Tamandua
Encyclopedia
Tamandua is a genus
of anteater
s. It has two members: the Southern Tamandua
(Tamandua tetradactyla) and the Northern Tamandua
(Tamandua mexicana). They live in forest
s and grassland
s, are semi-arboreal, and possess partially prehensile tail
s. They mainly eat ant
s and termite
s, but they occasionally eat bee
s, beetles, and insect larvae. In captivity, they will eat fruit
s and meat
. They have no teeth
and depend on their powerful gizzard
to break down their food.
The Northern Tamandua ranges from southeastern Mexico
south throughout Central America
, and in South America
west of the Andes
from northern Venezuela
to northern Peru
. Southern Tamanduas are found from Venezuela
and Trinidad
to northern Argentina
, southern Brazil
and Uruguay
.
Tamanduas have a tapered head with a long, tubular mouth with an opening only as wide as the diameter of a pencil, from which the tongue is protruded. They also have thick, bristly fur
, which is yellowish-white, with a broad black lateral band, covering nearly the whole of the side of the body. Northern Tamanduas have a black V going down their backs, while Southern Tamanduas only have the V in the southeastern part of their range, which is the farthest from the Northern Tamandua's range. The underside and end of the tamanduas' tails are hairless, and they have four clawed digits on the forefeet and five on the hind feet.
Tamanduas grow to be 535-880 mm, plus an additional tail length of 400-590 mm. They weigh between 2 and 7 kg and live up to 9 years. The tamandua is thought to nest during the day in hollow tree trunks or in the burrows of other animals. Research shows that this type of anteater spends 13-64% of its time in trees. In fact, they are very clumsy on the ground unlike their cousin, the giant anteater. To avoid puncturing their palms with their sharp claws, they walk on the outsides of their "hands."
When aggravated, tamanduas communicate by hissing and releasing an unpleasant scent from their anal gland. If threatened while residing in the trees, it grasps a branch with its hind feet and tail, leaving its arms and long, curved claws free for combat. If on the ground, it backs up against a rock or tree and wrestles the opponent with its powerful forearms.
Tamanduas have small eyes and poor vision. Instead, they rely more on their sense of smell and hearing. Tamanduas are able to extract their prey by using their extremely strong forearms to rip open nests. They lick up insects with their elongated snouts and rounded tongues, which can reach up to 40 cm in length.
These animals, though widespread, are uncommon. Claiming that they kill their dogs, tamanduas are often killed by hunters. They are also hunted for the thick tendons in their tails, which are used to make rope. Tamanduas are sometimes used by Amazonian Indians to rid their homes of ants and termites.
Besides the tamanduas, there are two other anteater
s, the Giant Anteater
and the Silky Anteater
. Tamanduas are much smaller than the Giant Anteater, which lives on the ground and is found in a wide range of habitat
s, including grasslands, deciduous forests and rainforest
s. The Giant Anteater eats mostly ants and termites. Tamanduas are larger than the Silky Anteater, which ranges from extreme southern Mexico
to Brazil
, and possibly Paraguay
, and is completely arboreal. It eats mostly ants and termites.
The word tamanduá is Tupi for "anteater", and in Tupi and Portuguese
refers to anteaters in general. The tamandua is called in those languages tamanduá-mirim (mirim means "small").
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of anteater
Anteater
Anteaters, also known as antbear, are the four mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua commonly known for eating ants and termites. Together with the sloths, they compose the order Pilosa...
s. It has two members: the Southern Tamandua
Southern Tamandua
The southern tamandua, also called a collared anteater, or lesser anteater , is a species of anteater from South America. It is a solitary animal, found in many habitats from mature to highly disturbed secondary forests and arid savannas. It feeds on ants, termites and bees...
(Tamandua tetradactyla) and the Northern Tamandua
Northern Tamandua
The northern tamandua is a species of tamandua, a small anteater in the family Myrmecophagidae. They live in tropical and subtropical forests from southern Mexico, through Central America, and to the edge of the northern Andes....
(Tamandua mexicana). They live in forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, are semi-arboreal, and possess partially prehensile tail
Prehensile tail
A prehensile tail is the tail of an animal that has adapted to be able to grasp and/or hold objects. Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees...
s. They mainly eat ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s and termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s, but they occasionally eat bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s, beetles, and insect larvae. In captivity, they will eat fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s and meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
. They have no teeth
Tooth
Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...
and depend on their powerful gizzard
Gizzard
The gizzard, also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ found in the digestive tract of some animals, including birds, reptiles, earthworms and some fish. This specialized stomach constructed of thick, muscular walls is used for grinding up food; often rocks are...
to break down their food.
The Northern Tamandua ranges from southeastern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
south throughout Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
west of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
from northern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
to northern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Southern Tamanduas are found from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
to northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
Tamanduas have a tapered head with a long, tubular mouth with an opening only as wide as the diameter of a pencil, from which the tongue is protruded. They also have thick, bristly fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
, which is yellowish-white, with a broad black lateral band, covering nearly the whole of the side of the body. Northern Tamanduas have a black V going down their backs, while Southern Tamanduas only have the V in the southeastern part of their range, which is the farthest from the Northern Tamandua's range. The underside and end of the tamanduas' tails are hairless, and they have four clawed digits on the forefeet and five on the hind feet.
Tamanduas grow to be 535-880 mm, plus an additional tail length of 400-590 mm. They weigh between 2 and 7 kg and live up to 9 years. The tamandua is thought to nest during the day in hollow tree trunks or in the burrows of other animals. Research shows that this type of anteater spends 13-64% of its time in trees. In fact, they are very clumsy on the ground unlike their cousin, the giant anteater. To avoid puncturing their palms with their sharp claws, they walk on the outsides of their "hands."
When aggravated, tamanduas communicate by hissing and releasing an unpleasant scent from their anal gland. If threatened while residing in the trees, it grasps a branch with its hind feet and tail, leaving its arms and long, curved claws free for combat. If on the ground, it backs up against a rock or tree and wrestles the opponent with its powerful forearms.
Tamanduas have small eyes and poor vision. Instead, they rely more on their sense of smell and hearing. Tamanduas are able to extract their prey by using their extremely strong forearms to rip open nests. They lick up insects with their elongated snouts and rounded tongues, which can reach up to 40 cm in length.
These animals, though widespread, are uncommon. Claiming that they kill their dogs, tamanduas are often killed by hunters. They are also hunted for the thick tendons in their tails, which are used to make rope. Tamanduas are sometimes used by Amazonian Indians to rid their homes of ants and termites.
Besides the tamanduas, there are two other anteater
Anteater
Anteaters, also known as antbear, are the four mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua commonly known for eating ants and termites. Together with the sloths, they compose the order Pilosa...
s, the Giant Anteater
Giant Anteater
The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. It is found in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina...
and the Silky Anteater
Silky Anteater
The Silky Anteater or Pygmy Anteater is a species of anteater from Central and South America, ranging from extreme southern Mexico south to Brazil Delta Amacuro Venezuela and possibly Paraguay...
. Tamanduas are much smaller than the Giant Anteater, which lives on the ground and is found in a wide range of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s, including grasslands, deciduous forests and rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s. The Giant Anteater eats mostly ants and termites. Tamanduas are larger than the Silky Anteater, which ranges from extreme southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and possibly Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, and is completely arboreal. It eats mostly ants and termites.
The word tamanduá is Tupi for "anteater", and in Tupi and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
refers to anteaters in general. The tamandua is called in those languages tamanduá-mirim (mirim means "small").