Anteaters are an interesting group of mammals. Most animals are messy eaters. But Anteaters are very organized and tidy. This content speaks over 30+ Fun Anteater facts for kids which can help them understand the animal better.
Anteaters are funny-looking animals. They possess long snouts and huge claws. Anteaters can vary in their size. The smallest one is just over one foot long whereas the bigger ones go up to 6 feet almost as tall as an adult man.
Suppose you want to enquire how many ants an anteater eats a day? The answer is 26,000 ants and termites per day. Isn’t it a huge number? Yes, they feed on ants and swallow them but in a very organized manner.
Fun Facts About Anteater For Kids
Antbears are found together in sloths or groups. These are called Pilosa. They are also known as worm tongues. These animals are mostly renowned as smelly creatures. But why is it so? This is because anteaters do not have good eyesight. Hence, they use their acute sense of smell to understand the environment around them.
These animals sleep almost 15 hours a day. It means they sleep when people are awake. They are covered with spines. And, their body temperature is low compared to other animals. Since these animals do not have teeth, therefore they are also known as edentate species.
Are anteaters carnivores? If you want a complete answer- Anteaters can be categorized under herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Mostly Anteaters live in the forests of Mexico, deserts, and grasslands of Central America and also in the South of the country.
When they hunt for their food, the Antbears mainly eat insects, ants, and termites. All they do is swipe their tongue in the nests of the ants and the termites to capture their food. They are distinctive-looking animals.
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Some Facts About Anteaters-
Anteaters are very tidy, neat, and organized
Anteaters’ babies stay in the pouch after birth
These animals are practically blind
Anteaters are omnivorous (eat plants and animals)
Anteaters are small-to-medium-sized mammals
Anteaters are found on the grasslands of South And Central America
Anteaters are also called Insectivore as it eats insects
Four kinds of anteaters- silky anteater, northern tamandua, southern tamandua, and giant anteater
Anteaters have prehensile tails that grip onto branches that help them climb
Anteater Nose is indicative of calcneonavicular coalition
Anteaters are warm-blooded animals
Anteaters build burrows and tunnels in the ground and sleep at night
Anteater skeleton represents knuckle-walking forelimbs
Anteaters never move faster but tend to shuffle along with bigger claws curled up under their feet.
Anteaters are mammals and give birth to babies.
Discovering the lifestyle of the anteaters can be fascinating if you are curious enough to learn about them. They are fore-limbed animals with hind legs, giant anteaters are taller than any adult man which may be calculated as 6 feet tall.
These animals are mostly docile in nature but if there is any chance of getting threatened, they will simply rear up on their hind legs. Therefore it is better not to mess up with them.
About Their Lifestyle-
Anteaters rip open the nests of the ants with their powerful claws and limbs
Anteaters feed on ants and termites exclusively
Anteaters have a sticky tongue
These mammals give birth to small babies
On a single feeding, anteaters eat about 150 insects from each mound
Anteaters never destroy anthills
Anteaters can be domesticated as pets at home
Anteaters are peaceful animals but are called silky giants
Other names for an anteater are Antbear, Echidna, Spiny-Antbear, Numbat, Pangolin, Tapirs
Do anteaters have teeth? No, they are toothless and eat mostly with the use of their tongue
Anteaters are having low metabolic rates with a low body temperature of 33 C
Anteaters are clever and never destroy an entire anthill
Anteaters can gallop over 35 miles per hour or 50 kilometers per hour.
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Fun Facts About Anteaters For Kids-
Anteaters work fast as ant stings hurt
Anteaters spend only 2-3 minutes in an ant hill and eat up to 22000 ants at a time
These mammals come in 4 species
Anteaters have no teeth and are named edentate
Mother Anteaters have one baby per year
Small babies of anteaters usually ride on their mummy anteaters’ back
They have 2 feet long and thin anteater tongue length is 60 cm and a long nose
Anteaters can rear up and fight against jaguars and pumas
Closest relatives to anteaters are the pygmy sloth which has its roots 55 million years ago
Big anteaters can reach up to 2m in length
These animals weigh up to 55-60 kg
The anteater skull is toothless and is almost tabular with 30 cm long
Can you have an anteater as a pet? Yes, they are peace-loving animals and form a perfect pet for home. These animals are mostly found in dry forests, open grasslands, tropical moist forests,s, and highland regions. They mostly tend to be solitary animals. A female anteater gives birth to her offspring and then carries it on her back for over 6-7 months.
FAQs
Q1. Do Anteaters have tongues?
Ans1. Anteaters have bright red-colored tongues covered with hooks. The tongue is slim and is almost 2 cm long
Q2. Can you have Anteaters as pets?
Ans2. Anteaters can be domesticated as pets in the home as they are peace-loving animals
Q3. Do anteaters have teeth?
Ans3. Anteaters are toothless and their tongue has sticky saliva that captures their food
Q4. Are Anteaters carnivores?
Ans4. Anteaters are considered omnivores as they feed both on animals and plants
Q5. What is the other name for an Anteaters?
Ans5. The other name for Anteaters are Aardvark, Antbear, Echidna, Spiny-anteater, Numbat, and Orycteropus
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