This animal is an insectivore, feeding mostly on ants or termites.
In areas that experience seasonal flooding, like the grassy plains of the Venezuelan llanos, anteaters mainly feed on ants, because termites are less available.
Conversely, anteaters at Emas National Park eat mainly termites, which occur in high density on the grasslands.
At Serra da Canastra, anteaters switch between eating mainly ants during the wet season (October to March) and termites during the dry season (May to September).

Anteaters track prey by their scent.
After finding a nest, the animal tears it open with its long fore claws and inserts its long, sticky tongue to collect its prey.
An anteater spends one minute on average feeding at a nest, visiting up to 200 nests in one day and consuming as many as 30,000 insects.
The anteater may be driven away from a nest by the chemical or biting attacks of soldiers.
Some termite species rely on their fortified mounds for protection and many individuals escape while the predator digs.
These modes of defense prevent the entire colony from being eaten in one anteater attack.

Other prey include the larvae of beetles and western honey bees that have located their hives in termite mounds.
Anteaters may target termite mounds with bee hives.
In captivity, anteaters are fed mixtures made of milk, eggs, mealworms, and ground beef.
To drink, an anteater may dig for water when no surface water is available, creating waterholes for other animals.
Giant anteaters are primarily prey for jaguars and pumas.
They typically flee from danger by galloping, but if cornered, will rear up on their hind legs and slash at the attacker.
The front claws of the giant anteater are formidable weapons, capable of killing a jaguar.
The giant anteater is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasites Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus and Moniliformis monoechinus.
This animal is an insectivore, feeding mostly on ants or termites. In areas that experience seasonal flooding, like the grassy plains of the Venezuelan llanos, anteaters mainly feed on ants, because termites are less available. Conversely, anteaters at Emas National Park eat mainly termites, which occur in high density on the grasslands. At Serra da Canastra, anteaters switch between eating mainly ants during the wet season (October to March) and termites during the dry season (May to September).
Anteaters track prey by their scent. After finding a nest, the animal tears it open with its long fore claws and inserts its long, sticky tongue to collect its prey. An anteater spends one minute on average feeding at a nest, visiting up to 200 nests in one day and consuming as many as 30,000 insects. The anteater may be driven away from a nest by the chemical or biting attacks of soldiers. Some termite species rely on their fortified mounds for protection and many individuals escape while the predator digs. These modes of defense prevent the entire colony from being eaten in one anteater attack.
Other prey include the larvae of beetles and western honey bees that have located their hives in termite mounds. Anteaters may target termite mounds with bee hives. In captivity, anteaters are fed mixtures made of milk, eggs, mealworms, and ground beef. To drink, an anteater may dig for water when no surface water is available, creating waterholes for other animals. Giant anteaters are primarily prey for jaguars and pumas. They typically flee from danger by galloping, but if cornered, will rear up on their hind legs and slash at the attacker. The front claws of the giant anteater are formidable weapons, capable of killing a jaguar. The giant anteater is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasites Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus and Moniliformis monoechinus.
Giant anteater