Myrmecophagidae

The myrmecophagids (Myrmecophagidae, gr. "ant-eaters"), commonly known as anteaters, are a family of placental mammals of the order Pilosa. Includes the genera Myrmecophaga and Tamandua. They have no teeth and use their long tongues to catch ants and termites. They inhabit from the south of Mexico to the north and northeast of Argentina.

Features

Antbirds have a stout, elongated body, more or less compressed at the sides, and covered in dense fur. Its length, without tail, ranges from 60 cm for Tamandua to 120 cm for Myrmecophaga. They have well-developed legs, plantigrade feet with robust sickle claws, and a long, prehensile tail in tamanduas, from arboreal life. The snout is very long, tubular and curved downwards, especially in the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), with a very small and narrow mouth opening. The ears are small and rounded.

They lack teeth. The oral cavity is occupied by a vermiform tongue that can reach 1 m in length, with a diameter of 10 or 15 mm. The tongue plays an essential role in the feeding of anteaters; It is endowed with a powerful musculature that is inserted in the xiphoid process of the sternum, it is evaginable, viscous and it is adapted to capture ants and termites, which is the base of its food. The salivary glands are highly developed. They have an excellent sense of smell, but the senses of sight and hearing are poorly developed.

Behavior

They live mainly in dense tropical forests, but are sometimes found in savannahs, usually in pairs or solitary.

When they move, they rely mainly on the outer side of their hands, which are provided with large pads, with the claws pointing inwards. In a defensive attitude, they stand in a semi-erect position with their front legs raised ready to strike with their claws, keeping themselves supported with their hind legs and their tail, which, in arboreal species, remains clinging to a branch. Even a jaguar avoids fighting a giant anteater, which is a fearsome adversary.

They are myrmecophages; The claws are used to dig up ants and break termite mounds, after which it captures a large number of prey with its long sticky tongue.