ANT-EATERS 379 



animals. This, however, is not the case. The long claws of the fore-feet only serve 

 their owner to tear up ant-hills, whose alarmed inhabitants cluster in masses and 

 stick in hundreds to the slimy tongue as it is alternately darted out and withdrawn 

 as quick as lightning. This process, as well as the cleaning of the mouth from earth 

 and saliva, is but seldom observed, since the great ant-eater is rarely visible, being 

 a nocturnal animal and sleeping throughout the day in high grass or other covert. 

 Here it lies on one side, with the head buried in the long hair of the chest, the legs 

 drawn close to its body, and the back covered by the bushy tail. On awaking, 

 it leisurely gets its limbs into their usual position, first sitting up on its hind-legs, 

 and then stretching its fore-legs and slowly moving its head to and fro. Except 

 during pairing-time, males as well as females live alone ; the lair of the female 

 generally contains a single young one, which is born in spring, and after having 

 been suckled for several months remains with the mother until she is again far 

 advanced in pregnancy. The typical M. jubata, or M. tridactyla, of tropical South 

 America, is replaced in Central America by M. centralis, mainly distinguished by 

 skull-characters. 



The tamandua or lesser ant-eater (Tamandua tetradactyla) is scarcely half the 

 size of the preceding species, and has a shorter head, longer ears, and a prehensile 

 tail. The hind-feet resemble those of the great ant-eater, but the fore-feet are 

 rather stronger and somewhat different in structure. The middle toe has the 

 strongest claw, but the claws on the second and fourth toes are fairly strong, 

 while the first toe carries only a small claw, and the fifth, which is hidden in the 

 skin, has none at all. 



The tamandua, which inhabits South and Central America, is much more 

 common than the larger species, and generally found on the edges of the forests, 

 where it lives principally in trees, often climbing to the top of the highest. Here it 

 finds the greater part of its food, which consists of ants and perhaps also of honey. 

 In all its movements it is more lively than the great ant-eater and tries to escape 

 when pursued, but if hard pressed will sometimes sit down like the other species 

 and attempt to hug and wound its enemies with its claws. Although chiefly 

 nocturnal, it is sometimes seen about by day. Tamanduas generally sleep with 

 the head sunk on the breast and covered with the fore-paws, and the tail drawn 

 close to the side. 



The third species, or two-clawed ant-eater (Cycloturus didactylus), is confined to 

 the hottest countries of South and Central America, inhabiting the north of Brazil, 

 Peru, and Guiana, and not found more than 2000 feet above the sea. It is not 

 much more than 6 inches long, the tail being rather longer and prehensile. The 

 hind-feet have four toes of almost equal length placed close together and used like 

 those of the sloths as claspers, the same being the case more or less with the fore-feet, 

 which have four toes but only the third and the fourth clawed. This animal has 

 the same way of hanging on trees and the same slow movements as the sloths, and, 

 like them, is exclusively arboreal. It sleeps among the branches in the deepest 

 parts of the forest all day long, and on account of its nocturnal habits is rarely 

 seen even by the natives. Apparently never uttering a sound, it climbs about 

 in a quiet, circumspect way in search of food, which includes ants, bees, wasps, and 

 their larvae. It eats its food like a squirrel, holding it between the fore-feet. 



