Collared anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla)

Also known as:	Lesser anteater, northern tamandua, southern tamandua, tamandua
French:	Fourmilier À Collier, Tamandou À Quatre Doigts, Tamandou Tétradactyle
Spanish:	Brazo Fuerte, Hormiguero De Collar, Tamandúa De Collar

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Pilosa
Family	Myrmecophagidae
Genus	Tamandua (1)

Top facts

• As its name suggests, the collared anteater usually eats ants and termites, but it will also attack bees nests to get the honey.
• The collared anteater has no teeth, but has an impressive 40cm long, cylindrical tongue.
• A semi-arboreal species, the collared anteater has a prehensile tail which it uses as a 5th limb when climbing.
• With poor eyesight and hearing, the collared anteater locates food using its good sense of smell.

Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Information on the collared anteater is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

1. IUCN Red List (May, 2010)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org