Silky Anteater
Silky Anteater

Silky Anteater

Pygmy anteater

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Pilosa
Family
Cyclopedidae
Genus
Cyclopes
SPECIES
Cyclopes didactylus
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
2 yrs
WEIGHT
175-400 g
LENGTH
36-45 cm

Silky anteaters are the smallest living anteaters. They have dense and soft fur, which ranges from grey to yellowish in colour, with a silvery sheen. Many subspecies have darker, often brownish, streaks, and paler underparts or limbs. The eyes are black, and the soles of the feet are red. Silky anteaters have partially prehensile tails.

No

Nocturnal

Ca

Carnivore

In

Insectivores

Ar

Arboreal

So

Solitary

Se

Sedentary

S

starts with

Video

Distribution

Silky anteaters are found in southern Mexico, and Central and South America. They range from Oaxaca and southern Veracruz in Mexico, through Central America (except El Salvador), and south to Ecuador, and northern Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. A distinct population is found in the northern Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. Silky anteaters are also found on the island of Trinidad. They inhabit a range of different forest types, including semi-deciduous, tropical evergreen, and mangrove forests.

Silky Anteater habitat map

Geography

Continents
South America, North America
Subcontinents
Central America
Countries
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Show More Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela Show Less

Biome

Tropical moist forests
Mangrove
Tropical coniferous forests

Climate zones

Tropical
Silky Anteater photo

Habits and Lifestyle

Silky anteaters are nocturnal and arboreal slow-moving animals. They are found in lowland rainforests with continuous canopy, where they can move to different places without the need to descend from trees. They are solitary creatures. Females have smaller home ranges than males. During the day, they typically sleep curled up in a ball. Although Silky anteaters are rarely seen in the forest, they can be found more easily when they are foraging on lianas at night. It is suggested that Silky anteaters usually dwell in silk cotton trees. Because of their resemblance to the seed pod fibers of these trees, they can use the trees as camouflage and avoid attacks of predators such as hawks and, especially, Harpy eagles. When threatened, Silky anteaters defend themselves. They stand on their hind legs and hold their forefeet close to their faces so they can strike any animal that tries to get close with its sharp claws.

Lifestyle
Arboreal
Seasonal behavior
Sedentary

Diet and Nutrition

Silky anteaters are carnivores (insectivores). They feed mainly on ants. Sometimes, they also feed on other insects, such as termites and small coccinellid beetles.

Diet Carnivore, Insectivores

Mating Habits

REPRODUCTION SEASON
September/October
PREGNANCY DURATION
120-150 days
BABY CARRYING
1 pup
FEMALE NAME
sow
MALE NAME
boar
BABY NAME
pup

Little information is known about the mating system and reproductive behavior of Silky anteaters. Females are known to give birth to a single pup usually in September or October. The gestation period lasts 120-150 days. The young are born already furred, and with a similar colour pattern to the adults. They begin to take solid food when they are about one-third of the adult mass. Pups are usually placed inside a nest of dead leaves built in tree holes, and left for about eight hours each night. Both parents take part in raising young. Males sometimes carry their young on their backs.

Silky Anteater photo
POPULATION STATUS
Least concern (LC)
ne dd lc nt vu en cr ew ex

Population

Population threats

There are no major threats to Silky anteaters. In some areas, they are captured and kept as pets, although they usually don't survive long in captivity.

Population number

The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide the Silky anteater total population size. This animal is common and widespread throughout its known range. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • The scientific name of the Silky anteater translates as "two-toed circle-foot". It refers to the presence of two claws on the fore feet, and their ability to almost encircle a branch to which the animal is clinging.
  • Silky anteaters can eat between 700 and 5,000 ants a day.
  • Anteaters don't have teeth, even adult individuals. They use their long and sticky tongue to catch their prey.

References

1. Silky Anteater on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silky_anteater
2. Silky Anteater on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6019/47440020

Related Animals

Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth
Bradypus variegatus
Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth
Choloepus didactylus
Southern Tamandua
Tamandua tetradactyla
Giant Anteater
Myrmecophaga tridactyla
Hoffmann's Two-Toed Sloth
Choloepus hoffmanni
Pale-Throated Three-Toed Sloth
Bradypus tridactylus
Northern Tamandua
Tamandua mexicana
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About

Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Arctic Fox
Vulpes lagopus
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Lemur catta
Asian Elephant
Elephas maximus
Grey Wolf
Canis lupus