This Animal Eats Up to 140 Insects at a Time Using Its 2-Foot Tongue

Anteaters are fascinating creatures known specifically for their incredibly long tongues. While their tongues are used for eating ants, the Instagram post by the user @anteater.family shows a different use for their long tongues. Keep reading below to learn more.

How Long Do Anteater Tongues Get?

Anteater tongues are known for their straw-like usage and appearance. However, unlike straws, anteaters rarely drink water. They receive most of their hydration and other nutrients from eating alone. Using their tongue, which can grow up to 2 feet long, anteaters spend their time eating ants or termites. Their tongue is attached to the sternum, which gives it the ability to stick out so far. Attachment to the sternum allows for anteaters to flick their tongue out 150 times per minute. Thus, it allows them to devour ant or termite colonies with ease.

Anteaters’ tongues work especially well for consuming small insects, and their thinness allows for pinpoint precision when doing so. This is all with the assistance of a special saliva secreted during feeding time. The saliva is sticky, meaning that the anteaters do not need to scoop or lift an insect. This saliva is made up of molecules called sialoglycoconjugates, which consist of sialic acids and glycoproteins. It is the combination of length and stickiness that allows anteaters to be so good at hunting. They typically eat up to 140 insects from a single mound at a time.

Crazy Tongue Movements

The crazy tongue movements seen in the Instagram video above do not have a specific purpose. While it looks like the anteater is trying to drink the rainwater coming down, it is more uncommon for anteaters to drink water in general. They tend to get all the water they need from their diet of ants and termites, making drinking with their tongues not so important. That doesn’t mean every anteater avoids water. In fact, the anteaters at the National Zoo are noted as loving water, whether swimming in water or playing in puddles.

Other Anteater Behaviors

While anteaters’ tongues are primarily used for eating, these animals have some amazing talents that help with their survival. One skill is the amazing sense of smell that anteaters use for many different reasons. Anteaters can sniff out different insect species that best suit their preferred taste. Given the regional differences in species, anteaters will find the insect that best meets their nutritional needs or tastes by sniffing out and identifying what they’re looking for. Anteaters also have amazing claws, which are perfect for digging. When a mound is too deep for their tongues, their strong claws can dig through the mound without worry. When in scarce environments, they can combine their great sense of smell and claws to dig up the ground where there may be water or food available.