gestation period of 190 days. The baby stays with its mother until she is pregnant again, traveling easily by clinging to her back. The silky or two-toed Anteater and the Tamandua have shorter snouts, and lack the giant Anteater's plume of hair on the their tails. All of the Anteaters manage to eat without teeth. The silky Anteater is named for the soft texture of its coat. It is squirrel-sized with a long prehensile tail. The Tamandua also has a prehensile tail which lacks fur. The body fur is usually tan with a black "vest."   Worldwide Region(s): Central America, South America

Kit foxes sometimes signal with their tails to warn their young of danger.