Giant anteater

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/giant-anteater

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Myrmecophaga tridactyla
2. What is the habitat?Grasslands, savannas, and rainforests in Central and South America
3. What does a giant anteater eat?A giant anteater mainly eats ants and termites. It uses its very long, sticky tongue to scoop up these insects from their nests.
4. How does a giant anteater find and eat ants?It has a long snout and a tongue that can flick out about 150 times a minute. The tongue is coated with sticky saliva, so it can grab ants quickly. Its strong claws dig into termite mounds to reach the insects.

Insectivore: An animal that primarily consumes insects, characterized by specialized adaptations for hunting and digesting them.
Vulnerable: A species categorized by conservation organizations as facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
Habitat Fragmentation: The process by which large, continuous habitats are broken into smaller, isolated patches, negatively impacting biodiversity.
Anthropogenic: Originating from human activity or influence.