Anteater

Hello friends and family! As we enter a new week we also have a new animal blog/video! This week we'll be taking a look at the anteater!

Anteaters are carnivorous mammals with a life span of about 14 years. They can weigh anywhere from 40 to 140 pounds and have a tail as long as 35 inches.

Anteaters prefer grasslands and tropical forests and are found in Central and South America.  They are not known to be aggressive animals though if they feel threatened they will rear up on their hind legs, and use their claws to lash out!

The anteater is known for it's long tongue with which it uses to lap up ants and termites. They have no teeth so they will swallow these insects whole. Their long sharp claws allow them to tear into anthills and with their long snout they will begin to work on their meal. An anteater will not destroy the anthills but hope to come back for another feeding. Ants will fight back giving an anteater painful stings as it's feeding, that being said the anteater may only spend a minute on each hill.

Not known for being social anteaters are more of a solitary animal. They can mate throughout the year and have a gestation period of about 190 days. Females will give birth to one offspring (pup) a year which typically weigh around 3 pounds.

Come take a look at our anteaters in the Interaction Area at Timbavati Wildlife Park!