Vermilingua
Sign in to saveAnteaters are the four extant mammal species in 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 sloths, they are within the order Pilosa. The name "anteater" is also commonly applied to the aardvark, numbat, echidnas, and pangolins, although they are not closely related to true anteaters.
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Vermilingua is a suborder of mammals that includes the four species of true anteaters, named for their specialized worm-like tongues that they use to feed on ants and termites. Understanding this group matters because it helps distinguish genuine anteaters from other unrelated animals that are also called "anteaters" in common speech, such as aardvarks and pangolins.
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14 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Taxonomy
- Evolutionary history
- Taxonomy
- Morphology
- Distribution and habitat
- Behavior and ecology
- Reproduction
- Foraging and diet
- Predators
- Diseases and parasites
- Conservation
- References
- External links
Anteaters are the four extant mammal species in 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 sloths, they are within the order Pilosa. The name "anteater" is also commonly applied to the aardvark, numbat, echidnas, and pangolins, although they are not closely related to true anteaters.
Extant species are the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla, about long including the tail; the silky anteater Cyclopes didactylus, about long; the southern tamandua or collared anteater Tamandua tetradactyla, about long; and the northern tamandua Tamandua mexicana of similar dimensions.