216 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



could be made of it, and as game spoils within a few hours 

 in the damp, hot climate, the animal could not be left until 

 morning. We took the necessary measurements, skinned 

 the creature, and then spread the hide out on the upper 

 deck. Later we found that the tamandua bandado, as it 

 is called, was not at all rare in the pantanales. This oc- 

 casioned some surprise, as a great deal of this country is 

 marshy and there are consequently few termites, on which 

 it was thought to feed exclusively. Recent observations by 

 Mr. Cherrie, however, explain why this animal can exist in 

 the pantanal type of country. He found it climbing trees 

 and devouring the soft part of nestling birds, both of which 

 acts are about the last things one would expect of such a 

 highly specialized animal. 



The tamandua bandado stands about two feet high and 

 is six feet long. The body is covered with long, coarse 

 hair. The color is gray. A broad black band, bordered 

 with white, begins on the chest and passes obliquely over 

 the shoulder, ending in a point as it approaches the loins. 

 This marking gives the animal a peculiar, "cut-up" ap- 

 pearance. The nose is greatly elongated, and the mouth 

 is a mere slit through which the pensile tongue is thrust in 

 licking up ants. As it gallops clumsily along, for the enor- 

 mous back-turned claws of the front feet impede its prog- 

 ress, the flattened tail is thrown up and seems to aid in 

 balancing the animal. When pursued by either men or 

 dogs, it runs until closely pressed, and then rears up and 

 makes short dashes at its assailants. It is easily capable of 

 inflicting fatal wounds with its claws. P. Lydekker (Royal 

 Natural History) states that its habits are nocturnal and 

 that it has "usually a regular lair . . . generally situated 

 among tall grass, where it spends the day in slumber. . . ." 

 In the same paragraph he speaks of the animal tearing open 

 the hillocks of termites with the powerful claws of the fore- 

 feet; and "as soon as the light of day is let into their domi- 

 cile the ants or termites rush to the surface. ..." With- 

 out commenting on this inconsistency, I believe that the 



