Anteater Diet

Anteaters belong to a category of animals known as insectivores. Although an anteater has no teeth, its elongated tongue enables it to catch and eat thousands of insects each day.

Prey

Anteaters live largely on ants and termites, which their long, tube-shaped nose allows them to locate by smell. The Iwokrama Forest website states that they also eat grubs. The largest member of the anteater family, the giant anteater, can eat up to 35,000 insects a day, according to National Geographic.

Eating Method

The key to an anteater's ability to live on insects lies in its specialized tongue, which can reach up to 2 feet in length and contains tiny spines to capture prey, according to Discovery Cove. Anteaters flick their tongues up to 160 times per minute, consuming the ants before they can sting.

Hunting Grounds

Anteaters find the insects that make up their daily menu in the grasslands and tropical forests of Central and South America. The anteaters leave the insect nests they find intact, instead of destroying them, to ensure future meals. Some smaller anteaters such as the silky anteater venture onto tree branches to find food.

References

• National Geographic: Giant Anteater
• Iwokrama: Giant Anteater, Powerful Insectavore
• Discovery Cove: Giant Anteater