Page 59 - An Anthology of Intriguing Animals (DK)
P. 59
A giant anteater can catch
35,000 ants in a single day.
Anteater
W ho needs teeth? Not anteaters. Their favorite
meal of termites and ants can easily be swallowed
without them, but first they have to catch these tasty
critters. The giant anteater uses its strong, curved claws
to punch a hole though the tough clay wall of a
termite mound. Next, it flicks its gigantic tongue into
the nest up to 150 times a minute. Sticky saliva
and tiny spines on the tongue’s surface pick up
the insects inside.
Such long claws make walking difficult, so
the anteater has to walk on its knuckles!
When it is ready to rest, it folds its bushy
tail over itself like a blanket.
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