Anteaters are not native to Africa, a common misunderstanding. This often arises because other insect-eating animals with similar appearances live on the continent. Understanding their true geographical distribution and the distinct characteristics of African animals often confused with them clarifies this point.
Where Anteaters Truly Reside
Anteaters are exclusively found in Central and South America, thriving across various habitats from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, including tropical savannas, grasslands, rainforests, and wetlands. The four extant species—the giant, northern tamandua, southern tamandua, and silky anteater—each exhibit adaptations suited to their specific niches.
The largest species, the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), is primarily terrestrial, roaming savannas and grasslands, where it can reach lengths of over 1.8 meters and weigh up to 50 kilograms. Its powerful foreclaws tear open ant and termite mounds, and its long, sticky tongue, which can extend up to 60 centimeters, collects prey rapidly. This species can consume as many as 35,000 insects in a single day.
Tamanduas, including the northern (Tamandua mexicana) and southern (Tamandua tetradactyla) species, are smaller and semiarboreal, inhabiting forests and grasslands. They possess partially prehensile tails, which aid their movement through trees as they forage for arboreal ants and termites. These animals can eat approximately 9,000 insects daily, using their strong claws and elongated tongues to access nests.
The silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is the smallest of the group, rarely exceeding 300 grams, and is exclusively arboreal. Its golden-hued, silky fur provides camouflage within the tropical forest canopy, where it spends its nocturnal hours. This species primarily feeds on ants and occasionally wasps, consuming between 700 and 5,000 insects per day. All anteaters are toothless, relying on their long, sticky tongues to capture insect prey.
African Animals with Similar Traits
While true anteaters are absent from Africa, the continent hosts several animals sharing superficial resemblances or similar ecological roles, particularly in their insectivorous diets. These include the aardvark and various pangolin species, often mistakenly identified as anteaters due to convergent evolution.
The aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal found across sub-Saharan Africa in savannas, grasslands, and woodlands. Its name, meaning “earth pig” in Afrikaans, refers to its pig-like snout and digging habits. Aardvarks use powerful, shovel-like claws to excavate extensive burrows and dig into termite and ant nests. They primarily consume ants and termites, collecting prey with their long, sticky tongues, which can extend up to 30 centimeters. Taxonomically, the aardvark is the sole living member of the order Tubulidentata, making it distinct from anteaters.
Pangolins, sometimes called “scaly anteaters,” are insectivorous mammals found in tropical Asia and Africa. Four of the eight species are native to sub-Saharan Africa. These mammals are distinctive for their tough, overlapping keratin scales covering most of their bodies.
Like anteaters and aardvarks, pangolins are nocturnal and specialize in eating ants and termites, which they locate using their acute sense of smell. They employ strong claws to break open nests and a long, sticky tongue, sometimes half their body length, to capture insects. Pangolins belong to the order Pholidota and, despite similar feeding adaptations, are more closely related to carnivorans than to anteaters.