GIANT ANTEATERMyrmecophaga Tridactyla
J.B. Hochstuhl
HABITAT Rainforests Grasslands mixed forest semiarid regions of Central and South
America
DIET ground-dwelling ants Termites army ants fruit Larvae
SIZE 40-48 in 28-35 in 44-90 lbs. (males slightly heavier than females) Small face Small eyes Long snout Large front legs and front claws Walk on knuckles to protect claws Long bushy tail Long coarse fur Narrow body Long tongue
HOUSING REQUIREMENTS at night, scrapes out a hollow hole in
soil to sleep, or uses an existing burrow of another animal
when it sleeps, it curls its bushy tail around it self
-helps keep warm -tail is almost as long as body
CLIMATE Warm weather
PREDATORS/PREY pumas jaguars
REPRODUCTION Pregnant 6 months Reproduce in 2-4 years One offspring
INTERESTING FACTS solitary animals except for breeding pairs or
mothers with offspring ignore one another territorial creatures ranges of up to 10 square miles claws are so sharp they are even able to kill a
jaguar Live up to 26 years in captivity
ENDANGERMENT Put on in 1982 Cars Hunting Killing for items
CONSERVATION The Sacramento Zoo works to educate the public Recycling
QUIZ1. When can they get pregnant?
2. Where do they live?
3. How long are their bodies?
4. How old do they get?
5. When were they put on the red list?
WORK CITED http://library.thinkquest.org/5053/South
America/giantanteater.html http://www.saczoo.org/Document.Doc?id
=270