These range from small tree-living , such as the silky and tamandua, to the famous Giant Anteater. The most common feature of anteaters is their distinctive or snout. It is used for poking around into insect nests and burrows, which the anteater also breaks into using sharp claws on its front feet. The anteater has a long sticky which is ideally suited for collecting ants. Anteaters don't have , but once they have the ants in their mouth, they crush them against their upper mouth and can further grind them in their stomach.
Anteaters drink by licking wet plants.
It lives on the ground in grasslands, swampy areas, and tropical rainforests. It has a very long tubular head, with very small and . It has vision, but compensates for this with good hearing and an excellent sense of smell. The anteater's body is covered in shaggy , which is mostly grey with the exception of black stripe that stretches from its cheeks, then along its shoulders and onto its back.