57-541: Cyclopedidae Myrmecophagidae 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 them. Extant species are
114-645: A mammal is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Amazon basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries . The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about 7,000,000 km (2,700,000 sq mi), or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivia , Brazil , Colombia , Ecuador , Guyana , Peru , Suriname , and Venezuela , as well as
171-516: A low-water season (known popularly as summer), and a wet season (known popularly as winter) during which, the rivers flood the adjacent, low-lying forests. The climate of the basin is generally hot and humid . In some areas, however, the summer months (June–September) can bring cold snaps, fueled by Antarctic winds traveling along the adjacent mountain range. The average annual temperature is around 25-degree and 28 degree Celsius with little to no distinction between summer and winter season. Amazonia
228-437: A once diverse group of mammals that occupied South America while it was geographically isolated from the invasion of animals from North America , with the other two remaining animals in the family being the sloths and the armadillos. At one time, anteaters were assumed to be related to aardvarks and pangolins because of their physical similarities to those animals, but these similarities have since been determined to be not
285-604: A sign of a common ancestor, but of convergent evolution . All have evolved powerful digging forearms, long tongues, and toothless, tube-like snouts to subsist by raiding termite mounds. The anteaters are more closely related to the sloths than they are to any other group of mammals. Their next closest relations are armadillos . There are four extant species in three genera. There are several extinct genera as well. Bradypus Choloepus Cyclopes Myrmecophaga Tamandua Suborder Vermilingua (anteaters) All anteaters have extremely elongated snouts equipped with
342-766: A strong downward tilt. Anteaters are endemic to the New World, where they are found on the mainland from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, as well as some of the Caribbean islands. Like other xenarthans, anteaters originally evolved in South America, and began spreading to Central and North America as part of the Great American Interchange after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama around 3 million years ago . Some species of anteaters may have had greater ranges during
399-404: A thin and long tongue that is coated with sticky saliva produced by enlarged submaxillary glands . The mouth is small and has no teeth. The frontal feet have large claws on the third digit, used to break into the mounds of termites and ants, and the remaining digits are usually slightly smaller or lacking entirely. The entire body is covered with dense fur. The tail is long, in some cases as long as
456-553: Is scarcely populated . There are scattered settlements inland, but most of the population lives in a few larger cities on the banks of the Amazon and other major rivers, such as in Iquitos – Loreto in Peru , Manaus - Amazonas State , and Belém , Pará . In many regions, the forest has been cleared for soya bean plantations and ranching (the most extensive non-forest use of the land); some of
513-410: Is 1.5 million distributed. There are an estimated 100 uncontacted tribal groups. The largest organization fighting for the indigenous peoples in this area is COICA . It is a supra organization encompassing all indigenous rights organizations working in the Amazon basin area, and covers the people living in several countries. The river is the principal path of transportation for people and produce in
570-586: Is given by the number of different bird families that reside in these humid forests. An example of such would be the cotinga family, to which the Guianan cock-of-the-rock belong. Birds such as toucans , and hummingbirds are also found here. Macaws are famous for duck gathering by the hundreds along the clay cliffs of the Amazon River. In the western Amazon hundreds of macaws and other parrots descend to exposed river banks to consume clay on an almost daily basis,
627-619: Is land. The splash tetra is famous for laying its eggs on plants above water, keeping them moist by continuously splashing on them, the South American lungfish can survive underground in a mucous cocoon during the dry season, some small rivulid killifish can jump over land between water sources (sometimes moving relatively long distances, even uphill) and may deliberately jump onto land to escape aquatic predators, and an undescribed species of worm-like Phreatobius catfish lives in waterlogged leaf litter near (not in) streams. Some of
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#1732856142688684-505: Is mainly covered with long, dark brown or black fur, with a prominent triangular white-edged black band from the shoulders down to chest and continuing to the mid-body. The forelegs are mostly white, marked with black at the wrists and just above the claws. The tail is almost as long as the body and covered with long, coarse hairs. Giant anteaters have the largest degree of rostral elongation relative to their size of any other ant-eating mammal. The tamanduas are medium-sized species smaller than
741-509: Is produced for use in urban areas. Exploitation of bushmeat , particularly deer and turtles is common. Extensive deforestation , particularly in Brazil , is leading to the extinction of known and unknown species, reducing biological diversity and adversely impacting soil, water, and air quality. A final part of the deforestation process is the large-scale production of charcoal for industrial processes such as steel manufacturing. Soils within
798-454: Is specialized to an arboreal environment, but the more opportunistic tamanduas find their food both on the ground and in trees, typically in dry forests near streams and lakes. The almost entirely terrestrial giant anteater lives in savannas. The two anteaters of the genus Tamandua , the southern and the northern tamanduas are much smaller than the giant anteater, and differ essentially from it in their habits, being mainly arboreal. They inhabit
855-687: Is the center of diversity for Neotropical fishes . About 45% (more than 1,000 species) of the known Amazonian fish species are endemic to the basin. The remarkable species richness can in part be explained by the large differences between the various parts of the Amazon basin, resulting in many fish species that are endemic to small regions. For example, fauna in clearwater rivers differs from fauna in white and blackwater rivers , fauna in slow moving sections show distinct differences compared to that in rapids , fauna in small streams differ from that in major rivers, and fauna in shallow sections show distinct differences compared to that in deep parts. By far
912-655: The Atlantic Ocean , it is one of the two longest rivers in the world . A team of scientists has claimed that the Amazon is longer than the Nile , but debate about its exact length continues. The Amazon system transports the largest volume of water of any river system, accounting for about 20% of the total water carried to the oceans by rivers. Some of the Amazon rainforests are deforested because of an increase in cattle ranches and soybean fields. The Amazon basin formerly flowed west to
969-615: The Guianas south to northern Uruguay and northern Argentina. Both species of tamandua co-occur in some parts of their range. The silky anteater occurs from Veracruz and Oaxaca in Mexico south to Colombia and Ecuador west of the Andes and to Brazil and Bolivia east of the Andes. An additional disjunct population also exists in northwestern Brazil. Anteater habitats include dry tropical forests , rainforests , grasslands , and savannas . The silky anteater
1026-533: The Pacific Ocean until the Andes formed, causing the basin to flow eastward towards the Atlantic Ocean. Politically the basin is divided into Peruvian Amazonia , Amazônia Legal of Brazil, the Amazon natural region of Colombia , Amazonas (Venezuelan state) , and parts of Bolivia and Ecuador . (km ) (km ) Plant growth is quite dense and its variety of animal inhabitants is comparatively high due to
1083-562: The Tupí tamanduá , meaning "ant hunter". In Portuguese, tamanduá is used to refer to all anteaters; in Spanish, only the two species in the genus Tamandua are known by this name, with the giant anteater and silky anteater being called oso hormiguero and cíclope , respectively. All four species are also known by a number of indigenous names. Anteaters are part of the Xenarthra superorder,
1140-411: 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. The name anteater refers to
1197-528: The largest strict freshwater fish in the world. The bull shark and common sawfish , which have been recorded far up the Amazon, may reach even greater sizes, but they are euryhaline and often seen in marine waters. In contrast to the giants, there are Amazonian fish from several families that are less than 2 cm (0.8 in) long. The smallest are likely the Leptophilypnion sleeper gobies, which do not surpass 1 cm (0.4 in) and are among
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#17328561426881254-459: The smallest fish in the world. The Amazon supports very large fisheries, including well-known species of large catfish (such as Brachyplatystoma , which perform long breeding migrations up the Amazon), arapaima and tambaqui , and is also home to many species that are important in the aquarium trade , such as the oscar , discus , angelfish , Corydoras catfish and neon tetra . Although
1311-460: The species ' diet, which consists mainly of ants and termites. Anteater has also been used as a common name for a number of animals that are not in Vermilingua, including the echidnas , numbat , pangolins , and aardvark . Anteaters are also known as antbears, although this is more commonly used as a name for the aardvark. The word tamandua comes from Portuguese, which itself borrowed it from
1368-522: The watershed of the Amazon is the second biggest peak of Yerupajá at 6,635 metres (21,768 ft). The Amazon River Basin occupies the entire central and eastern area of South America, lying to the east of the Andes mountain range and extending from the Guyana Plateau in the north to the Brazilian Plateau in the south. With a length of about 6,400 km (4,000 mi) before it drains into
1425-468: The Amazon are Portuguese and Spanish . There are hundreds of native languages still spoken in the Amazon, most of which are critically endangered . Many tribal groups live in the Amazon Basin, often in relative isolation. It is estimated 400 or more tribal groups have lived in the Amazon Basin for hundreds of years with their own culture, language, and lifestyle. Today total population of Amazon basin
1482-644: The Amazon basin, has several other cavefish species. The deeper part of the major Amazonian rivers are always dark and a few species have adaptions similar to cavefish (reduced pigment and eyes). Among these are the knifefish Compsaraia and Orthosternarchus , some Cetopsis whale catfish (especially C. oliveirai ), some Xyliphius and Micromyzon banjo catfish, and the loricariid catfish Loricaria spinulifera , L. pumila , Peckoltia pankimpuju , Panaque bathyphilus and Panaqolus nix (these five also occur in "normal" forms of shallower waters). The perhaps most unusual habitat used by Amazonian fish
1539-421: The Amazon include Brazil nut , rubber tree and Assai palm . More than 1,400 species of mammals are found in the Amazon, the majority of which are species of bats and rodents . Its larger mammals include the jaguar , ocelot , capybara , puma and South American tapir . About 1,500 bird species inhabit the Amazon basin. The biodiversity of the Amazon and the sheer number of diverse bird species
1596-399: The Amazon. Unlike temperate frogs which are mostly limited to habitats near the water, tropical frogs are most abundant in the trees and relatively few are found near bodies of water on the forest floor . The reason for this occurrence is quite simple: frogs must always keep their skin moist since almost half of their respiration is carried out through their skin. The high humidity of
1653-447: The Andes, it is only known from Colombia and possibly Ecuador. It has been extirpated from much of its Central American range, and has also suffered local extinctions in the southern end of its distribution. The northern tamandua is found from southern Mexico south to the western Andes of Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador, while the southern tamandua inhabits South America east of the Andes, from as far north as Colombia, Trinidad , and
1710-456: The back and belly joined by two black bands running across the shoulders. Some tamanduas may lack the vest partially or entirely, instead having a uniformly yellow, brown, or black coat. The silky anteater is the smallest species in the order, with an average total body length of 43 cm (17 in) and an average mass of 235 g (8.3 oz). It has extremely dense, silky, gray to golden-brown fur across its body, sometimes tinged silver on
1767-425: The back. Some South American populations have a chocolate brown stripe down the middle of the back, most prominent in the Amazon basin . The tail is extremely prehensile, and the limbs display adaptations to help it grab items while climbing. Unlike the other anteaters and many other unrelated obligate ant-eating mammals, the silky anteater's face is only slightly longer than expected for an animal of its size and shows
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1824-427: The dense primeval forests of South and Central America. The silky anteater ( Cyclopes didactylus ) is a native of the hottest parts of South and Central America and exclusively arboreal in its habits. Anteaters are mostly solitary mammals prepared to defend their 1.0 to 1.5 sq mi (2.6 to 3.9 km) territories . They do not normally enter a territory of another anteater of the same sex, but males often enter
1881-472: The early Pleistocene than they have currently; for example, fossils of the giant anteater have been found as far north as Sonora, Mexico , and the reduction in its range is probably due to changes in habitat due to deglaciation in North America in the later Pleistocene. Currently, the giant anteater is known from Central America south east of the Andes to northern Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. West of
1938-498: The exception being rainy days. The green anaconda inhabits the shallow waters of the Amazon and the emerald tree boa and boa constrictor live in the Amazonian tree tops. Many reptile species are illegally collected and exported for the international pet trade. Live animals are the fourth largest commodity in the smuggling industry after drugs, diamonds and weapons. More than 1,500 species of amphibians swim and are found in
1995-473: The family Ixodidae , and especially the genus Amblyomma : 29 species of ixodids are known from anteaters, 25 of which belong to Amblyomma . Anteaters are the primary host for at least four species of ticks: A. nodosum , A. calcaratum , A. goeldi , and A. pictum . Parasitic worms collected from anteaters include those in the class Cestoda and nematodes in the families Spiruridae , Physalopteridae , Trichostrongylidae , and Ascarididae . Parasitization by
2052-441: The feeding strategy of licking up large numbers of ants and termites as quickly as possible – an anteater normally spends about a minute at a nest before moving on to another – and a giant anteater has to visit up to 200 nests per day to consume the thousands of insects it needs to satisfy its caloric requirements. The anteater's tongue is covered with thousands of tiny hooks called filiform papillae which are used to hold
2109-400: The giant anteater, with a total body length of around 0.77–1.33 m (2.5–4.4 ft) and a mass of 3.2–7.0 kg (7.1–15.4 lb). They can further be distinguished by their shorter snout, their relatively shorter claws, proportionately longer ears, and mostly fur-less, prehensile tail. They also differ in their coloration; most individuals are golden brown to gray, with a black "vest" on
2166-482: The heavy rainfall and the dense and extensive evergreen and coniferous forests . Little sunlight reaches the ground due to the dense roof of canopy by plants. The ground remains dark and damp and only shade-tolerant vegetation will grow here. Orchids and bromeliads exploit trees and other plants to get closer to the sunlight. They grow hanging onto the branches or tree trunks with aerial roots , not as parasites but as epiphytes . Species of tropical trees native to
2223-443: The inhabitants harvest wild rubber latex , and Brazilian nuts . This is a form of extractive farms, where the trees are not cut down. These are relatively sustainable operations in contrast to lumbering or agriculture dependent on clearing the rainforest. The people live in thatched houses shaped liked beehives. They also build apartment-like houses called " Maloca ", with a steeply slanting roof. The most widely spoken languages in
2280-554: The insects together with large amounts of saliva. Swallowing and the movement of the tongue are aided by side-to-side movements of the jaws. The tongue is attached to the sternum and moves very quickly, flicking 150 times per minute. The anteater's stomach, similar to a bird's gizzard , has hardened folds and uses strong contractions to grind the insects, a digestive process assisted by small amounts of ingested sand and dirt. A number of mammals and birds are known to prey on anteaters. Jaguars are known to feed upon both giant anteaters and
2337-512: The lowest body temperatures of any mammal, and can tolerate greater fluctuations in body temperature than most mammals. Their daily energy intake from food is only slightly greater than their energy need for daily activities, and anteaters probably coordinate their body temperatures so they keep cool during periods of rest, and heat up during foraging. Adult males are slightly larger and more muscular than females, and have wider heads and necks. Visual sex determination can, however, be difficult, since
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2394-586: The major fish groups of the Amazon basin include: More than 90% of the animal species in the Amazon are insects , of which about 40% are beetles (Coleoptera constituting almost 25% of all known types of animal life-forms.) Whereas all of Europe has some 321 butterfly species, the Manú National Park in Peru (4000 hectare-survey) has 2300 species, while Tambopata National Reserve (5500 hectare-survey) has at least 1231 species. The Amazon River basin has
2451-482: The most diverse orders in the Amazon are Characiformes (43% of total fish species in the Amazon) and Siluriformes (39%), but other groups with many species include Cichlidae (6%) and Gymnotiformes (3%). In addition to major differences in behavior and ecology, Amazonian fish vary extensively in form and size. The largest, the arapaima and piraiba can reach 3 m (9.8 ft) or more in length and up to 200 kg (440 lb) in weight, making them some of
2508-723: The nematode Physaloptera magnipapilla results in anemia and gastritis in the giant anteater. The giant anteater is the type host of a species of nematode, Aspidodera serrata , while the silky anteater is the type host of the coccidian Eimeria cyclopei . Other parasites that affect anteaters are protozoans , bacteria , parabasalids , and viruses . Diseases that anteaters suffer from include physiological diseases like Sertoli cell tumors , physical injuries such as burns and fractures, metabolic and nutritional disorders like soft tissue mineralization and hypervitaminosis D , and infectious diseases like gastritis , osteomyelitis , and dermatitis . Anteaters may serve as vectors for
2565-416: The offspring until they are self-sufficient. Anteaters are specialized to feed on small insects, with each anteater species having its own insect preferences: small species are specialized on arboreal insects living on small branches, while large species can penetrate the hard covering of the nests of terrestrial insects. To avoid the jaws, sting, and other defences of the invertebrates, anteaters have adopted
2622-428: The penis and testes are located internally between the rectum and urinary bladder in males and females have a single pair of mammae near the armpits. Fertilization occurs by contact transfer without intromission, similar to some lizards. Polygynous mating usually results in a single offspring; twins are possible but rare. The large foreclaws prevent mothers from grasping their newborns and they therefore have to carry
2679-500: The population of the silky anteater from northeastern Brazil has been assessed separately by the IUCN and classified as being data deficient , although its population is currently thought to be decreasing due habitat loss and illegal capture for the wildlife trade . Cyclopedidae The Cyclopedidae is a family of anteaters that includes the silky anteater and its extinct relative, Palaeomyrmidon . This article about
2736-449: The rainforest and frequent rainstorms gives tropical frogs infinitely more freedom to move into the trees and escape the many predators of rainforest waters. The differences between temperate and tropical frogs extend beyond their habitat. About 2500 fish species are known from the Amazon basin and it is estimated that more than 1,000 additional undescribed species exist. This is more than any other river basin on Earth, and Amazonia
2793-584: The region are generally shallow and cannot be used for more than a few seasons without the addition of imported fertilizers and chemicals. "Over past 20 years (2021), the Brazilian Amazon emitted 13% more CO 2 than it absorbed". "Amazon biodiversity also plays a critical role as part of global systems, influencing the global carbon cycle and thus climate change , as well as hemispheric hydrological systems, serving as an important anchor for South American climate and rainfall. It also produces 20% oxygen of
2850-615: The regions, with transport ranging from balsa rafts and dugout canoes to hand built wooden river craft and modern steel hulled craft. Seasonal floods excavate and redistribute nutrient-rich silt onto beaches and islands, enabling dry-season riverside agriculture of rice, beans, and corn on the river's shoreline without the addition of fertilizer, with additional slash and burn agriculture on higher floodplains. Fishing provides additional food year-round, and free-range chickens need little or no food beyond what they can forage locally. Charcoal made largely from forest and shoreline deadfall
2907-503: The rest of the body, covered with varying amounts of fur, and prehensile in all species except for the giant anteater. Anteaters are known to experience color abnormalities, including albinism in giant anteaters and albinism, leucism , and melanism in the southern tamandua. The giant anteater can be distinguished from the other species on the basis of its large size, with an average total body length of around 2 m (6.6 ft) and an average mass of 33 kg (73 lb). The body
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#17328561426882964-525: The southern tamandua, with the latter species representing a significant portion of the jaguar's diet in some areas. Tamanduas are additionally predated upon by ocelots , other felids , foxes , and caimans , and may be vulnerable to predation by harpy eagles near their nests. Silky anteaters have been observed being attacked by hawks. Anteaters are known to host a wide variety of parasites , including ticks , fleas , parasitic worms , and acanthocephalans . The most common ticks found on anteaters are from
3021-477: The tamanduas are classified as being of least concern by the IUCN due to their large ranges, presumed large populations, and the lack of significant enough population declines. The giant anteater is classified as being vulnerable due to high levels of habitat loss and degradation, an ongoing population decline of greater than 30% in the last 21 years, and a number of threats such as hunting and wildfires. Additionally,
3078-551: The territory of French Guiana . Most of the basin is covered by the Amazon rainforest , also known as Amazonia . With a 5.5 million km (2.1 million sq mi) area of dense tropical forest , it is the largest rainforest in the world. The Amazon River begins in the Andes Mountains at the west of the basin with its main tributary the Marañón River and Apurimac River in Peru . The highest point in
3135-462: The territory of associated females. When a territorial dispute occurs, they vocalize, swat, and can sometimes sit on or even ride the back of their opponents. Anteaters have poor sight but an excellent sense of smell, and most species depend on the latter for foraging, feeding, and defence. Their hearing is thought to be good. With a body temperature fluctuating between 33 and 36 °C (91 and 97 °F), anteaters, like other xenarthrans, have among
3192-629: The transmission of several diseases between species. Ticks from anteaters are known to carry Rickettsia bacteria, which cause spotted fever in humans. Anteaters have also been infected with SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , Leishmania , the protozoan that causes leishmaniasis , and canine distemper -causing Morbillivirus , contracting the last disease from a maned wolf in captivity. Anteaters, like other xenarthans, display several adaptations that lead to very low rates of cancer among them, such as programmed cell death at very low levels of DNA damage. The silky anteater and both of
3249-454: The true danger they represent often is greatly exaggerated, the Amazon basin is home to several feared fish species such as piranhas (including the famous red-bellied ), electric eel , river stingrays and candiru . Several cavefish species in the genus Phreatobius are found in the Amazon, as is the cave-dwelling Astroblepus pholeter in the far western part of the basin (Andean region). The Tocantins basin, arguably not part of
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