Antbears uses that elongated snout for a keen sense of smell to detect underground ants’ nests. Its tubular ears allows for hearing that is acute.
Why do anteaters have long snouts?
The giant anteater’s elongated head and nose are perfectly designed to get in and out of a termite mound or anthill. The giant anteater’s claws curl up into their feet when they walk, in order to keep their claws from wearing down and losing their sharpness.
This is the story of how the anteater got its nose. Long ago, the anteater did not have a long nose. She had a short, flat snout, just like a pig. The ants of the rain forest called her Flora, because she liked to push her flat, little snout into the flowery floor of the rain forest.
What does an anteater look like?
Their hair is course on the upper parts but long and shaggy on the under parts and tail. The Anteaters tail is long and bushy and can measure 2 – 3 feet alone. Their heads are long and narrow with a small black snout on the end. Their eyes and ears are small and they have a very long sticky tongue.
What does a giant anteater look like?
Giant anteaters are quite distinctive looking – their long snouts contain a sticky tongue which can extend up to 50cm! They have long claws for opening up termite and ant nests which are so large that they appear to walk on their wrists. They also have a bushy tail which they use as a sunshade.
This is what I researched. giant Anteaters have a rather small brain in comparison to their body size although they have large skulls which can extend up to 18 inches in length. The Giant Anteaters preferred habitats are grasslands, tropical forests, open woodlands and dry savannas. Giant Anteaters are specialist carnivorous predators of termites and ants.
How do anteaters identify ants?
Research has found that giant anteaters can identify a particular species of ant or termite by smell before they rip apart a nest. Giant anteaters have a long, distinctive snout with a 2-foot-long tongue and no teeth. They may have diminished senses of hearing and sight, but they have a highly developed sense of smell.
Do anteaters eat with their mouths?
Watching an anteater forage for ants or termites with its long snout certainly gives the impression that it is sucking the insects up into its nose. But, contrary to appearances (and what cartoons may have led you to believe), anteaters actually eat with their mouths.