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Flashcards in Giant Anteater Deck (45)
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1
Q

How long is the giant anteater?

A

7 feet

2
Q

How much does a giant anteater weigh?

A

120 pounds

3
Q

What is the gestation period in days of a giant anteater?

A

190 days

4
Q

How many babies does the giant anteater have?

A

One.

5
Q

What is peculiar about the way giant anteaters conceive their young?

A

They do it standing up.

6
Q

What do young giant anteaters do immediately after being born?

A

Climb onto their mothers back.

7
Q

How old are giant anteaters when they are sexually mature?

A

2 years

8
Q

What is the lifespan of the giant anteater?

A

10 - 15 years.

9
Q

What is the range and habitat of the giant anteater?

A

Central and South America in rainforest.

10
Q

How many insects will the giant anteater eat per day?

A

35,000

11
Q

Are insects all giant anteaters can eat?

A

No, they can also eat fruit.

12
Q

Are giant anteaters social animals?

A

No. They are solitary.

13
Q

Are giant anteaters aggressive? How do they attack?

A

No, they are not aggressive, but will defend themselves from attack. They use their strong claws to attack.

14
Q

How long are the claws of the giant anteater?

A

4 inches

15
Q

What is the body temperature of the giant anteater?

A

90 degrees

16
Q

Why do giant anteaters walk on their knuckles?

A

They do it to keep their claws from being ruined.

17
Q

Why doesn’t walking on its knuckles hurt the giant anteater?

A

Because the floor of their habitat is soft.

18
Q

Do giant anteaters have a good sense of smell?

A

Yes.

19
Q

What is the main predator of the giant anteater?

A

The jaguar.

20
Q

What is the conservation status of the giant anteater?

A

Vulnerable.

21
Q

Why don’t giant anteaters ever completely destroy ant and termite nests?

A

To give them a chance to rebuild so they can return for more food.

22
Q

How long is the tongue of the giant anteater?

A

Two feet.

23
Q

How many hours a day do giant anteaters sleep?

A

15 hours.

24
Q

Where do giant anteaters sleep?

A

Hollowed-out depressions in the ground.

25
Q

How many different species of anteater are there?

A

Four.

26
Q

What animals do anteaters share an order with?

A

Sloths.

27
Q

What are the tow main threats to giant anteaters?

A

Hunting and habitat loss.

28
Q

How many years ago did anteaters emerge?

A

55 million

29
Q

Do male or female giant anteaters weigh more?

A

Male

30
Q

What is the coloring of the giant anteater thought to be?

A

Warning coloring.

31
Q

Does the giant anteater have teeth?

A

No.

32
Q

Does the giant anteater have a lot of jaw movement?

A

No.

33
Q

How many times per second can the giant anteater flick its tongue out?

A

Three.

34
Q

Where is the tongue of an anteater held when not protuded?

A

The pharynx.

35
Q

What bone is the tongue of an anteater directly anchored to?

A

The sternum.

36
Q

True or false? Anteaters swallow at a much faster rate than most mammals, swallowing almost continuously.

A

True.

37
Q

Where do anteaters crush their food?

A

Against the roof of their mouth.

38
Q

How does an anteater grind up the insects it swallows?

A

It eats small rocks and the stomach uses extremely strong contractions to grind them up.

39
Q

True or false? Giant anteaters produce hydrochloric acid just like us.

A

False. They use the formic acid of their prey to digest things.

40
Q

Are giant anteaters nocturnal or diurnal?

A

Nocturnal.

41
Q

Are giant anteaters good swimmers?

A

Yes.

42
Q

What is giant anteater hide sometimes used to make in Argentina?

A

Rope and saddles.

43
Q

How is the giant anteater depicted in native culture?

A

It is a wise trickster that is a foil to the jaguar.

44
Q

True or false? Women in some native tribes are not allowed to touch anything relating to anteaters.

A

True. Legend says they will die if they do.

45
Q

What famous artist wrote a whole essay on how terrifying the giant anteater was?

A

Salvador Dali.