Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758

Voss, Robert S. & Fleck, David W., 2017, Mammalian Diversity And Matses Ethnomammalogy In Amazonian Peru Part 2: Xenarthra, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, Artiodactyla, And Sirenia, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2017 (417), pp. 1-1 : 1-

Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758

VOUCHER MATERIAL (TOTAL = 3): Boca Rio Yaquerana (FMNH 88890), Nuevo San Juan (MUSM 11094), Quebrada Esperanza (FMNH 88891).

OTHER INTERFLUVIAL RECORDS: Actiamë ( Amanzo, 2006), Choncó ( Amanzo, 2006), Río Yavarí (Salovaara et al., 2003), Río Yavarí-Mirím (Salovaara et al., 2003), San Pedro (Valqui, 1999).

IDENTIFICATION: Only three specimens of the giant anteater seem to have been collected in the Yavarí-Ucayali interfluve. Two of them, both females, are preserved as skins and skulls. Of these, FMNH 88890 is obviously the younger animal, with a co-ossified occiput but otherwise unfused cranial sutures; the skull is lightly built, and partially disarticulated. The second, FMNH 88891, is much larger and has a more heavily

ossified skull, but all of the cranial sutures (except those of the occiput) are still visible. Although the latter specimen is seemingly immature according to the age classification that Wetzel (1975) proposed for tamanduas, measurements of FMNH 88891 are within the range of variation that Wetzel (1985a) subsequently reported for adult Myrmecophaga . Both skins exhibit all of the usual diagnostic external traits of M. tridactyla (e.g., those described by Husson, 1978; Emmons, 1997), with no apparent pigmental or other pelage difference between the younger and older individual. Selected measurements of FMNH 88891 are: head-and-body length, 1202 mm; length of tail, 687 mm; hind foot, 157 mm; ear, 51 mm; condylonasal length, 330.7 mm; nasal length, 151.3 mm; least interorbital breadth, 45.5 mm; posterior zygomatic breadth, 65.6 mm; breadth of braincase, 63.0 mm.

Our specimen from Nuevo San Juan (MUSM 11094) was killed by a Matses hunter to protect his dogs, which were fighting with it. This is a fully adult female (braincase elements are coossified) with the following measurements: headand-body length, 1150 mm; length of tail, 710 mm; hind foot, 153 mm; ear, 49 mm; condylonasal length, 353.0 mm; nasal length, 178.4 mm; least interorbital breadth, 45.9 mm; anterior zygomatic breadth, 61.2 mm; posterior zygomatic breadth, 68.5 mm; breadth of braincase, 63.5 mm. This specimen weighed 32 kg.

ETHNOBIOLOGY: The giant anteater has only one name, ʂhaë. It is not analyzable, but it is a common term for this species in other Panoan languages. A few informants suggested that there is a large and a small subtype, but most Matses do not recognize any subtypes.

Giant anteaters are not eaten or kept as pets. Although giant anteaters are not hunted, the Matses sometimes club them to death when they fight with dogs. Giant anteaters sometimes kill dogs if a hunter does not arrive at the scene quickly enough. The Matses are quite careful in approaching giant anteaters, knowing that they could kill a person with their claws.

People don’t look at giant anteaters, lest their children fall ill.

MATSES NATURAL HISTORY: Giant anteaters are very large and have a big, bushy tail with long hairs, reminiscent of the flowers of arrow cane ( Gynerium sagittatum [Gramineae]). They wag their tails back and forth as they walk. They have large claws on their front feet, which they tuck in when they walk around. Their hind footprints look like a human child’s. They have a very elongated snout and a very long and thin tongue. They have a stripe around their neck. Their eyes and ears are small.

Giant anteaters use all habitats: floodplain forest, upland forest, primary forest, and secondary forest (including abandoned swiddens).

Giant anteaters do not make a nest. Instead, they sleep lying in hollows in the ground, all curled up. They also sleep between buttress roots.

Giant anteaters are diurnal and nocturnal. They are strictly terrestrial.

Giant anteaters are solitary. The young ride on the mother’s neck.

Giant anteaters are a favorite food of jaguars.

Giant anteaters can roar loudly, like a jaguar.

Giant anteaters eat bullet ants ( Dinoponera spp. , Ectatomma [ Formicidae ]). They eat bullet ants by sticking their nose in the nest to make many come out, and then lick them up with their tongue. They dig into leaf-cutter ant ( Atta sp. ) nests and feed there for a long time. They also eat other ants, including army ants ( Eciton spp. ), ëu ants (tiny biting ants), and masioko ants (small biting ants). They dig into hives of stingless bees ( Apidae : Meliponini) that are at the base of trees and stick their snouts in to eat bee larvae and lick up the honey. They do not eat isan palm ( Oenocarpus bataua [ Arecaceae ]) fruits or other fruits.

REMARKS: Matses interviews about giant anteaters are of particular interest because most of what is known about the natural history of this magnificent species is based on fieldwork in savanna habitats (e.g., Redford, 1985; Shaw et al., 1987; Medri et al., 2003). Although Matses information is sparse and generally agrees with the scientific literature, their observation that giant anteaters are a preferred prey of jaguars is noteworthy because the high frequency of jaguar attacks on Myrmecophaga has only recently been documented ( Cavalcanti and Gese, 2010; Sollmann et al., 2013).

Giant anteaters are predators of social insects, and they are widely believed to feed almost exclusively on termites and ants (Redford, 1985, 1986). However, Matses observations suggest that stingless bees might be an important alternative food resource in Amazonia. In upland savannas (e.g., the Cerrado; Redford, 1985), giant anteaters are said to feed mostly on termites, whereas populations in seasonally inundated grasslands (e.g., the Llanos and Pantanal; Medri et al., 2003) appear to eat mostly ants. Judging from Matses observations, Amazonian populations of Myrmecophaga feed primarily on ants, perhaps because most rainforest termitaria are arboreal ( Constantino, 1992). The feeding bouts of giant anteaters are said to be very brief (usually less than a minute; Redford, 1985), so it is interesting that the Matses say they feed for a long time at leaf-cutter ant nests.