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What the sources say

Giant AnteaterMyrmecophaga tridactyla

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Giant Anteater profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 44 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Haddad et al. 2014

Haddad et al. (2014). Human Death Caused by a Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in Brazil. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.

The page saysdangerLevel: Deadly
The source saysThe fatal outcome of a defensive attack by a giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is reported.Note: Capability tier: a cornered anteater killed a hunter with its forelimbs ('he died at the scene'); the paper cites a similar case.

Source
02

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Giant anteater. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

The page saysA toothless anteater
The source saysa long, distinctive snout with a 2-foot-long tongue and no teeth
The page sayswhose 2-foot tongue flicks in and out up to 150 times a minute
The source saysThe 2-foot-long tongue is attached to the sternum and can flick in and out up to 150 times per minute.
The page saysWetlands, grasslands and tropical forests across Central and South America
The source saysThey live in wetlands, grasslands and tropical forests.
The page saysacross Central and South America
The source saysGiant anteaters are found throughout Central and South America
The page saysAlmost exclusively ants and termites
The source saysAnteaters feed almost exclusively on ants and termites
The page saysA 2-foot tongue that flicks in and out up to 150 times per minute
The source saysThe 2-foot-long tongue is attached to the sternum and can flick in and out up to 150 times per minute.
The page saysA giant anteater has no teeth
The source saysa 2-foot-long tongue and no teeth
The page sayscoated in sticky saliva
The source sayssticky saliva coats the tongue
The page sayscan flick in and out up to 150 times per minute
The source sayscan flick in and out up to 150 times per minute
The page saysattached to the sternum
The source saysThe 2-foot-long tongue is attached to the sternum
The page saysIt rips open ant and termite nests with its powerful forelimbs and claws, then takes in the insects with its sticky tongue
The source saysants and termites, whose nests they rip open with their powerful forelimbs and claws, and then ingest with their sticky tongue
The page saysit can tell the species of ant or termite by smell before it tears a nest apart
The source saysgiant anteaters can identify the particular species of ant or termite by smell before they rip apart the prey's nest
The page saysThis is the largest of the four anteater species
The source saysThe largest of the four anteater species
The page saysIt reaches 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) long, counting both nose and tail
The source saysgiant anteaters reach 6-8 feet (1.8-2.4 meters) in length, including both nose and tail
The page saysweighs 60 to 100 pounds (27 to 45 kg)
The source saysThey weigh between 60 and 100 pounds (27 and 45 kilograms).
The page saysThe hair on its legs and tail resembles the texture of a horse's mane
The source sayslonger hair on their legs and tail, which resembles the texture of a horse's mane
The page saysThe anteater protects them by tucking them into its palms and walking on its front knuckles
The source saysGiant anteaters protect their sharp front claws by tucking them into their palms and walking on their front knuckles.
The page saysThe usual gait is a slow shuffle
The source saysThey walk in a slow, shuffling gait
The page saysit can gallop at over 30 miles per hour (48 km/h)
The source sayswhen necessary can gallop at over 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour)
The page saysThe anteater avoids threats if it can
The source saysGiant anteaters will avoid threats if possible.
The page saysit rears up, steadies itself on its large tail and uses its powerful claws
The source saysthey will rear up, steadying themselves with their large tails, and use their powerful claws
The page saysGiant anteaters live in wetlands, grasslands and tropical forests throughout Central and South America
The source saysGiant anteaters are found throughout Central and South America except for Guatemala, Uruguay and El Salvador, where they are considered to be extinct. They live in wetlands, grasslands and tropical forests.
The page saysThey are considered extinct in Guatemala, Uruguay and El Salvador
The source saysexcept for Guatemala, Uruguay and El Salvador, where they are considered to be extinct
The page saysHow long a wild anteater lives is unknown
The source saysLifespan in the wild is unknown.
The page saysGestation lasts about 180 days, or six months
The source saysGestation lasts about 180 days (six months).
The page saysthe mother gives birth to a single young
The source saysThey give birth to a single young
The page saysthe baby climbs onto her back and stays there for up to a year
The source saysthe young anteater climbs onto the mother's back where it stays for up to a year
The page saysthe more populated an area is, the more likely the anteaters are to be nocturnal, and in less populated areas they are diurnal
The source saysThe more populated the area, the more likely the anteaters will be nocturnal; in less populated areas, anteaters are diurnal.
The page sayshabitat loss in combination with the anteaters' dietary specificity, low reproductive rates and large body size as significant factors in the decline
The source saysHabitat loss in combination with giant anteaters' dietary specificity, low reproductive rates and large body size are significant factors in its decline.
The page saysThe front claws are sharp
The source saysGiant anteaters protect their sharp front claws
The page saysIt appears to depend on how many people live nearby
The source saysGiant anteater lifestyles appear to depend on the human population density around them.
The page saystags: solitary-hunter
The source saysGiant anteaters are typically solitary, except during the mating season or when a mother is caring for her young.

Source
03

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Giant Anteater. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The page saysa 2-foot (60 cm) tongue
The source saysThe anteater's narrow tongue is about 2 feet (60 centimeters) long
The page saysAn anteater is not immune to ant bites, so it feeds at a colony for a minute or so before moving on
The source saysA giant anteater is not immune to ant bites, so it feeds at an ant or termite colony for just a minute or so before moving on.
The page saysit can eat up to 30,000 ants and termites each day
The source saysa specialized tongue allows them to eat up to 30,000 ants and termites each day
The page saysA giant anteater's sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than ours
The source saysThe giant anteater's sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than ours.
The page saysAt 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
The source saysGiant anteaters have one of the lowest body temperatures for a mammal, 91 degree Fahrenheit (32.7 degrees Celsius), presumably in response to their low-calorie insect diet.
The page saysA giant anteater is not immune to ant bites, so it feeds at a colony for a minute or so before moving on
The source saysA giant anteater is not immune to ant bites, so it feeds at an ant or termite colony for just a minute or so before moving on.
The page saystags: savanna
The source saysare found in tropical and dry forests, savannas, and grasslands

Source
04

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Myrmecophaga tridactyla (giant anteater). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysIts size makes it invulnerable to all but the largest predators, jaguars and pumas primarily
The source saysTheir size makes them invulnerable to all but the largest of predators, jaguars and pumas primarily.

Source
05

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources

AnAge entry for Myrmecophaga tridactyla. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

The page saysIn captivity, an AnAge entry reports one estimated at 31 years old when it died
The source saysOne specimen was estimated to be 31 years old when it died in captivity

Source
06

Miranda et al. 2025

Miranda et al. (2025). Myrmecophaga tridactyla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T14224A210444314.

The page saysVulnerable
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU).
The page saysThe IUCN Red List rates the species Vulnerable
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.