Giant anteater, also known as ant bear. This animal with an extremely interesting appearance has the scientific name Myrmecophaga tridactyla.

They are called ant bears, because when the front claws are curled up, they look like a panda with pure white fur and two black spots. Even when looking from afar, many people will mistakenly think that this strange animal has two heads.

Ant bears were discovered and officially described by scientists in 1758. They are native to Central and South America. Unlike their relatives who live in trees or both on trees and on the ground, ant bears live completely underground.

Ant bears have very poor eyesight, but their sense of smell is very developed. The sensitivity to distinguish flavors is 40 times greater than that of humans. Ant bears search and track prey through their scent. They have a fairly long lifespan. In captivity, ant bears can live up to 16 years.

Each ant bear’s limbs have 5 fingers. When moving, they walk on their knuckles, similar to gorillas, chimpanzees and North African apes.

Ant bears are one of the mammals with a low body temperature. The ant bear’s oral cavity is shaped like a large and long tube, but they do not have teeth. They use the claws of their forelimbs to search for prey and use their quick tongue, which moves continuously about 160 times/minute to stick to their prey.

Jaw movements of this species are very limited. They swallow their prey into their stomachs and digest food like birds. The special thing about ant bears is that they can live in many different environments and have the ability to swim very well. They can cross a wide river.

People rarely see them in pairs unless they mate. The young are carried by the mother while breastfeeding. From 3 to 4 years old, ant bears can mate. They mate many times a year. Each pregnancy lasts about 190 days. Newborn babies weigh about 1.4kg and usually breastfeed until they are 9 – 10 months old.

Currently, ant bears are listed as species in need of urgent protection because they are in danger of extinction. It is very difficult to see them in natural environments except in protected areas. Their numbers are decreasing because of illegal hunting by humans.