Anteaters

Anteaters are unusual animals with very long noses and tongues. They live in forests and grasslands in Central and South America. As their name tells us, they love to eat ants. They also eat termites and other small bugs.

Long Tongues

An anteater has one of the longest tongues of any animal. A giant anteater's tongue can be two feet long. It is covered in sticky spit that traps ants. The tongue can flick in and out up to 150 times a minute. Anteaters do not have teeth, so they just swallow their food whole.

Kinds of Anteaters

There are four kinds of anteaters. The giant anteater is the biggest and can be seven feet long. The silky anteater is tiny and lives in trees. Tamanduas are medium-sized and also climb trees. All anteaters have strong claws that help them break open ant hills and termite mounds.

Fun Facts

• A giant anteater can eat 30,000 ants in one day.
• Anteaters have no teeth at all.
• Baby anteaters ride on their mother's back for about a year.

Did You Know?

An anteater's claws are so long and sharp that they have to walk on their knuckles to keep the claws from getting worn down.