Scientific Classification

KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Mammalia

ORDER: Pilosa

FAMILY: Myrmecophagidae

GENUS: Tamandua

SPECIES: T. tetradactyla

Conservation Status

The southern tamandua on tree
Southern Tamandua climbing up tree with baby
Southern Tamandua tetradactyla mother, 3 years old, and child
Another name for the southern tamandua is the lesser anteater since it’s so much smaller than the giant anteater it is related to.

There are four subspecies of southern tamandua found across South America. The size ranges of the subspecies are roughly equal; depending on environmental factors, they can grow 15-35 inches long, not counting their tail that can grow up to 2 feet long! Not only are the male and female southern tamanduas the same height, but they both weigh the same ranging between 4-18 pounds.

Southern tamanduas can spend over 50% of their time in the trees using their sharp claws. With four clawed digits on their front feet and five in the back, they must walk on the outer surfaces of their feet to avoid piercing their palms.

The southern tamandua can be found in a variety of habitats throughout South America in Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, and more at elevations over 6,000 feet! They prefer habitats near streams and rivers, or places with a lot of thick vines. These habitats include dry or wet forests, savannas, and thorn scrubs. Southern tamanduas also like these areas because their food source is plentiful there.
Like most anteaters, the southern tamandua consumes ants and termites. They locate food through scent and use their strong front limbs and claws to rip open ant hills and nests. Once the ant hill is out of the way, they use their 16-inch-long tongue to pick up food. Southern tamanduas eat a variety of ants excluding ones with strong chemical defenses, relying on their thick, curly hair to protect them from ant bites.

Even though southern and northern tamanduas are sharing the land, there is no shortage of food since the southern tamanduas can look for food in the trees while the northern tamanduas are isolated to ground foraging.
There is little research on the reproductive process of southern tamanduas, but mating season generally takes place in the fall. The mother will remain pregnant for about five months before giving birth to a single pup; twin births can occur but they’re rare. The pup will latch onto the mother’s back for the first several months of its life before going out on their own after about a year.

When a southern tamandua feels threatened, it will hiss and release a foul odor that is four times stronger than a skunk’s spray. If the threat continues, they will grasp or lean on anything nearby and fight with their front claws.