Page 153 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

SOUTHERN TAMANDUA 153

After enjoying a quick, mid-morning snack of ants, the Before he can clamber back up, he notices trouble heading his
tamandua shuffles back towards the safety of the nearest tree. way. It’s an inquisitive coati – and he doesn’t look friendly.

Appearances can be deceptive.This tamandua is no pushover! As the coati moves in, the tamandua lashes out with his
Backing against the tree trunk, he gets ready for a fight. sickle-shaped claws, leaving the intruder bloodied and bruised.

long, curved claws are invaluable.These act like a Naturally solitary by nature, each tamandua forages
mountaineer’s crampons, anchoring them to branches and alone but, because these animals are so slow on the
enabling them to haul themselves up and down tree trunks ground, they are vulnerable to attack. However, their
with ease.They also have a prehensile (gripping) tail that claws and tail – which are so useful in the tree tops –
works like an additional limb.This can be wrapped around also provide them with the means to defend themselves
branches for support as they climb.Their weight means on the forest floor.When aggravated, tamanduas hiss and
they’re restricted to thicker branches, but they are release an unpleasant scent, which has earned them the
remarkably agile amongst the foliage. Once tamanduas nickname ‘stinkers of the forest’! If that doesn’t do the
are on the ground, though, it’s a different story. trick, then they back up against a tree trunk or rock.
To avoid puncturing their palms with their sharp claws, Rearing up on their hind legs, they use their tails, like a
tamanduas walk on the outsides of their feet, which tripod, for support, making their fore legs available for
produces a slow, waddling gait. Despite this, they often wrestling and leaving their front claws free to lash out.
have large territories, especially in scrubland areas where One slash from those formidable talons is enough to
food is less plentiful. scare away most predators.

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.