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SPECIES FACT SHEET
Children’s Zoo
Common name:
Scientific name:
Family:
Order:
Southern Tamandua or Lesser Anteater
Tamandua tetradactyla
Myrmecophagidae
Pilosa
Closest Animal Relatives:
Silky Anteater and Giant Anteater
Geographic Distribution:
Habitat:
This species is found to the east of the Andes from Colombia,
Venezuela, Trinidad Island, and the Guianas (French Guiana,
Guyana, and Suriname), south to northern Uruguay and northern
Argentina. It ranges from sea level to 1600 m asl (Bolivia).
The species is adaptable to a variety of habitats, including gallery forests
adjacent to savannas, and lowland and montane moist tropical rain forest
(Eisenberg 1989).
Status in the wild:
Least Concern and Unknown population trend as of 2008
Predators:
Birds of prey, snakes, and cats (Ocelot and Jaguar)
Social Structure:
Solitary
Litter Size:
Name of young:
Gestation:
1
Average Size:
4.5 lbs
5 months
Diet:
Wild:
Captivity:
Life Span:
Wild:
Ants and termites, bees and their honey
High protein anteater mix. Mixed with water and served like a milkshake
5-9 years
Captivity:
10-12 years
Adaptations:
Prehensile tail for grasping. They can also turn their hind ankles 180
degrees to go head first down a tree. The 16” long sticky tongue helps
them to get insects out of crevices.
Major Threats:
There are no major threats to this species, although in some portions of
their range they are hunted for meat or by domestic dogs (Aguiar and
Fonseca 2008; Noss et al. 2008).
Conservation Actions:
This species is present in a number of protected areas. Further
systematic studies of this species are needed to investigate its
variation over its range.
Updated 4/29/17
Special Notes:
Tamandua are nocturnal and spend most of their time up in trees. They are
referred to as the stinker of the forest because they can spray like a skunk. In the stomach of one
they found more then a pound of ants. They can smell the difference between stinging and non
stinging ants. At 91 degrees F they have one of the lowest body temperatures of any mammal.
Updated 4/29/17