Giant Anteater: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Fast and Slow · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. One giant anteater can raid up to 200 insect nests in a day and gulp down roughly 35,000 ants and termites.
2. A giant anteater's sense of smell is 40 times stronger than a human's.
3. Giant anteaters walk on the knuckles of their forefeet, curling their big claws out of the way, like great apes.
4. A giant anteater's tongue reaches 45 cm and can flick in and out about 160 times a minute.
5. Giant anteaters make no stomach acid of their own. They digest their meals using the formic acid of the ants they eat.

The quiz

1. How many insect nests can one giant anteater raid in a day?

• Up to 200 (correct)
• Up to 2
• Up to 20
• Up to 2,000

It can raid up to 200 insect nests in a day.

2. How much stronger is its sense of smell than a human's?

• 4 times
• 40 times (correct)
• 14 times
• 400 times

Its sense of smell is 40 times stronger than a human's.

3. How does a giant anteater walk?

• On its hind legs only
• On the tips of its claws
• On the knuckles of its forefeet (correct)
• On its elbows

It walks on the knuckles of its forefeet, like great apes.

4. How far can its tongue reach?

• 4.5 cm
• 15 cm
• 90 cm
• 45 cm (correct)

Its tongue reaches 45 cm.

5. What helps a giant anteater digest its food?

• Its own very strong stomach acid
• Formic acid from the ants it eats (correct)
• Chewing with its big teeth
• Honey from bee nests

It makes no stomach acid and uses the formic acid of its prey instead.

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