The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is one of Brazil’s most iconic and sought-after mammals. If you are lucky enough to find one, they can often be viewed on foot if approached carefully and quietly. With some good planning, there is a decent chance of connecting with this bushy-tailed, long-snouted, clawed giant of Brazil’s Cerrado Savannas and Pantanal areas.
They are large creatures and have a length of up to about 2m long (6 feet), which includes a snout of 30cm and a flicking tongue about twice that length: 60cm when fully extended! These anteaters don’t have any teeth and instead have a very strong muscular stomach that acts a lot like a bird’s gizzard. Their bushy tail is one of their most prominent features and is the reason why in Brazil the species is called “Tamanduá-bandeira“, which translates to “Anteater-flag”. Having such a sweeping tail has its uses – it can act as a blanket during naps or as shade during a hot day!
How is this for a face?
Shaggy coated giant anteater I bumped into last week!
When observing them out foraging, they move around on their knuckles, with claws curled inward, hiding the daggers they are. Their claws are so ferocious and sharp that they are not only used for opening up termite mounds but they can be used to defend themselves against jaguars and have been known to kill farm dogs – their reputation precedes them to a point that some farmers have taken to shooting them so they don’t lose their ‘pets’ that might attack one of them moving through. Aside from this, it seems many farmers do tolerate them, and that road collisions are possibly a bigger threat in some parts of their home range.
Over the last month, I have been working the Cerrado (Savanna areas) of Brazil’s central regions from Sao Paulo farmlands to the Pantanal areas of the Mato Grosso do Sul and managed to see this species 5 times, two of which were close encounters!
Last year I got a glimpse of one in the northern Pantanal near Pocone, but this year the southern Pantanal provided two distant views in farmland and then near Bonito in the source rivers of this part of the Pantanal we encountered another two adjacent to a protected forest, one of which walked right up to us. Then last Sunday, 22nd June 2025, on a farm in Sao Paulo state, an exciting search for a maned wolf led me to a wonderful encounter with another anteater as it slowly moved around feasting on ants, oblivious of my presence.
Spotted this one off the B262 connecting from Miranda to Corumba
We found this one in beautiful afternoon light near Bonito
Interestingly this is not the only species of anteater in Brazil. I have been in some habitat where you can find the Southern Anteater also known as Southern Tamandua but am yet to find one!
