--- title: "Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "A toothless anteater whose 2-foot tongue flicks in and out up to 150 times a minute." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/giant-anteater-1.webp" published: "2026-10-05" updated: "2026-10-10" --- # Giant Anteater (*Myrmecophaga tridactyla*) > **Status**: Checked against 6 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: A toothless anteater whose 2-foot tongue flicks in and out up to 150 times a minute. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Hardcore Punk & Post-Hardcore // Minor Threat, "Straight Edge" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/1x8N5sNHdQtY328uP5DxIp) > **Vibe Match**: A giant anteater is not immune to ant bites, so it feeds at a colony for a minute or so before moving on. Hardcore punk runs on the same short, fast bursts, and "Straight Edge" is over almost as soon as it starts. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Myrmecophaga tridactyla* - **Danger Level**: Deadly - **Conservation Status**: Vulnerable ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-1.rlts.t14224a210444314.en)) - **Superpower**: A 2-foot tongue that flicks in and out up to 150 times per minute - **Habitat**: Wetlands, grasslands and tropical forests across Central and South America - **Diet**: Almost exclusively ants and termites - **Tags**: mammal, insectivore, grassland, savanna, rainforest, solitary-hunter ## Natural History & Behavior ## A tongue with no teeth to help A giant anteater has no teeth. It eats with a 2-foot (60 cm) tongue that is coated in sticky saliva and can flick in and out up to 150 times per minute. That tongue is attached to the sternum, the flat bone in the middle of the chest. Research has found that it can tell the species of ant or termite by smell before it tears a nest apart. It rips open ant and termite nests with its powerful forelimbs and claws, then takes in the insects with its sticky tongue. An anteater is not immune to ant bites, so it feeds at a colony for a minute or so before moving on. Even so, it can eat up to 30,000 ants and termites each day. > **Nose power** A giant anteater's sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than ours. ## Big, shaggy and built to shuffle This is the largest of the four anteater species. It reaches 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) long, counting both nose and tail, and weighs 60 to 100 pounds (27 to 45 kg). The hair on its legs and tail resembles the texture of a horse's mane. The front claws are sharp. The anteater protects them by tucking them into its palms and walking on its front knuckles. The usual gait is a slow shuffle, yet when it has to, it can gallop at over 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). Its body runs cool too. At 32.7 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit), it has one of the lowest body temperatures of any mammal, presumably in response to a low-calorie diet of insects. ## Rear up, claws out The anteater avoids threats if it can. If it cannot, it rears up, steadies itself on its large tail and uses its powerful claws. Its size makes it invulnerable to all but the largest predators, jaguars and pumas primarily. ## Where it lives and how long Giant anteaters live in wetlands, grasslands and tropical forests throughout Central and South America. They are considered extinct in Guatemala, Uruguay and El Salvador. The IUCN Red List rates the species Vulnerable. How long a wild anteater lives is unknown. In captivity, an AnAge entry reports one estimated at 31 years old when it died. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How long is a giant anteater pregnant, and where does the baby ride? Gestation lasts about 180 days, or six months, and the mother gives birth to a single young. After birth the baby climbs onto her back and stays there for up to a year. *(Source: [Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute]())* ### Are giant anteaters active at night? It appears to depend on how many people live nearby. The Smithsonian's National Zoo reports that the more populated an area is, the more likely the anteaters are to be nocturnal, and in less populated areas they are diurnal. *(Source: [Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute]())* ### Why are giant anteaters declining? The Smithsonian's National Zoo names habitat loss in combination with the anteaters' dietary specificity, low reproductive rates and large body size as significant factors in the decline. *(Source: [Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute]())* ## Sources 1. [Haddad et al. (2014). Human Death Caused by a Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in Brazil. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.]() 2. [Giant anteater. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.]() 3. [Giant Anteater. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.]() 4. [Myrmecophaga tridactyla (giant anteater). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]() 5. [AnAge entry for Myrmecophaga tridactyla. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.]() 6. [Miranda et al. (2025). Myrmecophaga tridactyla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T14224A210444314.]() *Published October 5, 2026. 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