This may also serve to mark territories. The family Myrmecophagidae, the anteaters, has four species classified in three genera. All members are confined to Central and South America. Habitat includes semi-dry savanna, grassland, deciduous forest, and montane and tropical rain forests. The anteaters have long, narrow tongues with small backward-pointing spines.
Sticky saliva covers the tong during feeding.
All anteaters have five fingers and four or five toes, although the fifth finger of the Giant anteater is reduced and the first, fourth and fifth fingers of the Silky anteater are reduced. The three middle fingers of tamanduas and the second and third fingers of the Giant and Silky anteaters have sharp claws that are 4-10 cm long. The claws are used in defense and for opening ant and termite nests. All members of this family are confined to Central and South America. They live in lowland and upland tropical forest.