Where does the southern tamandua live?
The southern tamandua, or collared anteater, lives in South America and on Trinidad in the Caribbean. It is found from Venezuela to northern Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay, at elevations up to 1,600 m. It inhabits both wet and dry forests, including tropical rainforest, savanna and thorn scrub, and seems to be most common in habitats near streams and rivers, especially those thick with vines and epiphytes, presumably because its prey is common there.
What does the southern tamandua eat?
It is a solitary animal that feeds on ants, termites and bees. Its very strong foreclaws can be used to break insect nests and to defend itself. It is generally about 1.20 m long including the tail, and weighs about 7 kg, up to 1.40 m and 8 kg.
Is the southern tamandua endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. It is found in many habitats, from mature to highly disturbed secondary forests and arid savannas. The oldest fossil tamanduas date from the Pleistocene of South America.
