Their range extends from southern Belize down to northern Argentina. While their territory includes swamps and humid forests, they are mostly seen in grasslands where their termite and ant prey are more readily available. They travel constantly in search of food, careful to only take a small number of insects from each nest to avoid overexploiting the food sources in their home range.
While giant anteaters are not currently endangered, they have lost much of their population due to hunting and the destruction of their habitat. Scientists estimate that there are only 5,000 individuals left in the wild. These distinctive looking animals have been around for 25 million years and -- with enough habitat protection -- should continue to survive far into the future.
