We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Yes, according to the following website, they do eat them, (assuming you mean the types of anteaters you get in America, not the ones we get in Australia). Tanisha, Joe, and Gavin for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic! Hi, Arnav! We appreciate it when our Wonder Friends make personal connections to the Wonders of the Day and share them with us in a comment! Wow, I think that was a really cool wonder of the day. I didn't really even know that Anteaters could even touch the water. Great question, Barrett!! The Silky Anteater is the smallest, growing to be only a little over a foot long. Anteaters in zoos also eat things like fruits, hard-boiled eggs, ground beef, and dog kibble. Would you be a pizzaeater? :-), You're absolutely right, Julia Renee! We're glad you found this Wonder interesting, Ethan!!! You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is: Subscribe to Wonderopolis and receive In my opinion, I think that Anteaters are kind of cute and kind of scary just a little bit. In the zoo anteaters eat fruits, hard boiled eggs, ground beef, and dog kibble, too. Would you want to have one as a pet? In addition to ants and termites, anteaters also eat soft-bodied grubs, soft fruits, and birds' eggs. Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis! SCIENCE — Life Science. I think that anteaters eat other things than ants. Cool! We're so glad you're WONDERing with us! But it has to eat quickly, flicking its tongue up to 150 times per minute. Wow, I think that this was a really cool wonder of the day. It was kind of creepy because it came quite close to me and I didn't know what it was going to do. Can different species of penguin breed together? We bet it sure helps to have a built-in snorkel when you want to go for a swim! The quail > >> > appear > > to > >> > eat the ants but I can't really confirm this. The anteaters' suborder, Vermilingua, means “worm tongue." 2014–2021 © National Center for Families Learning, http://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/do-anteaters-eat-only-ants, © National Center for Families Learning (NCFL). Yes, according to the following website, they do eat them, (assuming you mean the types of anteaters you get in America, not the ones we get in Australia). This has nothing do with this topic but how do you build a solar panel. Generally speaking, ants (of which there are nearly 12,000 known varieties) can be classified as omnivores. Interested in sharing Wonderopolis® every day? The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, only eats ants and termites, as its name suggests.Since the giant anteater and its evolutionary ancestors have been feasting on ants … I never knew that vermilingua meant worm tongue. We've seen some anteaters swim at the zoo, and they're very good at it! Whats the furthest north in USA you can go where you wont find alligators in the rivers? WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Customs officials captured a fishing boat near in south China filled with 2,674 scaly anteaters. :-), WOW, Kamile! I am so impressed with your work and am excited that more and more students will be discovering you. Thanks so much for hanging out in Wonderopolis today! Or just an ant liker? In fact, some of the most persistent and harmful of all ants, such as fire ants, are among the least specialized eaters. . Giant anteaters usually sleep aboveground, while the other types of anteaters usually live in trees. At first I thought they were disgusting, but now they look cute! Thanks, and I enjoyed this wonder of the day. I think they're really cool as well! It's super easy! Anteaters know this very well. Julie Johnson. However, like armadillos, they would be of little use in controlling fire ants. Thank you so much for helping us learn more about anteaters! Tell everybody about Wonderopolis and its wonders. Unless you live in a place where anteaters are native, however, they won’t be a realistic solution to your ant problem. Greetings from North Carolina! Have a WONDER-filled day!! Anteaters don't use real snorkels, but they use their long noses to help them breathe while they're swimming! I knew anteaters had sharp claws. Our Tamandua anteater baby found some ants. Since their sight is poor, they use their noses to smell for food. The name "anteater" is also colloquially applied to the unrelated aardvark, numbat, echidnas, pangolins, and some members of the Oecobiidae. Do anteaters chew ants before they swallow them? I think that because the video kind of showed me that they live by trees and by trees there is not a lot of insects or ants. “It was quite an unusual situation, I think they had a lot of luck that when they arrived could grow up together. What happens if an anteater starts eating fire ants? They can eat termites, soft-bobied grubs, soft fruits and birds' eggs. Are you an anteater? As they eat, they also swallow small pebbles and other debris. I mean, if some ants are provoked, such as the fire ant, can't they come out of their nest and bite the anteater, thereby creating pheromones? What (if anything) do anteaters drink, and how do they drink? :-), Thanks for leaving us this great comment and for letting us know some of the cool things you learned from visiting this Wonder, Asia! I am not with my third graders because I am working with some great science teachers in Tiburon, CA. It's surprising (to me, anyway) how many animals do eat them besides anteaters and armadillos, including birds and many types of insects. Thank you for sharing how to say "anteater" in Spanish! Instead, they swallow them whole. How about this fun recipe for. Depending on the ant, they can be very aggressive, and will do everything in their power to fight back. “When I arrived they were around 5 months old and weighed a bit over 5kg, when I left after a few weeks, they had grown to nearly 7kg.” Read this. Armadillos, antlions, spiders, birds, and horned lizards have been known to eat fire ants when given the opportunity, but are not known to have a major impact on imported fire ant populations. We think it's part instinct, part appetite, and a super sense of smell that helps the anteaters know where the ants and other bugs are! How does the anteater protect itself from getting stung? I never knew there was such thing as a giant anteater, silky anteaters, and collared anteaters. In North America, Breece and Dusi (1985) found almost all of the fire ant mounds during their study had been disturbed by long-nosed armadillos.". Why or why not? Thanks for visiting today and for leaving us this AWESOME comment! Place the ants on a small branch or in a container with dirt or rocks to promote exercise and ingenuity. Geckos don’t just eat ants; they’ll eat any insect that they can catch. Instead of destroying a nest of ants, most anteaters prefer to return to feed again in the future. :), Hello, barbara! This treatment, called cross reactivity, is commonly found in immunology, referring to the ability of an antibody to react with or bind an antigen that did not stimulate its production. before! Since anteaters have no teeth, they must use their long tongues to scoop up the ants and termites that make up the majority of their diet. We thought it was really interesting to learn that anteaters who live in zoos also like to eat things like ground beef and dry dog food! What new things would you try? Anteaters As their name suggests, anteaters eat ants. It was a zoo camp in for Indian Princess and we got to see an Anteater. Be the first to know! It was fun learning about them! Fire ants will consume other fire ants as well as smaller species. If a group of ants will become aware that there are nearby colonies close to them, they will steal the eggs and kill the rest of the nearby colonies to make th… Let us know what you learn. They are also excellent swimmers since they use their long snout like a snorkel. My second grade class is reading a play about ants, and we have decided to learn more about anteaters since they eat ants. >>OK - that got my attention - do anteaters eat anything besides ants ? Anteaters are relly cute and interesting with their long tongues.. I didn't know that anteaters didn't have any teeth. I never knew that anteaters can be called antbears. This also leads me to the question of what type of ants anteaters eat. Among the biggest, the tongue can reach up to 60 cm (23") in length and moves so quickly to avoid the jaws and stings of some insects, such as fire ants, causing it any harm. What would happen if anteaters disappeared from the ecosystem??? We can't wait to meet all of our new Wonder Friends! Does just thinking about it give you a creepy-crawly feeling in your tummy? In other words, find something that preys on ants that would also develop a desire to consume fire ants. But I Dont Eat Ants by Dan Marvin. We think it's fascinating to learn about, too! Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Wyatt. Armadillos eat fire ants, but there are too many fire ants for the What are the biggest tracker networks and what can I do about them?. Anteaters have long snouts to scoop up as many ants and termites as they can! Ants are what eats ants … Ants in quantity having long been in short supply in New York City, even when I was a boy more than half a hundred years ago, the Bronx Zoo then kept giant South American anteaters alive for many years on a tasty diet of beaten eggs, raw hamburger meat, and cod liver oil. It is one of four living species of anteaters, the only extant member of the genus Myrmecophaga, and is classified with sloths in the order Pilosa. Thanks for WONDERing with us! Giant anteaters move slowly with a unique shuffle. This makes them a great form of natural pest control, so if you see them around your house, just leave them be. :-), We think it is REALLY neat that you got to get close to an anteater, Alexandra! How do they sense the ants, anyway? I really learned a lot about anteaters today. Thanks for leaving us this comment today...it was AWESOME! An anteater's tongue can flick up to 160 times per minute, helping to lap up as many as 35,000 ants and termites they swallow whole each day! > >>> > product that won't kill any birds that eat the ants. Wyatt Wonders, “Do anteaters eat all kinds of ants or just one kind” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Wyatt! When ants start to fight back as an anteater is having a meal, the anteater will usually move on to a new location. If my name was named after a food it would either be a bananaeater or a macaroniandcheeseeater. Help spread the wonder of families learning together. If you have much experience with ants, you know that they can sting. We think being a macaroniandcheeseeater or a bananaeater sounds really fun! :-), Welcome to Wonderopolis, Khashayar! This is how you say anteaters in Spanish: osos hormigueros. Anteaters know this very well. Wow, I'm just introduced with your site and i think it's brilliant... love your feed backs to all the users it gives a very good feeling posting comments here and searching your wonderful contents! 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. If you’re excited about tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day, then you’re speaking our language! Anteaters eat other types of insects (and other foods), too! Do you believe anteaters like to eat ants? Fire Ants Allow your anteater to eat the ants it finds outside, and then supplement with purchased ants as part of an enrichment opportunity. We hope you'll embark on a Wonder Journey of your own to discover more about anteaters! Your comment just made our day! Anteaters can be found mainly in the tropical forests and grasslands of Central and South America. Sometimes, their heads go under the water and only their long noses stick out! Thank you for doing that today! Thank you so much for being an AWESOME ambassador for Wonderopolis and for sharing us with your science-teaching colleagues! One time, I got to sleep at the zoo. And this is just an idea, but I don't know if you've already made an article about sloths, but if you could, could you please make an article about them? I know why people don't invite anteaters for picnics, because they are disturbing. Together with the sloths, they are within the order Pilosa. What would it be like if you were named after what you eat most of the time? Anteaters are cute but why do the eat gods beautiful creatures like ants? It also can reference methods on countering the acid produced by fire ant stings. In addition to ants and termites, anteaters also eat soft-bodied grubs, soft fruits, and birds' eggs. Did you know you can suggest an idea for a future Wonder of the Day® whenever one pops into your head? I didn't know that Anteaters ate that many ants and termites everyday. Similarly, you may ask, do aardvarks eat ants? The pebbles and debris that the anteaters swallow goes to their stomach, and it helps them digest insects, which they swallow whole, by grinding them in the stomach. Check out the, While you're learning more about anteaters, why not learn, So how do you feel about anteaters? It grows to be about eight feet long (including the tail). Since there are 12,000 species of ants around the world, it is very common that ants will compete with other species and colonies for food. :-). That is what we answer in this fun animal facts for kids video. Feeding. I know tommorow's wonder is about Halloween. We liked learning how to say "anteater" in different languages, too! Do anteaters make noises? The teachers are from all over the United States. Can you think of any good ant or termite recipes you'd recommend? Ants fight back with painful stings, so an anteater may spend only a minute feasting on each mound. Still have questions? Thanks for a really good wonder video! An adult ant-eater can eat 30, 000 ants a day. the Wonder of the Day® via email or SMS. (Fire ants are common here in North Carolina.) For more information on solar panels, check out Wonder 1678: Can You Collect Sunlight? This is because they walk on their fists (with their claws curled up into their paws) to protect their claws from becoming dulled by the ground. Thanks for your patience. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. I thought anteaters only eat ants and termites, not soft-bodied grubs, soft fruits and birds' eggs. If you had to live like an anteater for a day, how might you spice up your diet? Do you think it would be gross to eat ants and termites? They then use their long snouts and tongues to scoop up as many ants and termites as possible. Get your answers by asking now. Thanks for making this article. Dear Wonderopolis, How about a chickennuggeteater? Want to learn more about the largest of the anteater species? The giant anteater. :-), Hello, Mrs. Johnson! > >> > product that won't kill any birds that eat the ants. When we were investigating characteristics of ants for our ant “ugh” counteraction poll, we discovered a curious fact: Ants do not appear to mimic other creatures. This allows the anteater to feed quickly before attacking ants can get too many bites or stings in. We think you're really smart, though, and will be happy to see what the next Wonder will be! We appreciate your comment and are glad you're a Wonder Friend! I had no idea that anteaters could swim. We're so glad you visited this Wonder of the Day®! Let us know what you think! This appears to be due to the fact that they do not have a taste appeal. We're sure there would be some peanutbutterandjellyeaters out there, too. If you have much experience with ants, you know that they can sting. If animals have their teeth to attack what do us humans have? (biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed, a taxonomic category that ranks below order and above family, the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part, (plural) land where grass or grasslike vegetation grows and is the dominant form of plant life, do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of, (plural) any warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin more or less covered with hair; young are born alive except for the small subclass of monotremes and nourished with milk, to cause food to go from the mouth to the stomach, coarsely ground grain in the form of pellets (as for pet food), How To Say "Anteater" in many different languages, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giant-anteater/, http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-anteater.html. why do anteaters eat ants. What a great adventure you had getting to spend the night at the zoo...it sounds like so much FUN! Find a friend or family member to help you explore the following activities: Tanisha, Joe and Gavin for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic! I think my name would be the pancakeeater. But remember—anteaters don't have teeth, so they must be fed only soft foods. That's GREAT, triston! Just click on the "nominate" link at the top of every page in Wonderopolis, answer the questions, then submit your ideas! :), Hello, Mrs. Guin's 2nd Grade!   That's a great question, and an excellent start for a Wonder Journey! Are you ready to learn more about anteaters? Select Page. Hi, Ali! The Giant Anteater (myrmecophagus tridactyla) can eat up to 30,000 termites per day. Crazy to think about, isn't it! Now I know silky aneaters are the smallest of all. Giant Anteater In this article, I am going to discuss sloths Read More ☠️ Usually, they choose penguins, but if there … Jaguars May Have Evolved To Hunt Particularly Dangerous Prey. Some of my students have a few questions: The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), also known as the ant bear, is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. I didn't really even know that anteaters could touch water. A good place to visit is the National Geographic website (http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giant-anteater/)! The Giant Anteater, as you could probably guess, is the largest of these species. These items help them digest the insects by grinding them in the stomach. Ex-player calls out NFL after Jackson's death, Lovato opens up about overdose: 'I had 3 strokes', Mayor who lashed out at freezing Texans resigns, Victoria's Secret fans praise new swimsuit campaign, 'Bachelor' alum apologizes for Confederate flag jacket, Bill Gates says Texas governor 'wrong' on power outages, 7-time Super Bowl champs can be petty too, Biden orders 'reckoning' of key U.S. industries, Trump will be permanently busy with lawsuits: Tribe, Famous sports bettor gives back to community, What it means that COVID will become 'endemic'. :-), That's a GREAT question, Moa! You are a GREAT Wonder Friend! Although you might not want these other creatures around any more than you want ants around, these other animals can come in handy when you are trying to deal with an ant infestation in or around your space. Anteaters — sometimes called "antbears" — are four species of mammals from the suborder Vermilingua. An anteater’s tongue can flick out 160 times a minute to slurp up the ants within. :-), Hello, Samrox667! We live in Nicaragua, Central Americawww.wingsovernicaragua.orgwww.facebook.com/wingsovernicaragua We love that you're WONDERing! We're glad you liked this Wonder! They stick their noses out of the water and up into the air! Want to add a little wonder to your website? Thanks so much for your comment today! You just might see YOUR Wonder idea featured as a future Wonder of the Day®! To learn more about the dietary habits of the anteater , and much more besides, keep reading this AnimalWised article below. Since they don't have teeth, they can't chew the insects. Two facts that I learned were that the bigger Anteaters sleep above ground and all the other Anteaters sleep below ground. :), Thanks so much for stopping by this Wonder and sharing what you know about anteaters, Matt! I didn't know that they sleep above ground and all the ants that they ate. In any case they > >> > don't > > eat > >> > enough of them to make a difference so now I'm wondering about > >> > anteaters and > >> > if they would like living in Southern California High Desert and if Are animals with better/ bigger weapons for intrasexual selection likely to pass on that trait for bigger weapons to their offspring. We hope this helps, Isabella! :-), Hi, Marco! Many ants will readily eat other ants. :-), Hi there, Emily! When hunting for food, anteaters will use their sharp claws to tear open anthills or rotting wood that might contain ants or termites. 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 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. From the website:- "Anteaters disturb and feed on large numbers of nests in their home ranges, as observed in South America (Montgomery 1985a, 1985b). Really, all gecko species will eat ants, but this is the one you’re most likely to encounter. I also learned that Anteaters can swallow up to 35,000 ants and termites a day. Chaetophractus Vellerosus Screaming Hairy Armadillo The screaming hairy armadillo has been seen. What would your name be? :-), Hello, Sarah! :-), Hi, Nicole! Are seals evolving to be more or less aquatic? Related Content Has an anteater ever gotten its nose stuck in an anthole? Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. Anteaters in zoos also eat things like fruits, hard-boiled eggs, ground beef, and dog kibble. The four species include the Giant Anteater, the Silky Anteater, the Southern Tamandua, and the Northern Tamandua. The Northern and Southern Tamanduas — sometimes known as "Collared Anteaters" — grow to be about four feet long. While it may seem counterintuitive, sometimes the best way to combat bad ants like fire ants is to promote native species that will fight them off! 5. By the way, I'm a civil engineer and I appreciate all your works :). There is an abundance of these creatures in the world and so anteaters have evolved to … We've WONDERed Are Sloths Lazy? The quail > >>> > appear > >> to > >>> > eat the ants but I can't really confirm this. The obvious answer to the question is the anteater, but did you know that there are numerous other creatures from many different animal groups that eat ants as a regular part of their diet? Two crew were captured but the captain and first mate escaped. I introduced them to your site and they love it. Pictures of Do Anteaters Eat Fire Ants. How many ants do Giant Anteaters eat in a day? We're glad you liked this Wonder topic! We like how you shared all the awesome things you learned about anteaters, and some of the things you already knew before you visited this Wonder. The website gives a whole lot of critters that eat fire ants. Thank you so much for leaving us this SUPER comment and for letting us know all the great things you learned about anteaters today! So, I was a little creeped out. I had no idea that Anteaters could swim. We're glad you're a Wonder Friend! For this reason, most pet owners purchase young, hand-raised baby anteaters, whose parents have adapted to humans. Or an ant eater? Anteaters, which are not native to the United States, could eat fire ants in areas where both species occur. by | Dec 18, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments | Dec 18, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments Watch to learn how anteaters eat. Do the bigger Anteaters just sleep above the ground just because they need more space and light? I think anteater's are super cool! If a colony of ants is close to another colony from another species, then this will cause the native ants to drive out the ones that have just settled. Dear Wonderopolis, I'm sure our Aussie anteaters/echidnas would freak out and run a mile if they got a mouthful of fire ants, since they aren't used to them. The INSIDER team believes that life is an adventure! Don’t miss our special deals, gifts and promotions. Hi Wonderopolis, No, because if we would eat watermelons would we be called watermeloneaters? Thanks so much for leaving us a comment today! You'll have to check back to see if your guess is correct about Wonder of the Day® #393. The Raider Ants return to their nest, eat their spoils, and lay more eggs for the next cycle. You’ve matched all of the definitions correctly. They also eat termites, beetles, insect larvae, worms, and fruit.