How Much Ants Do Anteaters Eat?
WouterDuring the first six months of their lives, baby anteaters consume between 20,000-35,000 ants or termites per day. In addition, they will eat their mothers’ milk.
During their daily feeding activities, anteaters flick their tongues in and out, up to 150 times a minute. This method is designed to help anteaters quickly ingest ants. However, ants can get stuck on the tongues of anteaters. This is because ants have a thick, sticky saliva that they use to eat.
The giant anteater can extend its tongue up to 610 mm (2 feet) long, which is enough to grab insects. The tongues of giant anteaters are coated with sticky saliva, which allows them to pull insects in and out of the mouth. These ant eaters also have strong claws, which they use to tear open ant hills and termite mounds.
The anteater has a thick coat of fur, which protects them from insect attacks. They have a very powerful sense of smell, up to 40 times more powerful than humans. They can also differentiate between different ant species based on smell.
Anteaters also have long snouts and tongues, which help them scoop up food. They also have long legs with a bushy tail. They have bristly short hair on their shoulders, and are patterned with black stripes from their upper front legs to their spine.
In addition to ants, anteaters will eat other animals, such as fruit, eggs, and soft grubs. They are also known to eat dog chow. They also eat soil debris and small rocks.
