Tamandua

Tamandua
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pilosa
Family: Myrmecophagidae
Genus: Tamandua
J. E. Gray, 1825[1]
Type species
Myrmecophaga tamandua[2]
Species

Tamandua tetradactyla
Tamandua mexicana

Tamandua is a genus of anteaters in the Myrmecophagidae family with two species: the southern tamandua (T. tetradactyla) and the northern tamandua (T. mexicana).[2] They live in forests and grasslands, are semiarboreal, and possess partially prehensile tails. They mainly eat ants and termites, but they occasionally eat bees, beetles, and insect larvae. In captivity, they will eat fruits and meat. They have no teeth and depend on their powerful gizzards to break down their food.

  1. ^ Miller, Jr., Gerrit S. (1924). "List of Recent North American Recent Mammals 1923". United States National Museum Bulletin. 128: 501. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b Gardner, A. (2005). "Family Myrmecophagidae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 102–103. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.