melacoryphus lateralis is a species of true bug , one of several called black-and-red seed bug .

black and fringed with red and gray , some call it the charcoal seed bug , due to its resemblance to a dying ember .

native to the deserts of western north american , they have a tendency to appear in large numbers in the late summer .

melacoryphus lateralis

melacoryphus lateralis <EOT> no one has contributed data records for melacoryphus lateralis yet . learn how to contribute .

the wet winter has led to a proliferation of the charcoal seed bug , known scientifically as the melacoryphus lateralis .

the charcoal seed bug , or melacoryphus lateralis are abundant in the desert because of the wetter than usual winter .

the charcoal seed bug , or melacoryphus lateralis are abundant in the desert because of the wetter than usual winter . this collection is outside a shop in downtown palm springs .

the outside window ledge at starbucks in downtown palm springs is inundated with the charcoal seed bug , or melacoryphus lateralis . the bugs are abundant in the desert because of the wetter than usual winter .

slater alex . 1988 . j . kansas entomol . soc . 308 > > note : transferred from neacoryphus > > melacoryphus lateralis urn : lsid : lygaeoidea . speciesfile . org : taxonname : 485979

many started to notice the proliferation of the bug , known scientifically as the melacoryphus lateralis , a couple of weeks ago , amassed around bright porch lights , in the crevice around windows and clinging to exterior walls .

for the past two months in the high - desert communities at the foot of the sierra nevada’s eastern slopes , residents have seen an explosion of the fingernail - sized black - and - red seed bug species melacoryphus lateralis .

such has been the skin - crawling reality for the past two months in the high - desert communities at the foot of the sierra nevada ' s eastern slopes , where residents have seen an explosion of the black - and - red seed bug species melacoryphus lateralis .

slater , j . a . 1964 . a catalogue of the lygaeidae of the world . 134 - 135 > > melanocoryphus lateralis

torre - bueno , j . r . 1946 . ent . amer . > > note : ent . amer . 26 : 19 | | ( keyed ; fp . ) > > lygaeus ( melanocoryphus ) lateralis

ashlock , p . d . & a . slater . 1988 . in henry & froeschner . catalog of the heteroptera , or true bugs , of canada and the continental united states . 198 > > neacoryphus lateralis

scudder , g . g . e . 1965 . proc . entomol . soc . brit . columbia 37 > > note : transferred from melanocoryphus > > neacoryphus lateralis urn : lsid : lygaeoidea . speciesfile . org : taxonname : 485983

van duzee , e . p . 1917 . catalogue of the hemiptera of america north of mexico . berkeley : univ . calif . press . > > note : cat . hem . n . amer . , p . 155 . > > lygaeus ( melanocoryphus ) lateralis

stal , c . 1874 . enumeratio hemipterorum pt . 12 ( 1 ) : 1 - 186 > > note : enum . hem . 4 : 113 | | ( des . ) > > melanocoryphus lateralis urn : lsid : lygaeoidea . speciesfile . org : taxonname : 485981

blatchley , w . s . 1926 . heteroptera or true bugs of eastern north america , with especial reference to the faunas of indiana & florida . indianapolis : nature publishing co . > > note : het . e . n . amer . , p . 348 | | ( syn . ) > > lygaeus lateralis

van duzee , e . p . 1916 . check list of the hemiptera ( excepting the aphididae , aleurodidae and coccidae ) of america , north of mexico . new york : n . y . ent . soc . > > note : list hem . n . amer . , p . 18 | | ( listed ) > > lygaeus ( melanocoryphus ) lateralis

dallas , w . s . 1852 . list of the specimens of hemipterous insects in the collection of the british museum . part . ii . 2 : 369 - 592 > > note : list hem . b . m . 2 : 550 ( o . d . ) > > lygaeus lateralis urn : lsid : lygaeoidea . speciesfile . org : taxonname : 485980

distant , w . l . 1893 . vol . i . biol . cent . - amer . london ( v ) - xx , > > note : biol . cent . amer . hem . het . 1 : 187 | | ( col . fig . - dv ; var . nts . ) > > lygaeus ( melanocoryphus ) lateralis urn : lsid : lygaeoidea . speciesfile . org : taxonname : 485982

bugs swarm at a service station in the eastern sierra nevada town of lone pine , california , aug . 14 , 2015 , in this photo provided by matthew hengst .

lone pine , calif . - - the gas station ' s ground was covered with the small winged bugs . piles of carcasses , inches deep , sat swept to the sides .

on the road , they rained onto car windshields . they flew by the thousands toward even the smallest sources of light , and crept along windows and kitchen tables .

" they ' re in everything . there ' s no way to get rid of them or eradicate them . they ' re just here , " said blair nicodemus , 33 , of lone pine , while driving with a bug creeping on his windshield . " sometimes there will be these micro - plumes that ' ll come through where there will be just thousands of them , and they ' ll be all over you . . . . i ' m sure i ' ve eaten at least two dozen , because they get into your food . "

such outbreaks have happened in arizona ' s sonoran desert near tucson , but scientists say it ' s the first one they have record of in california .

the influx has been driven by a mild winter and monsoonal weather , which provided healthier vegetation for the nutrient - sucking bugs , said david haviland , an entomologist with the university of california cooperative extension in kern county .

officials announce new water restrictions as the california drought persists ; some consequences of which you probably anticipated , others you def . . .

the bugs ' flight into town and toward the lights in homes , businesses or cars , however , might be related to the drying up of native vegetation in the summer heat and the drought , said nathan reade , agricultural commissioner for inyo and mono counties .

the fingernail - sized insects are the main topic of conversation in the area .

a printout in a hotel lobby in a lone pine motel warned people to keep their doors shut at night , and a hotel worker advised people to keep their car windows up if lights are on . a dollar general store in inyokern limited its store hours after dark to avoid dealing with the bugs .

lia sensanbaugh of inyokern doesn ' t turn on her lights when at home . " i ' ve got them real bad , " she said . " i ' ve been living off my tv light for about a month and a half . "

gas stations and rest areas along highway 395 - a roadway that crosses through sparsely populated and rural areas - are prime bug targets because of their lights . after dark , the bugs swirl like surreal artwork below the pearsonville shell gas station ' s overhead lights .

" millions , tens , twenty , we can ' t count it , " gas station owner soma praba said . " at nighttime , if you go into the station , they ' ll follow . they go everywhere . they get on your body , your head . "

each morning praba ' s workers have spent three hours sweeping the ground and using a leaf blower to clear away piles of the bugs . around eight times a day , workers will sweep , discovering two hours later that the same amount of bugs are back , praba said with frustration .

spraying insecticide hasn ' t helped , praba said , and exterminators have been equally stymied . the only reprieve seems to be a windy day and the recent smoke from fires .

" we are tired of it , " praba said . " i am waiting for the first snow to come . "

at a lone pine gas station this week , the side of the building was covered with bugs , and a woman was hosing off the wall , despite the drought , said kathi hall , who owns the town ' s mt . whitney restaurant with her husband .

ridgecrest mayor peggy breeden said some people in town use umbrellas while getting gas because of the swarms overhead . she ' s fielded many dozens of concerned calls and never seen anything like this in her 33 years there .

she put together a notice this week to post around town explaining to visitors that the bugs are a harmless nuisance in the hopes that they ' ll return when the bugs die down .

that said , breeden joked , " if frogs come , we ' re all leaving . "

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twelve states in the u . s . have active volcanoes , according to united states geological survey

" this was a real miracle for that the people were there . everything fell into place . i am so happy . glory to god for this "

" cbsn : on assignment " ep . 4 : hate rising ; cyber soldiers ; deadliest assignment ; climate refugees

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china only makes $ 8 . 46 from an iphone . that ' s why trump ' s trade war is futile

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upcoming events 2018 bugguide gathering in virginia july 27 - 29 : registration and discussion photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in wisconsin , july 10 - 12 photos of insects and people from the 2014 gathering in virginia , june 4 - 7 . photos of insects and people from the 2013 gathering in arizona , july 25 - 28 photos of insects and people from the 2012 gathering in alabama photos of insects and people from the 2011 gathering in iowa photos from the 2010 workshop in grinnell , iowa photos from the 2009 gathering in washington

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they love seeds but can be found around bright porch lights , in the crevice around windows and clinging to exterior walls .

tiny black bugs are taking over palm springs . here ' s why . they love seeds but can be found around bright porch lights , in the crevice around windows and clinging to exterior walls . check out this story on urltoken urltoken

one small insect alone isn’t too creepy . but dozens , maybe even hundreds , swarmed together , can make the most composed person shudder .

and with the infestation of the charcoal seed bug — a small black insect fringed with red — there seems to be a lot of cringing going on .

palm springs resident shelli o’rourke notices the insects congregating on the light right outside her front door . when she gets home at night she blocks them with her screen door and rushes in as fast as she can to get past them .

“i don’t mind bugs , as long as they’re not on me , ” she said .

the bug is attracted to the vegetation and seeds that have flourished as a result of the wetter than usual winter . lawns have benefited from the above average rainfall , but now , the desert is paying for it with a proliferation of the pesky pest .

“it’s all a result of the rain , " said kurt m . leuschner , professor of entomology at college of the desert . " the rain triggered a lot of growth of plant life … and the seed bugs are loving it . ”

and like most bugs , they are attracted to light which is why people are finding them around windows and on walls near fixtures .

palm springs resident les alexander has encountered them at his home and at places he visits in downtown palm springs . while at starbucks on monday he couldn’t help but snap a photo of the infestation around the restaurant ' s front window .

“i live in palm springs year round and frequent many different local restaurants , all of which have been experiencing these beetles , ” said alexander in an email . “we experienced this ourselves to the point we can’t leave yard or pool lights on at home without being inundated with thousands of these little beetles . they are mostly gone by the early morning with only the weak , dead and dying left behind . "

“they’re annoying but they’re harmless . they technically could bite you but even if they did they wouldn’t cause any harm , ” he said . “they ' re not after human flesh . ”

leuschner advised people to be patient because they will soon disappear on their own .

in the meantime , some downtown palm springs shops are keeping their lights at night to a minimum so they don ' t attract the bugs . in the mornings , they are also vigilant to sweep in front of their shops and around their windows .

“it should be over in a couple of weeks , " said leuschner . " now that things are drying up … they will soon die . "

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kissing bugs ? and why are they congregating ? location : organ pipe cactus national monument , az july 29 , 2010 3 : 47 pm hi folks ! we have been noticing in recent weeks ( how could we not ? ! ) that these bugs have been congregating in large numbers on the park offices security gate around sunrise .

they somewhat resemble kissing bugs / assassin bugs in appearance but are much smaller than species we are familar with .

swarms of love bugs intent to mate , in central florida , in the spring and summer . they do not bite , they land on you , slow moving , they are attracted to white . brushing them away agitates a swarm to come at you . very disgusting insect . do not think birds are interested in them . a rumor was that they are genetically modified critters .

we have numerous love bug postings on our site where this comment would have been more appropriate .

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virginia beach gift shop wtb ? mt . washington 10 most beautiful spiders nasty reader award top 10 household pests bug love bug of the month buggy accessories fanmail buggy life cycles milkweed meadow northern california bug humanitarian award snow bugs worst bug stories ever ! ! ! aquatic bugs food chain gardening blog calendar 2011 mysteries unnecessary carnage make my day buggy vocabulary words invasive exotics the big 5 virginia gems from our archives countdown 10 000 unidentified what ' s on my woody plant ? goldenrod meadow edible insects : tasty morsels wtb ? down under tomato bugs bug

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“they’re in everything . there’s no way to get rid of them or eradicate them . ”

gas stations and rest areas along highway 395 are prime bug targets because of their lights .

this is the first outbreak of bug infestation in california on record . the influx of these insect swarms might be related to the drying up of native vegetation in the summer heat and the drought , said nathan reade , agricultural commissioner for inyo and mono counties .

gas stations and rest areas along highway 395 — a roadway that crosses through sparsely populated and rural areas — are prime bug targets because of their lights . after dark , millions of the bugs swirl like surreal artwork below the pearsonville shell gas station’s overhead lights .

to the north , a different type of bug is infesting the site of the popular burning man counterculture festival in nevada’s black rock desert . state officials are working to identify the green , coin - shaped insects swarming the outdoor venue and biting workers setting up for this year’s event , which starts aug . 30 .

entomologist jeff knight , with the nevada department of agriculture , said the unknown bugs aren’t bloodsuckers and don’t seem to pose a health risk . but the amount of biological control is really insignificant compared to the millions of insects that are out there . spraying insecticide hasn’t helped and exterminators have been stymied . the bugs also have limited natural enemies : the only reprieve from the seed bugs seems to be a windy day and the recent smoke from fires .

california , now entering 5 years of the worst drought on record with economic losses upward of $ 3 billion annually , is also burning at unprecedented rates over the same span of time beginning 2 years ago with the third worst wildfire in the state’s history when 257 , 314 acres burned in and around yosemite . and now with the current drought conditions nearly 5 , 000 wildfires have already scorched a total of 117 , 960 acres this year , more than double the five - year average ; however that’s not including the recent largest two fires with blazes that razed nearly 100 , 000 acres , in ( of all places ) northern california’s jerusalem valley .

pestilence is the karma of arrogance which was brought upon oppressive , tyrannical rulers of ancient times according to judaic theology .

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lygaeoidea species file ( version 5 . 0 / 5 . 0 ) home search taxa key help wiki

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uhler , p . r . 1872 . in : hayden , prelim . rep . u . s . geol . survey . mont . > > note : in hayden , rept . u . s . geol . surv . montana , p . 405 | | ( col . var . nts . ) ( part ) > > lygaeus facetus

van duzee , e . p . 1917 . catalogue of the hemiptera of america north of mexico . berkeley : univ . calif . press . > > note : cat . hem . n . amer . , p . 155 | | ( part ) > > lygaeus ( melanocoryphus ) facetus

van duzee , e . p . 1923 . proc . calif . acad . sci . ( ser . > > note : proc . cal . ac . sci . 12 : 11 : 137 | | ( fp . ) > > lygaeus facetus

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notiocampus ruber , the red pipefish , is a species of pipefish endemic to the indian ocean waters along the southern coast of australia and tasmania .

it occurs at depths from 5 to 20 m ( 16 to 66 ft ) over the continental shelf .

this species grows to a length of 16.4 cm ( 6.5 in ) .

this species is the only known member of its genus .

notiocampus ruber

notiocampus ruber <EOT> there have been no dedicated surveys or population estimates for notiocampus ruber . further research is needed in order to determine population size and trends in abundance .

notiocampus ruber is an australian endemic species that occurs along the coast to 20 m depth from lucky bay , western australia , to port jackson , new south wales . the species also occurs in tasmania ( dawson 1985 ) .

citation : department of the environment ( 2018 ) . notiocampus ruber in species profile and threats database , department of the environment , canberra . available from : urltoken . accessed tue , 10 jul 2018 07 : 11 : 40 + 1000 .

dawson , c . e . 1979 . the indo - pacific pipefish genera notiocampus gen . nov . and nannocampus gunther . proceedings of the biological society of washington 92 ( 3 ) : 482 - 493 .

notiocampus ruber inhabits coral and rocky reefs , filamentous and other red macroalgae , seagrass beds ( mcclatchie et al . 2006 ) . other pipefishes tend to feed on small planktonic and / or benthic crustaceans such as harpacticoid copepods , gammarid shrimps , and mysids , and it is quite likely that this species does the same ( kendrick and hyndes 2005 ) . the species is ovoviviparous , and males brood eggs in a pouch , probably under their tail , until giving birth to live young ( dawson 1985 ) . contrary to what is exhibited by most syngnathids , n . ruber tends to move in a rapid snake - like motion .

( of nannocampus ruber ramsay & ogilby , 1886 ) froese , r . & d . pauly ( editors ) . ( 2018 ) . fishbase . world wide web electronic publication . , available online at urltoken [ details ]

there are no species - specific conservation actions in place for notiocampus ruber . the species is protected throughout its range by australia ' s environment protection and biodiversity conservation act ( 1999 ) . it is not listed in any international legislation or trade regulations . it ' s unknown whether the species occurs in any protected areas . most state governments in australia have or are working towards completing coastal regional management strategies . further research is needed to better understand this species ' habitats , ecology , population size , and threats .

justification : notiocamnpus ruber is a southern australian endemic marine pipefish that inhabits rocky and coral reefs , algae , and seagrasses . the species is protected from exploitation throughout its range and is a generalist in that it utilizes several different habitat types . therefore , this species is listed as least concern .

greek , noton = back + greek , kampe = curvature ( ref . 45335 )

marine ; demersal ; depth range 5 - 20 m ( ref . 5316 ) . subtropical

eastern indian ocean : southern australia , from western australia to new south wales and tasmania .

maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 16 . 4 cm sl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 5316 )

occurs in inshore waters of the continental shelf ( ref . 75154 ) . ovoviviparous ( ref . 205 ) . the male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail ( ref . 205 ) .

dawson , c . e . , 1985 . indo - pacific pipefishes ( red sea to the americas ) . the gulf coast research laboratory ocean springs , mississippi , usa . ( ref . 5316 )

phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 1 . 0000 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .

bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 00049 ( 0 . 00022 - 0 . 00111 ) , b = 3 . 10 ( 2 . 91 - 3 . 29 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this ( sub ) family - body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .

trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 4 ±0 . 4 se ; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : high , minimum population doubling time less than 15 months ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .

vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 15 of 100 ) .

: missing argument 2 for checkecotox ( ) , called in / var / www / html / summary / speciessummary . php on line 1995 and defined in

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for information to assist regulatory considerations , refer to policy statements and guidelines , the conservation advice , the listing advice and / or the recovery plan .

listed as least concern ( global status : iucn red list of threatened species : 2017 . 1 list )

kuiter , r . h . ( 2009 ) seahorses and their relatives . aquatic photographics , 216

the distribution shown is generalised from the departments species of national environmental significance dataset . this is an indicative distribution map of the present distribution of the species based on best available knowledge . some species information is withheld in line with sensitive species polices . see map caveat for more information .

commonwealth of australia ( 2000c ) . declaration under section 248 of the environment protection and biodiversity conservation act 1999 - list of marine species . f2008b00465 . canberra : federal register of legislative instruments . available from : urltoken .

kuiter , r . h . ( 2009 ) . seahorses and their relatives . page ( s ) 333 . aquatic photographics , seaford , australia .

anonymous ( 2009 ) . australian faunal directory . australian biological resources study . available from : urltoken .

epbc act email updates can be received via the communities for communities newsletter and the epbc act newsletter .

this database is designed to provide statutory , biological and ecological information on species and ecological communities , migratory species , marine species , and species and species products subject to international trade and commercial use protected under the environment protection and biodiversity conservation act 1999 ( the epbc act ) . it has been compiled from a range of sources including listing advice , recovery plans , published literature and individual experts . while reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information , no guarantee is given , nor responsibility taken , by the commonwealth for its accuracy , currency or completeness . the commonwealth does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of , or reliance on , the information contained in this database . the information contained in this database does not necessarily represent the views of the commonwealth . this database is not intended to be a complete source of information on the matters it deals with . individuals and organisations should consider all the available information , including that available from other sources , in deciding whether there is a need to make a referral or apply for a permit or exemption under the epbc act .

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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .

although this species has not been identified in trade , unidentified pipefishes have been observed in australian trade and are likely used for traditional medicine , but levels of offtake are likely low ( martin - smith and vincent 2006 ) . it ' s not clear whether this species is involved in this trade .

this errata assessment has been created because the map was accidentally left out of the version published previously .

( errata version published in 2017 ) . the iucn red list of threatened species 2016 : e . t65372435a115431108 .

to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .

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disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .

i ' ve been searching high and low to find a pic of the red pipefish ( for i . d . purposes )

i have 2 small red pipefish ( 2 and 2 . 5 " ) and they do hide 99 % of the time .

hmm , i ' ll check the sygnathid book at work . it ' s helmut debelius - - he ' s pretty good .

note the snout and other features , as well as the locale , southern australia and tasmania . definitely not him :

copy - and - paste the link in a separate window to see it full - sized ; nr automatically resizes it to fit the page well .

could be dunckerocampus baldwini , another common - named " red - stripe pipefish " . . . but it ' s endemic to hawaii . any chance the store where you got them knows if it ' s specified as hawaiian ? ( wholesalers * always * specify when something is from a locale other than indo - pacific , especially hawaii , australia , etc . )

again , copy - and - paste the link to see it full - size . and keep in mind that patterns can carry ; what strikes me is the shape of the face ; the pipefish species below it shows an excellent shot of the face / head .

thanks caesar for taking the time to look , but its a no go on both .

my pipe is probably from asia . based on size , i think 10cm is about max .

the cosmocampus is the closest looking pipe , but my pipe has no tail / rear fin . it has a tail like an aligator pipe . i ' ve never seen them using it for hitching , but then again i ' ve never seen them swim . they just slither around the substraight like a snake .

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anteater is a common name for the four extant mammal species of the suborder vermilingua ( meaning " worm tongue " ) commonly known for eating ants and termites .

the individual species have other names in english and other languages .

together with the sloths , they are within the order pilosa .

the name " anteater " is also colloquially applied to the unrelated aardvark , numbat , echidnas , pangolins and some members of the oecobiidae .

extant species are the giant anteater myrmecophaga tridactyla , about 1.8 m ( 5 ft 11 in ) long including the tail ; the silky anteater cyclopes didactylus , about 35 cm ( 14 in ) long ; the southern tamandua or collared anteater tamandua tetradactyla , about 1.2 m ( 3 ft 11 in ) long ; and the northern tamandua tamandua mexicana of similar dimensions .

anteater

anteater <EOT> learn about the silky anteater ( cyclopes didactylus ) , the smallest anteater species .

online anteater . 2001 . giant anteater information , picture , links and more . online anteater . retrieved october 29 , 2007 .

there are three different species of anteater : the aardvark , the giant anteater and the pangolin .

any of some other unrelated species that feed with ants , including pangolin ( scaly anteater ) , echidna ( spiny anteater ) , aardvark and numbat ( banded anteater ) .

the giant anteater ' s front feet have large claws , which are curled under when the giant anteater walks . although the giant anteater has poor vision the giant anteater is able to detect food using its keen sense of smell .

the giant anteater has the longest tongue in relation to its body size of any mammal , as displayed by this baby anteater .

anteaters belong to the order ‘pilosa’ which also includes sloths . the giant anteater is the largest of the anteater species , hence its name . other anteater species include the silky anteater ( cyclopes didactylus ) and the collared anteater ( tamandua tetradactyla ) . giant anteaters can be found in forests and savannas throughout central and south america from belize to northern argentina but are more common in the south .

however , it turns out that he has misidentified an anteater as a lion .

a giant anteater eats about 30 , 000 ants each day . the tamandua eat about 9 , 000 in a day , and the silky anteater can eat 5 , 000 in one day . the giant anteater and tamandua also consume termites .

anteater range royalty free cliparts , vectors , and stock illustration . image 9677040 .

doing this allows the anteater to keep its claws out of the way while walking .

the plot involves a wicked anteater who is a constant threat to an ant colony .

the giant anteater ' s sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than ours .

the giant anteater is classified in animalia because it is multicellular , eukaryotic , and heterotrophic and digests its food in a stomach . the giant anteater is in the phylum chordata because it’s a vertebrate and has a tail at the end of its body . being in the class mammalia means that the giant anteater has sweat glands and hair . being in the family myrmecophagide means that the giant anteater it is part of the anteater family .

after the two removed their pelts and submerged , the anteater jumped out of the water and stole the jaguar ' s pelt , leaving the jaguar with the anteater ' s pelt .

the term " anteater " is also colloquially applied to the mammals of diverse other groups , such as the echidna ( spiny anteaters ) of monotremata , the numbat ( banded anteater ) of marsupialia , the aardvark ( cape anteater ) of tubulidentia , and the pangolin ( scaly anteater ) of pholidota . however , these anteaters are not regarded as “true anteaters . ”

the tongue of the anteater is the longest of any mammal in relation to body size .

its name is a hint to one of its favorite foods , and you can ' t miss its long snout , but there ' s more to the story of the giant anteater ! this unique animal is the largest of the three anteater species ( the other two are the tamandua or lesser anteater and the silky anteater ) . the giant anteater is about the size of a golden retriever , but thick , bushy hair makes it look even bigger .

the giant anteater has the longest tongue in relation to its body size of any mammal .

can be bigger ( like the giant anteater that gets to nearly 2m long ) , where others can be smaller ( like the silky anteater that only grows to around 30 cm ) .

, the giant anteater is not thought to be in immediate danger of extinction but recent reports indicate that there may be less than 5 , 000 giant anteater individuals left in the wild .

, with a white - banded black stripe running along the giant anteater ' s body . the giant anteater also has a long , bushy tail which can be two to three feet long .

giant anteater with child , captive at the san diego zoo . image © © howard cheng .

the conservation status of the anteater is of near threatened . this means that there should be a

a human’s sense of smell has nothing on the anteater . theirs is 40 times more powerful .

giant anteater pups spend the first year of life hitching a ride on their mothers ' backs .

the mother anteater carries her single offspring on her back for a considerable length of time after it is born , even though the young anteater is capable of a slow gallop four weeks after birth .

since giant anteaters have no teeth , mastication or " chewing " of food in the wild is likely aided along by pebbles and other debris the anteater swallows along with his or her protein - packed insect meal . once they are trapped by the sticky tongue and enter an anteater ' s digestive system , insects are mushed up against the anteater ' s hard palate , probably with the aid of the anteater ' s flexing jaws , and are further smashed in the anteater ' s very muscular stomach .

the secretion contains pinene , limonene and other high molecular weight compounds that deter the anteater from returning .

in fact , evolution has produced several completely distinct lines of anteater - like species across the world that look similar and have the same general body functions , but there is only one true giant anteater .

naples , v . 1999 . morphology , evolution , and function of feeding in the giant anteater .

example of a giant anteater expressing the stereotypic behaviour , pacing . filmed in a zoo in england .

at just 32 . 7°c , the giant anteater has the lowest body temperature of any terrestrial mammal .

two genera and three species are in the family , consisting of the giant anteater , and the tamanduas .

myrmecophaga tridactyla , a giant anteater , captive at aalborg zoo , denmark . image © 2003 malene thyssen .

adult anteaters are normally solitary . though they are generally not aggressive animals , when attacked they can defend themselves with the emission a shrill call ( as in silky anteater ) or with their saber–like anterior claws ( as in giant anteater ) . an embrace by the giant anteater ' s powerful forelimbs can sometimes prove fatal .

the silky anteater is also called the pygmy anteater . the maximum head - to - tail length is 21 inches ( 52 centimeters ) . weight ranges from 6 to 13 ounces ( 175 to 357 grams ) .

the giant anteater is a prey item for pumas and jaguars . they have many weapons to protect themselves . when possible the anteater will gallop away from the predator . when confronted the anteater rises up on its tail and slashes at the predator . it has been seen that the anteaters claws can cut open a jaguar .

the giant anteater is also adept at swimming freestyle and uses the snout as a snorkel while doing so .

the giant anteater is the largest of the anteater species ( the others being the silky anteater and the tamandua ) . they measure between 40 and 48 inches ( 100 to 120cm ) . their large tail measures between 28 and 35 inches ( 70 and 90cm ) . they have a heavily elongated head which measures about 30cm .

the silky anteater and tamandua have prehensile tails that they use to grab and hold onto objects like trees . both species have soft , silky hair in contrast to the coarse ( rough ) fur of the giant anteater .

hill preservation at one nest an anteater can consume a lot of ants in a short period of time . however , the anteater is carefully to never completely destroy the ant hill where he found his latest meal . if the hill was to be completely destroyed then a valuable food source would be gone forever . because of this , an anteater will only spend a few minutes at a particular hill . in addition the anteater is not immune to the stinging of the angry ants and termites . this also shortens the feeding time of the anteater ( 1 ) .

the anteater has a long snout , the part of the face that includes the nose , mouth , and jaw . while the anteater is toothless , it has a long tongue that it uses to catch the ants that make up the major part of its diet . the anteater uses its snout and claws to reach into ant nests . long hair on the anteater ' s body is a protection against bites from the ants that they hunt and eat . the anteate…

silky anteater ( cyclopes didactylus ) extending its long , narrow tongue , which it uses to capture and ingest prey .

watch an anteater dine on termites , rooting out larvae with its 16 - inch ( 41 - centimeter ) tongue .

to drink , an anteater may dig for water when no surface water is available , creating waterholes for other animals .

the giant anteater has a very keen sense of smell that is about 40 times stronger than humans . the anteater uses it ' s long , keen nose to sniff out it prey . once it finds the unsuspecting ant or termite hill and uses its claws to tear it apart , sending the little insects into a frenzy and easily eaten up . the anteater uses its tongue to flick the ants into its mouth where the anteater sticky saliva keep the ants from getting away .

anteaters have generally poor hearing and eyesight , but a very good sense of smell . in fact , the sense of smell in the giant anteater is regarded to be some 40 times stronger than that of humans ( online anteater 2001 ) .

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the two remained close friends ever since , occasionally solving mysteries , including an adventure involving an anteater and an aluminum violin .

other animals grew larger owing to more of their favoured nutrition being available : these include the giant anteater and the pangolin .

myrmecophaga - three separate species of anteaters make up the family myrmecophaga ; the giant anteater being the largest of the three .

the author’s latest study involved sampling 29 anteater specimens that had died in veterinary hospitals , or were collected as roadkill , from three species : the giant anteater , the southern tamandua , and the silky anteater . after examining the tongues in various ways and under a microscope , they observed an oval - shaped cross section of a long , narrow tongue . the part furthest from the skull was covered in bumpy protrusions , and the front part was rounded and smooth . the southern tamandua and the giant anteater’s tongues had conical tips that made them look like , well , penises ( the silky anteater did not ) .

the anteater has an extremely long tongue that can reach distances of up to 2 feet beyond the end of its snout . anteater tongues are covered in tiny barbs and thick , sticky saliva . the barbs and saliva help the anteater to collect as many ants as possible on its tongue . a giant anteater is capable of eating around 30 , 000 ants in a single day thanks to highly - adapted tongue that can be projected and withdrawn at a rate of around 150 times per minute .

the tongue the anatomy and physiology of the anteater is tongue is very unique and tailored especially to the needs of the anteater . the anteater tongue is about 16 to 24 inches long and slender . covering the tongue is backward pointing spines . these spines along with adhesive saliva help the anteater to quickly flick up ants and termites with minimal stinging occurring ( 2 ) . the giant anteater can flick it ' s tongue as much as 150 times a minute . there is a bone found in the upper throat of most mammals called the hyoid bone . one of the roles of this bone is to serve as an attachment site for various muscles . in anteaters , this bone has a unique arrangement , which allows the anteater tongue to extend considerably . additionally , joints around the hyoid bone allow for the anteater to have a wide range of motion with its tongue ( 3 ) .

they believe women who touched anteater masks or men who stumbled while wearing them would die or receive some sort of physical disorder .

the above phylogenetic tree was self created . many of the branching points are far more complicated than this , but due to limited space and time , i only included the branches important in the classification of the giant anteater . common name : giant anteater .

canadian museum of nature ( cmn ) . 2007 . giant anteater . canadian museum of nature . retrieved october 29 , 2007 .

habitat : the giant anteater lives on the ground in nearly treeless grasslands and in forests . they also range in wetland swamps .

the giant anteater and its habitat are threatened by agricultural encroachment and fires , both natural and man - made ( 3 ) .

source / reference article learn how you can use or cite the anteater article in your website content , school work and other projects .

the silky anteater is a native of the hottest area in tall humid forests , and is exclusively arboreal and nocturnal in its habits .

by filming this animal , the researchers have been able to describe the unique spiny anteater erection and ejaculation behaviour for the first time .

the young anteater initially shelters in a nest in a hollow tree , but later moves about by clinging to its mother ' s back .

an interesting aspect about the anteater is that doesn ' t have teeth . instead , debris often naturally makes it way into the anteater mouth in the process of flicking up the ants . this debris is used to aid in " chewing " up the insects ( 1 ) .

the giant anteater and tamanduas constitute the family myrmecophagidae , which means “ant - eating” in latin , whereas the silky anteater is classified in a family of its own , cyclopedidae . together the two families make up the anteater suborder , vermilingua ( literally “worm - tongue” in latin ) . anteaters , along with sloths , are placed within the mammalian order pilosa of the magnorder xenarthra . a number of animals unrelated to the myrmecophagids are also called anteaters . the banded anteater ( see numbat ) , for example , is a marsupial . the scaly anteater ( see pangolin ) was formerly grouped with xenarthrans in an order called edentata , but it has since been assigned to its own separate order . the short - beaked echidna is often called a spiny anteater , but this animal is even more distantly related ( see monotreme ) . the african aardvark also belongs to a different mammalian order , yet , like the anteater , it has a tubular muzzle for eating ants and is sometimes called an antbear .

giant anteater is the common name for the largest species of anteater , myrmecophaga tridactyla , characterized by a long , narrow , tapered snout without teeth , very long tongue , long and bushy tail , and five digits on each foot , including four with claws on the forefeet and five with claws on the hindfeet . the giant anteater is found in central and south america . it is the only species in the myrmecophaga genus .

embed this arkive thumbnail link ( " portlet " ) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href = " urltoken " title = " arkive video - giant anteater feeding on termites " > < img src = " urltoken " alt = " arkive video - giant anteater feeding on termites " title = " arkive video - giant anteater feeding on termites " border = " 0 " / > < / a >

the photograph in question , above , was taken by brazilian wildlife photographer marcio cabral and features an anteater feasting on a termite mound at night .

what made you want to look up anteater ? please tell us where you read or heard it ( including the quote , if possible ) .

while the giant anteater has five digits on each foot , their first digit is reduced and the second and third digits exhibit the long claws .

indigenous people in the amazon basin view the giant anteater as a trickster to the jaguar and humorous figure due to the length of their snout .

the anteater feeds mainly on a diet of insects and termites . anteaters will find a nest of ants or termites and then begin to dig down into this . they can then remove the ants from the nest . up to 15 , 000 ants may be eaten by one anteater each day .

embed this arkive thumbnail link ( " portlet " ) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href = " urltoken " title = " arkive species - giant anteater ( myrmecophaga tridactyla ) " > < img src = " urltoken " alt = " arkive species - giant anteater ( myrmecophaga tridactyla ) " title = " arkive species - giant anteater ( myrmecophaga tridactyla ) " border = " 0 " / > < / a >

when it was first discovered , it was originally thought to be an anteater , as it lacked the characteristic fused - hair scales of other pangolins .

3 . naples , v . l . ( 1999 ) . morphology , evolution and function of feeding in the giant anteater ( myrmecophaga tridactyla ) .

the giant anteater can be found in a number of locations including : south america . find out more about these places and what else lives there .

the anteater is mainly terrestrial , but is capable of climbing and is a strong and capable swimmer . it may be nocturnal or diurnal . in the wild , the giant anteater is primarily nocturnal or active at night near human settlements and diurnal or active during the day elsewhere . the giant anteater does not sleep in any fixed place , instead curling up in abandoned burrows and hollows . it covers its body with its long , bushy tail to sleep .

anteaters are not aggressive but they can be fierce . a cornered anteater will rear up on its hind legs , using its tail for balance , and lash out with dangerous claws . the giant anteater ' s claws are some four inches long , and the animal can fight off even a puma or jaguar .

the female produces one offspring per birth . during much of its first year of life , a young anteater will ride on its mother ' s back .

the giant anteater , myrmecophaga tridactyla , is one of four extant species belonging to the suborder vermilingua and technically known as anteaters . the other three are cyclopes didactylus ( pygmy or silky anteater ) , tamandua tetradactyla ( southern tamandua , collared anteater , or lesser anteater ) , and tamandua mexicana ( northern tamandua ) . all four species are truly toothless mammals of south and central america that are highly specialized for feeding on ants and termites from their nest hills . they are characterized by a long tubular and tapered snout , very long worm–shaped tongue , and strong forelimbs with very sharp , long , and backwardly hooked claws .

the giant anteater is generally acknowledged to have a keen sense of smell , used to locate ants , but is thought to have poor sight and hearing .

the giant anteater ' s claws curl up into their feet when they walk , in order to keep their claws from wearing down and losing their sharpness .

, and we’ve had them on and off over the years since . we welcomed the first birth of a baby giant anteater at our zoo in 1980 .

a giant anteater is not immune to ant bites , so it feeds at an ant or termite colony for just a minute or so before moving on .

also known as the two - toed , pygmy , or dwarf anteater , the silky anteater ( cyclopes didactylus ) is the smallest and least - known member of the family . the silky anteater is found from southern mexico southward to bolivia and brazil . it is not rare but is difficult to spot because it is nocturnal and lives high in the trees . it is also exquisitely camouflaged , its silky yellowish coat matching both the colour and the texture of fibrous seed masses produced by the silk - cotton tree ( see kapok ) . during the day the silky anteater rests amid clumps of tropical vines ( see liana ) .

to cite this page for personal use : giant anteater . [ online ] . natural history notebooks . canadian museum of nature . last updated ( web site consulted

zookeeper amy heath has recruited a special teddy - bear to take on the role of surrogate mum to zsl london zoo’s newest arrival ; a tiny baby anteater .

insects such as termites , ants , beetles , insect larvae ; occasionally fruit . the giant anteater fulfills it ' s need for water by licking wet vegetation .

giant anteater pups have a 50 percent mortality rate in the first three months of life . they are very susceptible to pneumonia and other health - related problems .

the giant anteater is classified as vulnerable ( vu ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) , and listed on appendix ii of cites ( 4 ) .

the anteater family includes three genera ( jen - uh - rah ) and four species . a genus ( jee - nus ) , the singular of genera , is a group of animals with similar characteristics . size is the primary difference in each anteater genus , and that difference is represented in the animals ' common names .

and can be five to seven feet long from nose to tail . the giant anteater has a narrow head , a long nose , small eyes and round ears .

the anonymous third party provided the museum with photos of a stuffed anteater featured in an exhibit outside a visitor center at the same park where cabral shot his image .

the giant anteater is able to adapt to a variety of different environments . they are able to live in grassland areas , the rainforest , and deciduous forest locations .

the following habitats are found across the giant anteater distribution range . find out more about these environments , what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them .

the most conspicuous distinctive mark of all anteater species is their long snout and their extremely long tongue , the average tongue ranges from 20 to 23 inches in length .

other anteater species in the myrmecophagidae family are the semi - arboreal tamandua and the completely arboreal silky anteater . both are much smaller , and have smaller snouts , though they are similar in general shape . the anteaters are all also related to two - toed and three - toed sloths , which are part of the edentate family bradypodidae .

the giant anteater is particularly well developed for feeding . it locates its prey in the wild using its excellent sense of smell . once an anteater has found an appealing " snack bar " it utilizes its powerful forelegs and sharp claws to rip an ant / termite hill open . it then uses its long snout and tongue to scoop out termites and ants from their nests . at any one stop , a giant anteater will munch down a few thousand insects in just a few minutes . that ' s fast eating ! to accommodate the pace , an anteater ' s tongue has to move very rapidly into the nest and back into the mouth . in fact , a giant anteater ' s tongue , which is attached by muscles to the sternum , can be flicked in and out of the mouth 150 - 160 or more times a minute !

she puts the giant in giant anteater . the fluffy , striped , long - nosed , golden retriever - sized animal has been at the zoo since 2002 . . .

owen considered the animal might have been an insect - eater , breaking open termite nests like an anteater , but it is now known to have been herbivorous in its habits .

the tongue is covered in backward - curving papillae and coated in thick , sticky saliva secreted from its enlarged salivary glands , which allows the anteater to collect insects with it .

from head to tail , the giant anteater measures a total of 110 inches ( 280 centimeters ) , and weighs from 48 to 88 pounds ( 22 to 39 kilograms ) .

rain forest conservation fund . 2001 . " rainforest conservation fund : species data for giant anteater " ( on - line ) . accessed 02 / 02 / 03 at urltoken .

the spiny anteater , however , is notoriously difficult to observe in the wild and shows little enthusiasm for breeding in captivity , so nobody had managed to observe them ejaculate before .

, which can be as long as 60 cm ( 24 inches ) in the giant anteater . anteaters live alone or in pairs ( usually mother and offspring ) and feed mainly on

facts also known as : giant anteater , ant bear conservation status : near threatened location : south and central america lifespan : 15 years in the wild . 26 years in captivity .

giant anteaters are specialist carnivorous predators of termites and ants . they detect anthills and termite mounds with their acute sense of smell . when they have located their prey , the anteater digs open the nest with its huge , sharp claws . the anteater then inserts its very long tongue into the nest and extracts the insects which are then placed in the digestive system .

the researchers have also observed that hundreds of sperm team up to form bundles that swim much faster than individual sperm in the spiny anteater’s semen – another possible adaptation for sperm competition .

the giant anteater frequents low swampy savannas , along the banks of rivers , and the depths of the humid forests , but is not abundant anywhere . it lives above ground , not burrowing underground like armadillos or aardvarks or up trees like other anteaters . the species is nocturnal when living near humans , but away from population centers it is active during the day . the giant anteater has no fixed home . each night , a giant anteater finds a secluded spot and curls up to sleep , with its long bushy tail covering its head and body .

behold , the taxidermied anteater , which does look suspiciously like the one from the final photo : cabral continues to claim that his image was authentic , though the judges are wholly unconvinced .

eukarya - the cells of the giant anteater , like all other eukaryotes , have a true nucleus which contains genetic information , and the organelles within the cells are surrounded by a membrane .

the giant anteater spends a great deal of its time eating every single day . as you can tell from the name , they consume large amounts of ants . they also consume termites .

the female produces one offspring per birth after a gestation period of around 190 days ( for giant anteaters ) . during much of its first year of life , a young anteater will ride on its mother ' s back ( or tail in the case of the silky anteater ) , though the baby anteater is capable of a slow gallop four weeks after birth ( mcdonald 1997 ) . giant anteaters rarely make sounds . they do it mostly when they are young ; the sound is a high - pitched , shrilly grunt noise . a baby that has fallen off his mother ' s back will grunt to its mother either to remind her that it has fallen off or to simply instruct her where it is or to get her attention ( online anteater 2001 ) .

habitat the anteater is extensively distributed in south and central america , frequenting low swampy savannas , along the banks of rivers , and the depths of the humid forests , but is nowhere abundant .

the giant anteater has a long , tubular snout without any teeth whatsoever . it feeds on ants and termites , which it catches thanks to its long , prickly tongue and its sticky saliva .

the anteater only feeds at one mound for about a minute before moving on . after all , the animal doesn ' t want to totally wipe out its source of food ! with a mouthful of delicious insects , the anteater crushes them against the roof of the mouth , and its very muscular stomach further pulverizes the food . anteaters may also lick at fallen fruit and eat soft grubs .

xenarthra - this order is classified by animals that have little or no teeth at all . in the case of the giant anteater , no teeth are present at any point during their life cycle .

once upon a time there was an anteater named pablo . pablo the anteater had a family ; he was the youngest of the bunch . his older sister’s name was rosita and his older brother’s name was jorge . when pablo and his sibling were very young , their mother was in a tragic accident with a puma . now the three young anteaters live with their mother’s sister , aunt ether .

anteaters have an acute sense of smell which helps them to locate anthills and even allows them to tell what type of ant is inside it . the wet , black nose is located on the end of the anteater’s long , pointed snout . the position of the nose is useful for locating food and it also helps the anteater to hold its nose above the surface of the water when swimming .

the giant anteater lives in different habitats , including savannahs , grasslands , swampy areas , dry woods and rainforests . it looks for food in open areas , but rests in areas covered with trees .

the anteater will fold its claws up under their hands . by walking on their fists they keep the claws sharp so that they can keep these sharp for digging open ants nests and defending themselves .

at 32 . 7 o c the anteater’s body temperature is the one of the lowest for a mammal . it is believed this is an adaption to the low amount of calories in their diet .

the two anteaters of the genus tamandua , the southern tamandua ( t . tetradactyla ) and the northern tamandua ( t . mexicana ) , are much smaller than the giant anteater , only about 3 feet ( 90 cm ) long . the usual color is yellowish white , with a broad black lateral band , covering nearly the whole of the side of the body . each anteater has short hair .

the silky anteater is only about 14 inches ( 35 cm ) long , nearly about the size of a rat . it is of a general yellowish color . its silky golden fur makes it resemble the seed pods of the silk cotton tree . both the tamanduas and the silky anteater possess partially prehensile tails for helping them in their arboreal life . thus , the undersides of their tails lack hair .

a brand new program will be added to the anteater software : greenfinger . at the moment we ' re in development , and testing with several dutch suppliers . an english version of greenfinger will follow .

the giant anteater lives in the rainforest and the grass lands of south america . they are very dependent on their environment , since their body temperature is very low , only between 32 and 35 °f .

a number of unrelated mammals are often misnamed or mistaken for anteaters ; they include the aardvark , echidna , armadillo , pangolin , and numbat ( " banded " anteater ) , which is a marsupial .

the giant anteater is one of only two taxa of mammals without any teeth even in a mature state ( the pangolins comprising the other ) . an anteater instead crushes insects it consumes using hard growths found on the inside of its mouth , and its muscular stomach . sand and small rocks have also been found in anteaters ' stomachs , suggesting that these are ingested to aid digestion ( possible gastroliths ) .

using its keen sense of smell to track ants , the giant anteater walks with a shuffle , bearing its weight on the sides and knuckles of its forefeet . when harried , it is capable of a clumsy gallop . the giant anteater is also a good swimmer . it does not seem to use dens or other resting places on a permanent basis but chooses instead a secluded spot where it can curl up to rest , with its huge tail covering both its head and its body . females bear a single offspring after a gestation period of about 190 days . a young anteater looks identical , except in size , to an adult , and , from two or three weeks following birth until it is about a year old , it rides on its mother’s back as she travels . the home ranges of individual anteaters living in the llanos overlap and can cover more than 2 , 500 hectares ( 6 , 000 acres ) . the giant anteater is the longest - lived anteater ; one in captivity reportedly survived 25 years .

the anteater uses its sharp claws to tear an opening into an anthill and put its long snout and efficient tongue to work . but it has to eat quickly , flicking its tongue up to 160 times per minute . ants fight back with painful stings , so an anteater may spend only a minute feasting on each mound . anteaters never destroy a nest , preferring to return and feed again in the future .

the giant anteater is classed as ‘near threatened’ by the iucn . as anteaters are placid creatures they are preyed upon by large cats such as pumas and jaguars . however , a cornered anteater will ride up on its hind legs , using its tail for support and use its long claws which are 4 inches long , to fight off the attacker . anteaters are also hunted in south america for fur and food .

giant anteaters are terrestrial . unlike other anteater species , adult giant anteaters only rarely climb trees . instead , its powerful forearms and prominent claws are used primarily for digging and ripping in the search for food .

the anteater’s mouth is narrow , tube - like and toothless . this mouth allows its long , thin tongue to flick in and out quickly and efficiently . anteaters have specialized stomachs that grind up ants with powerful muscles and dissolve them in strong acids . the anteater’s specialized stomach prevents the animal from needing teeth to break down its food and allows large amounts of food to be consumed by swallowing it whole without chewing .

anteater is the common name for truly toothless mammals of south and central america that are highly specialized for feeding on ants and termites from their nest hills . the term technically is restricted to four living species of the suborder vermilingua , namely the pygmy or silky anteater ( cyclopes didactylus ) of family cyclopedidae , the giant anteater ( myrmecophaga tridactyla ) , and lesser anteaters ( tamandua tetradactyla and t . mexicana ) of family myrmecophagidae . according to the mammalian classification of mckenna and bell ( 1997 ) , sloths and the suborder vermilingua together comprise the order pilosa , which in turn comes under the superorder xenarthra ( edenta ) with the armadillos .

the giant anteater is a very unique looking creature , and it is the largest of all anteaters in the world . it is one creature that doesn’t get confused with any others due to the way it looks !

as their name suggests , giant anteaters mostly feed on ants . they will also dine on other insects , including grubs and termites . a single anteater may eat as many as 30 , 000 ants per day .

mammalia - all mammals have either hair or fur , are endothermic , and have mammary glands that make lactation possible . specifically , the giant anteater belongs to a group of mammals called the the eutheria or placental mammals .

today , lucy shares an exhibit with a male anteater named orion near skyfari west , next to the mountain lions . since breeding is unlikely due to lucy ' s age , this is more of a companion pairing .

the range of the giant anteater once extended from belize ( where it now thought to be possibly extinct ) to north west argentina , but numbers have declined throughout most of its range resulting in scattered , isolated populations . the main threats to the giant anteater is habitat loss by agricultural encroachment , especially in central america . fire is a particular problem for grassland populations . they are also hunted throughout their range both for food and as a pest species .

though these so called anteaters and the true anteaters belong to unrelated groups of mammals from widely separated geographical regions ( spiny anteaters and banded anteater from australia , cape anteater from africa , scaly anteater from asia , and true anteaters from south and central america ) , all of them have undergone similar morphological as well as behavioral adaptation for the common habit of feeding on ants and termites . this is the evidence of the fact that utilization of the same niche anywhere takes place by similar animals with homologous or analogous organs . in another words , the body of animals are purposefully designed according to their habit and habitat or their purpose , no matter where they come from or what they are .

but separate from the tongue , casali is most impressed with the anteater’s tubular skull , which is specialized for the skinny tongue’s movement . in fact , the whole animal seems to be adapted for its bug - eating purpose , ripping up ant nests with its strong arms , punching holes with its claws , and sticking its spaghetti tongue into the holes it made . the tongue even has horns that can help grab ants and termites while the anteater explores nests .

these example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ' anteater . ' views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of merriam - webster or its editors . send us feedback .

behaviour the giant anteater is a very solitary animal . this means that it will not interact with any other animals , including other anteaters . there is an exception for mating season , when the anteaters meet together to find mating pairs .

the anteater rips open a termite or ant hill with its clawed hand and works its tubular snout into the opening , sticking its long , worm–shaped tongue down into the heart of the colony . as the insects swarm to the damaged part of their dwelling , it draws them into its mouth by means of its flexible , rapidly moving tongue covered with sticky saliva . a full–grown giant anteater eats upwards of 30 , 000 ants and termites a day ( cmn 2007 ) .

the giant anteater walks with a very peculiar type of gait . this is due to the fact that they walk on their knuckles . they have a tongue that may grow up to 2 feet in length but it is very slender .

if threatened , the typically non - vocal giant anteater may make a bellowing noise . additionally , they will often rear up on their hind quarters and swipe with their ( up to ) 10 cm ( 4 in . ) long foreclaws .

as an outcome of their diet and lifestyle , anteaters have relatively low metabolic rates . as a stark example , the giant anteater has the lowest recorded body temperature of any placental mammal - 32 . 7° c ( 90 . 9°f ) .

the spiny anteater ( tachyglossus aculeatus ) , also known as the short - beaked echidna , is a primitive mammal found in australia and new guinea . like the platypus , it is a monotreme , laying eggs instead of bearing live young .

the giant anteater ( myrmecophaga tridactyla ) , sometimes called the ant bear , is the largest member of the anteater family and is best known in the tropical grasslands ( llanos ) of venezuela , where it is still common . it was once found in the lowland forests of central america and still lives in the amazon basin southward to the grasslands of paraguay and argentina . gray with a diagonal white - bordered black stripe on each shoulder , the giant anteater attains a length of about 1 . 8 metres ( 6 feet ) , including the long bushy tail , and weighs up to 40 kg ( 88 pounds ) . this ground dweller is mainly diurnal , but in areas near human settlement it is most active at night .

unlike the giant anteater , the lesser anteater , or tamandua ( genus tamandua ) , is arboreal as well as terrestrial . the two tamandua species are similar in size—about 1 . 2 metres ( 4 feet ) long , including the almost - hairless prehensile tail , which is used for climbing . they are often tan with a blackish “vest” around the shoulders and on the body , but some are entirely tan or entirely black . tamanduas have shorter fur and proportionately shorter muzzles than giant anteaters .

the giant anteater ' s species name , tridactyla , comes from " tri " and " dactylos , " which are greek words for " three fingers " . however , the giant anteaters actually have five toes on each paw ( the fifth is vestigial ) . the name probably came about because only three of the front toes have prominent claws and can be easily seen . the giant anteater walks clumsily on the soles of its back feet and on the in–turned claws of its front feet .

the bizarre sex life of the spiny anteater has been exposed by researchers – the male ejaculates using only one half of its penis . new findings about the creature’s sex life may seem salacious but they could help shed light on an evolutionary mystery .

giant anteaters tend to pursue the larger bodied social insects , while tamanduas and silky anteaters tend to prey on smaller insect fare . such dietary segmentation allows for different anteater species to co - exist in the same region without being in direct predatory competition .

then steve johnston of the university of queensland in gatton , australia , and his colleagues inherited a male spiny anteater that was not so shy . the creature had been retired’ from a zoo as it produced an erection when being handled at public viewing sessions .

the giant anteater has a long , thin head , small eyes , rounded ears , and a bushy and long ( but not prehensile ) tail . the worm - like tongue can extend more than 0 . 6 meters ( 2 feet ) and has a width of only 12 . 5 millimeters ( 0 . 5 inch ) . the anteater can cover its tongue in a sticky saliva , allowing it to trap ants , and the tongue can be extended and withdrawn up to 150 times per minute . the giant anteater , pangolins , and tube - lipped nectar bat , while only distally related , all have tongues that are detached from their hyoid bone and extend past their pharynx deep into the thorax ( muchala 2006 ) . this extension lies between the sternum and the trachea .

anteaters are very good animals . they somehow pull off the whole “slurp up ants with their sticky , noodly , bendy straw tongues” so confidently you forget how weird that is . and scientists agree that , yes , anteater tongues are weird . but they’re also understudied .

the giant anteater is covered with stiff , straw - like hair , which grows up to 40 centimeters ( 15 . 7 inches ) long on the tail . young have soft hair until they are mature . the giant anteater ' s prevailing color is gray or brown , with a broad black band , bordered with white , starting on the chest , and passing obliquely over the shoulder , diminishing gradually in breadth as it approaches the loins , where it ends in a point . all have this diagonal black and white shoulder stripe .

all anteaters are believed to be solitary , only meeting up to breed . they are thought to be polygynous ( puh - lih - juh - nus ) , meaning males mate with more than one female . after giant anteaters mate , the male leaves , but the male silky anteater helps to feed its young while it ' s in the nest . the gestation period , the amount of time before the female gives birth , is 120 to 150 days for silky anteaters and tamandua . the giant anteater gives birth after about 190 days .

another adaptation of the giant anteater is their behaviour . they have an extremely strong sense for smelling their prey . the anteaters are able to smell 40 times better than humans can . this enables them to smell ants or termites from a long distance even up to several miles .

of the four different anteater species , the giant anteater is by far the largest . its body can reach lengths of four feet ( 1 . 2 m ) and it can grow to two feet ( 0 . 6 m ) long . the giant anteater has an elongated snout and a very bushy tail . the coarse , dense fur that covers its body is mostly dark brown or black but it has white forelegs with black bands around its wrists and a wide band of black fur stretches across its chest and all the way to the middle of its back . this stripe is bordered by a thin line of white , gray or light brown fur . its tongue is an impressive two feet long , and half an inch wide . it is covered with sticky saliva that helps it to pick up the insects that it eats , including termites and ants . giant anteaters have large front claws and powerful forelegs that allow them to break open termite mounds in a single swipe and make them a formidable opponent to predators . in a few instances , a giant anteater has killed a puma or jaguar while defending itself against attack .

anteaters are edentate animals—they have no teeth . but their long tongues are more than sufficient to lap up the 35 , 000 ants and termites they swallow whole each day . the giant anteater can reach 7 feet long from the tip of its snout to the end of its tail .

the giant anteater is very solitary and it does well taking care of its own needs . it will usually only interact with others during mating and when there are young to care for . they are able to search for and then to tear into the mounds of termites and ants .


lachnocnema luna , the druce 's large woolly legs , is a butterfly in the lycaenidae family .

it is found in ghana ( the volta region ) , eastern nigeria , cameroon , gabon , the republic of the congo , the north-eastern part of the democratic republic of the congo , uganda and north-western tanzania .

the habitat consists of forests .

larvae have been recorded on cassia alata .

they fed on the secretions of immature ant-attended membracids and on membracids and jassids .

lachnocnema luna

lachnocnema luna <EOT> lachnocnema , commonly called woolly legs , is a genus of butterfly in the family lycaenidae found mainly in sub - saharan africa .

libert , m . 1996 contribution a l ' etude des lycaenidae africains - revision du genre lachnocnema trimen ( lepidopter lycaenidae ) . lambillionea 96 , 185 - 202 , 367 - 386 , 479 - 500 .

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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .

older records of the species are not trustworthy because of much recent revisionary work on the genus by libert ( 1996 ) .

is a somewhat elusive butterfly within its huge extent of occurrence ( eoo ) that stretches from ghana’s volta region through nigeria and cameroon to the drc , uganda and northwestern tanzania . the known area of occupancy ( aoo ) is limited by the fact that the species is rarely met with in nature and little is known about its habits . however , this genus is generally elusive and the area of occupancy is almost certainly larger than currently known based on the huge eoo . even with a lack of understanding about the threats this species may face , it must be classified as least concern .

larsen ( 2005 ) describes this as a scarce species . whether this is due to the habits of the species or genuine rarity is unclear .

the species is mainly found in and around forest clearings and edges but very little is known about it .

to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .

© 2016 , butterfly conservation society , ghana - african butterfly research institute - icom ltd .

confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .

to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .

disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .

this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .

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an african genus to which many species have been added recently due to the revision of libert ( 1996 ) .

correspondence regarding this page should be directed to andrew v . z . brower at

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each tol branch page provides a synopsis of the characteristics of a group of organisms representing a branch of the tree of life . the major distinction between a branch and a leaf of the tree of life is that each branch can be further subdivided into descendent branches , that is , subgroups representing distinct genetic lineages .

for a more detailed explanation of the different tol page types , have a look at the structure of the tree of life page .

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allopathes is a genus of corals in the family antipathidae .

it is characterized by several long stems protruding from a short , thick base with spines arranged vertically around the stem .

its polyps are arranged in a single row that run the length of the coral .

this genus was initially a subgenus of cirrhipathes and stichopathes , although it also displayed similarities to antipathes verticillata .

however , the presence of branched growth forms excludes it from stichopathes or cirrhipathes and the unique morphology of its spines meant that it could not be included in allopathes .

because they seemed to have a combination of characteristics of different genera , the two species in question , allopathes desbonni and allopathes robillardi were given their own genus .

the name comes from the greek " allos - " , meaning " other " and " - pathes " , referring to its taxonomic relationship to other genera in antipathidae .

allopathes

allopathes <EOT> opresko , d . m . 2003 . a new species of allopathes ( cnidaria : antipatharia ) from the eastern atlantic . zool . verh . leiden 345 : 275 - 280 [ details ]

opresko , d . m . & cairns , s . d . ( 1994 ) . description of the new genus allopathes ( cnidaria : antipatharia ) and its type species cirripathes desbonni . proc . biol . soc . wash . 107 : 185 - 192 . [ details ]

( of antipathes robillardi bell , 1891 ) opresko , d . m . & cairns , s . d . ( 1994 ) . description of the new genus allopathes ( cnidaria : antipatharia ) and its type species cirripathes desbonni . proc . biol . soc . wash . 107 : 185 - 192 . page ( s ) : 185 [ details ]

biostor is built by @ rdmpage , code on github . page images from the biodiversity heritage library .

( of antipathes robillardi bell , 1891 ) bell fj . 1891 . contributions to our knowledge of the antipatharian corals . transactions of the zoological society of london . 13 , 7 ( 2 ) : 87 - 92 [ details ]

molodtsova , t . ; opresko , d . ( 2018 ) . world list of antipatharia .

d . m . opresko and j . van der land ( eds ) , update 10 - 2007 , as a contribution to unesco - ioc register of marine organisms ( look up in imis ) [ details ]

( of antipathes robillardi bell , 1891 ) van der land , j . ( ed ) . ( 2008 ) . unesco - ioc register of marine organisms ( urmo ) . , available online at urltoken [ details ]

intergovernmental oceanographic commission ( ioc ) of unesco . the ocean biogeographic information system ( obis ) , available online at urltoken [ details ]

eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .

to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !

scientists aim to describe a single ' tree of life ' that reflects the evolutionary relationships of living things . however , evolutionary relationships are a matter of ongoing discovery , and there are different opinions about how living things should be grouped and named . eol reflects these differences by supporting several different scientific ' classifications ' . some species have been named more than once . such duplicates are listed under synonyms . eol also provides support for common names which may vary across regions as well as languages .

confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .

to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .

disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .

this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .

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