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).
Giant anteaters walk with a slow shuffle on all four legs with their nose pointed to the ground. They don’t walk on their feet; instead, with the claws curled up into the feet, anteaters walk on their "fists." This helps to keep the claws sharp so anteaters can dig into ant mounds or defend themselves from predators. Anteaters are also good swimmers, using the freestyle stroke and with their long snout as a snorkel.

Fun Facts

The giant anteater has the longest tongue in relation to its body size of any mammal.
The giant anteater's sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than ours.
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.
Giant anteaters have one of the lowest body temperatures for a mammal, 91 degree Fahrenheit (32.7 degrees Celsius), presumably in response to their low-calorie insect diet.

About Amber

Amber arrived at CPZ in 2017 to enjoy her golden years. The average lifespan in captivity for this species is around 14-16 years but at age 17, Amber is still going strong. Although she's showing more and more the signs of age, Amber is still an interactive lady, specially when it comes to treats. She'll do almost anything for a piece of banana or avocado.

Conservation Status:
Vulnerable

Extinct			Threatened			Least Concern

	EX	EW	CR	EN	VU	NT	LC

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