# What Do Giant Anteaters Eat?

> What giant anteaters eat: Insectivore — ants and termites, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Grasslands, savannas, and forests of Central and South America.

- **Species:** Giant Anteater (*Myrmecophaga tridactyla*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Insectivore — ants and termites
- **Habitat:** Grasslands, savannas, and forests of Central and South America
- **Lifespan:** 14–16 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 30 km/h (19 mph) in gallop
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/giant-anteater/what-do-giant-anteater-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/giant-anteater/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The giant anteater is a unmistakable mammal with a long snout, bushy tail, and front claws used to tear open termite mounds. Its tongue extends up to 60 cm and flicks 150 times per minute into insect nests. Listed Vulnerable, it walks on knuckles to protect claws and carries single offspring on its back.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Tongue mechanics

The sticky tongue is attached to the sternum and can extend 60 cm — longer than the skull — with no teeth in the tubular mouth. A giant anteater consumes up to 30,000 insects daily but spends only seconds at each nest to avoid soldier ant stings.

## Help protect the Giant Anteater

Giant anteaters are killed on roads and lose grassland habitat across South America.

[Donate to habitat protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/habitat-loss-wildlife-extinction/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/giant-anteater/what-do-giant-anteater-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.