Anteaters are unique mammals with a highly specialized feeding strategy. Their ability to open their mouths differs from most mammals, as anteaters possess a mouth designed specifically for their diet of ants and termites. This unique adaptation allows them to efficiently consume thousands of tiny insects, a feeding method known as myrmecophagy.
The Anteater’s Specialized Mouth
Anteaters cannot open their mouths wide. Their mouth opening is exceptionally small, often described as a narrow tube or slit at the end of their elongated snout. This reduced opening results from their jaw anatomy, which is not built for biting or chewing.
The jawbones of an anteater are long and slender, and in some species, they are partially fused, significantly restricting their movement. Instead of wide opening and closing, their lower jaw can rotate medially and laterally to aid in tongue control. This specialized jaw structure includes the complete absence of teeth. Jaw muscles are primarily adapted for manipulating their long tongue, not for generating biting force or a wide gape.
How Anteaters Feed
Despite their restrictive mouth structure, anteaters are effective insectivores. Their primary feeding tool is a long, thin, sticky tongue, which can extend up to two feet (60 centimeters) in a giant anteater. This tongue is covered with tiny, backward-pointing spines and coated in thick, viscous saliva, both helping trap insects.
Anteaters flick their tongue in and out with incredible speed, up to 150 to 160 times per minute, allowing them to collect a large number of ants and termites rapidly. They first use their powerful, curved front claws to tear open the tough nests or mounds of their prey. Once access is gained, they insert their long tongue deep into the tunnels, collecting insects before quickly retracting it and pressing it against the roof of their mouth to crush the prey before swallowing.
This rapid “raid” strategy ensures they consume many insects from a single colony before the defensive insects can mount a significant counterattack. Anteaters typically spend 10-30 seconds at a single nest before moving on, visiting up to 200 nests daily to consume tens of thousands of insects. Their anatomy, from their specialized mouth to their powerful claws and unique tongue, is adapted for this efficient method of insect consumption.