EX EW CR EN VU NT LC O Giant Anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla Populations of the largest species of anteater have been in decline for much of their recorded history Loss of habitat has been the most significant threat T he giant anteater leads a highly specialized way of life It feeds mainly on colonies of large ants which it collects with its specially adapted mouth and tongue However when it tracks down an ant nest teeming with potential food the animal does not dive in and gorge Instead it breaks open a small section of the nest using its powerful 4-inch 10 cm long claws dips its long snout into the hole and extracts a couple of hundred ants with its long bristly tongue Often after less than a minute’s feeding time it moves on leaving the remaining ants to repair the damaged nest wall In this way the ant colony continues to prosper and there is always plenty of food when the anteater or one of its neighbors returns to the nest to feed again The giant anteater has thus developed a sustainable way of exploiting its major food source A single anteater may have a home range of several thousand acres and will travel widely in the course of a day or night anteaters can be active at any time depending on the season and the weather The ranges of neighboring anteaters overlap considerably but the animals rarely meet and if they do they seem to ignore each other Giant anteaters leave scent marks but they use them more as a means of communication than as a territorial warning
Threatened Existence Violence between anteaters is rare and they usually choose to flee from danger rather than to fight it Nevertheless they are more than capable of defending themselves against attack from other animals The anteater’s main enemies other than people are jaguars and pumas However even for such accomplished predators an attack on an anteater is no easy undertaking The anteater’s long claws and hugely powerful forelegs are formidable weapons capable of inflicting serious injury or even killing with a suffocating squeeze The anteater’s armory is no match for a shotgun or rifle however and unregulated hunting by trophy hunters has had a significant effect on the population The anteater’s claws are so long that the animal has to walk on its knuckles and the outsides of its wrists to prevent its claws from scraping on the ground Anteaters can move surprisingly well in this way but they are not able to run fast Their lack of speed makes them vulnerable to hunters and at times to forest fires The anteater’s long shaggy fur is highly flammable so there are always dead animals after a major fire To compound the problem breeding rates are slow and there is a prolonged period of care for the young so populations take a long time to recover from any losses Giant anteaters are easily recognizable by their size and the distinctive dark stripe with white edges that runs from the chest onto both flanks Their individu al hairs are curious being banded in black and white A mother carries her single pup on her back for the first few months of its life GIANT ANTEATER DATA PANEL Giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla Family Myrmecophagidae World population Unknown possibly tens of thousands Distribution Central and South America from southern Belize and Guatemala to Argentina with populations in Brazil Colombia Costa Rica French Guiana Peru Paraguay and Venezuela Habitat Low-lying grasslands and open forests sometimes ventures into dense vegetation Size Length head body 39 47 in 100 120 cm tail 26 36 in 65 90 cm males 10 20 bigger than females Weight 39 86 lb 18 39 kg Form Bulky body distinctive tapered narrow snout Gray-brown fur long on legs and tail white bordered dark band tapers from chest to flank over each shoulder Eyes and ears small Long narrow tongue can be extended up to 24 in 60 cm Diet Ants termites and their eggs grubs and cocoons occasionally beetle larvae and fruit Breeding Single young born at any time of year after gestation of 6 7 months fully weaned at 6 months but may remain with mother for up to 2 years mature at 3 years Life span up to 26 years in captivity Related endangered species No close relatives but other species of South American anteaters for example pygmy anteater Clyclopes didactylus are scarce and becoming more so with deforestation Status IUCN VU The giant anteater depends for its survival on large areas of undisturbed habitat with plenty of suitable food It does well in national parks and reserves but elsewhere it is becoming scarce Plowing for crops destroys ant colonies and inevitably affects the anteater’s food supplies The apparently wide distribution of the giant anteater from Central America to northern Argentina is misleading Within this range populations are small spread out and often isolated in small islands of suitable habitat The species is not yet at the brink of extinction but unless steps are taken to secure its habitat the future of the giant anteater will be in crisis 9
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC O Giant Armadillo Priodontes maximus South America’s giant armadillos are solitary creatures with a large home range Human activities such as logging and the spread of urban settlements and farmland are now driving the prehistoric-looking mammals toward extinction T he giant armadillo is one of 21 armadillo species which include the nine-banded armadillo the only one whose range extends into the United States Armadillos have a protective armor of bony plates that grow in bands over the head back and hips Their long curved claws are good digging tools and they are strong swimmers They can also swallow air to make themselves buoyant in water The giant armadillo is the largest of the species Humans aside it has few natural enemies and its size and body armor equip it well against potential predators such as the jaguar Its 80 teeth more than any other land mammal do not need to be used for defense and they are small and set far back inside the armadillo’s mouth The giant armadillo’s range covers a huge area from Venezuela to Argentina but between these points its distribution is patchy and the animals are thinly spread This is partly because of the armadillo’s solitary lifestyle Adults tend to avoid each other except during the breeding season Nocturnal creatures they rest in burrows during the day and spend the night patrolling their territory They feed on termites ants and other insects as well as snails small snakes and carrion They leave smelly scent marks to make sure their neighbors know that they are around Their extensive home ranges mean that a healthy population of giant armadillos needs a large area of continuous habitat Small patches of forest are of no use since the giant armadillos are sensitive to disturbance and will not venture far beyond the cover of trees in order to feed Prime Habitat Large areas of prime giant armadillo habitat are being Giant armadillo Priodontes maximus Family Dasypodidae World population Unknown perhaps tens of thousands Distribution South America from Venezuela to northeastern Argentina including Colombia Guyana Surinam French Guiana Peru Brazil Bolivia and Paraguay Habitat Forests and scrublands especially those close to water occasionally ventures into grassland but never goes far from tree cover DATA PANEL Size Length head body 30 39 in 75 100 cm tail 18 20 in 45 50 cm Weight 99 132 lb 45 60 kg Form Bulky dark-brown animal with long tail head back and hips covered by rows of small bony horn-covered plates called scutes elsewhere skin covered with stiff hair Snout slightly elongated with long flexible tongue eyes and ears small Front feet have long curved claws Diet Mostly termites also ants and other insects occasionally worms spiders snails and small snakes some carrion Breeding One or occasionally 2 young born after 4-month gestation weaned at 4 6 weeks mature at 9 12 months May live up to 15 years in the wild Related endangered species Pink fairy armadillo Chlamyphorus truncatus DD greater fairy armadillo Chaetophractus retusus DD Brazilian three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes tricinctus VU others poorly known Status IUCN VU 10
GIANT ARMADILLO Giant Ancestors The giant armadillo is not very large compared with its ancient forebears Fossils show that South America was once home to enormous armadillos called glyptodonts whose body plates were fused to form a domed carapace thick hard shield like that of a tortoise They were over 8 feet 2 5 m long about the size of a small car These giants seem to have disappeared during the last 2 million years It is now up to us to ensure that the modern-day giant armadillo does not go the same way The giant armadillo’s armor-plated hide provides it with excellent protection from potential predators which allows it to go about its termite-eating business in peace Unlike some other armadillos this one cannot roll up completely but it often stands up on its hind legs destroyed continuously by logging and the spread of human settlements and agriculture The deliberate flooding of large areas of rain forest to create reservoirs is also threatening armadillos along with many other kinds of South American wildlife Giant armadillos rapidly disappear from the areas around new human settlements or roads It may be that some simply choose to move on retreating back into less disturbed forest but it is more likely that many are shot for their meat which is a local delicacy Hidden Possibilities Armadillos have the unlikely characteristic of being the only known hosts apart from human beings of leprosy The disease is usually transmitted to people through the soil and causes lumps discoloration of the skin and gradual deterioration of the nerves especially in the extremities such as the fingers and toes Leprosy is still a major disease in many parts of the world so armadillos may be an important model for scientists in their efforts to find an effective treatment 11
