Skip to content
Giant Anteater
Fernando Flores, CC BY-SA 4.0, via iNaturalist

Sloths, anteaters & armadillos

Giant Anteater

Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758

VU VulnerableOn Suriname's list of threatened fauna

Names

EnglishGiant Anteater
DutchReuzenmiereneter
SpanishOso hormiguero gigante
Chinese大食蚁兽
Sranan Tongotamanuwa
Sranan Tongotamanwa
Scientific nameMyrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758

About this species

The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is the largest of the four living species of anteaters, which are classified with sloths in the order Pilosa. The only extant member of the genus Myrmecophaga, the giant anteater is mostly terrestrial, in contrast to other living anteaters and sloths, which are arboreal or semiarboreal. It is recognizable by its elongated snout, bushy tail, long foreclaws, and distinctively colored fur.

The giant anteater is found in multiple habitats, including grassland and rainforest. It forages in open areas and rests in more forested habitats. It feeds primarily on ants and termites, using its foreclaws to dig them up and its long, sticky tongue to collect them. Though giant anteaters live in overlapping home ranges, they are mostly solitary except during mother-offspring relationships, aggressive interactions between males, and when mating. Mother anteaters carry their offspring on their backs until weaning them.

Read more on Wikipedia · Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderPilosa
FamilyMyrmecophagidae
GenusMyrmecophaga

In Suriname

40Records in Suriname
3iNaturalist observations
1836First record
2024Latest record

Where it has been recorded

  • Brokopondo7
  • Sipaliwini4
  • Commewijne1

Districts with at least one record that has coordinates. Shaded districts have records.

Records by month

All years combined.

Sources & credits

Spotted a mistake or know another local name? Tell us.

Related species in Suriname