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More About Anteaters ...
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Anteaters are mammals of the order Xenarthra and the family Myrmecophagidae, commonly known for eating ants and termites.
The largest representative of the group is the Giant Anteater or Ant-bear (Myrmecophaga tridactyla or jubata), an animal measuring 4 feet (1.2 m) in length without the tail, and 2 feet (60 cm) in height at the shoulder. It has a long, thin head and a large, bushy tail. Its prevailing colour is grey, with a broad black band, bordered with white, starting on the chest, passing over the shoulder, and coming to a point near the loins.
It is extensively distributed in the tropical parts of South and Central America, frequenting low swampy savannas, along the banks of rivers, and the depths of the humid forests, but is nowhere abundant.
Its food consists mainly of termites, which it obtains by opening their nests with its powerful sharp anterior (front) claws. As the insects swarm to the damaged part of their dwelling, it draws them into its mouth by means of its long, flexible, rapidly moving tongue covered with sticky saliva.
The Giant Anteater lives above ground, not burrowing underground like armadillos. Though generally an inoffensive animal, when attacked it can defend itself with its sharp claws. The female produces a single young at a birth.
The two tamandua anteaters, as typified by Tamandua (or Uroleptes) tetradactyla, are much smaller than the Giant Anteater, and differ essentially from it in their habits, being mainly tree-dwelling. They inhabit the dense primeval forests of South and Central America. The usual colour is yellowish-white, with a broad black lateral band, covering nearly the whole of the side of the body.
The Silky Anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is a native of the hottest parts of South and Central America, and about the size of a rat, of a general yellowish color, and exclusively tree-dwelling.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Xenarthra
Family: Myrmecophagidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Anteaters
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VIDEO CLIPS
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Pangolin
7.000MB MOV View Movie
Wild Fauna in Hong Kong
Pangolin (Note: the movie links do not work in the page below, use the 'play video' button in the top frame)
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Giant Anteater
0.590MB MPG View Movie
theBigZoo.com
Giant Anteater Walking smelling for food. "A keen sense of smell is critical for the Giant anteater. It is used to locate ant colonies located in the anteater?s territory".
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Gaint Anteater
3.260MB MOV View Movie
Getty Images
Giant anteater foraging for food on rain forest floor / Tambopata, Peru
If you don't see the relevant video below, please follow this link and search for 567-17 in the search screen.
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Gaint Anteater
1.270MB MOV View Movie
Getty Images
Climbing over fallen log
If you don't see the relevant video below, please follow this link and search for 567-18 in the search screen.
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Chinese pangolin
1.450MB RM View Movie
Yunnan Animal Museum
Chinese pangolin. It has elongated nose but note the scaly skin
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Giant anteater
MOV View Movie
Arkive.org
Nice selection of Giant anteater video clips available in various formats
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Tamandua
Streaming RPM View Movie
Woodland Park Zoo
Bottle feeding baby Tamandua; your browser may not be aware of the 'rpm' extension. You may have to copy URL and open the link in RealPlayer.
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Anteater
1.290MB WMV View Movie
Wildside Productions
Anteater in tree
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Anteater
View Movie
WorldClips Stock Footage
Anteater
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