The giant anteater is not a real giant. It is a medium sized animal but bigger than other anteaters. Its body is narrow. Its fur is mostly gray with black and white fur along the shoulders. The hair is coarse and thick. The hair is longest on the bushy tail.

An anteater has a long, narrow snout or nose and a long sticky tongue. It can stick its tongue two feet out of its mouth and down into an ant’s nest. It eats for about 30 to 60 seconds at each anthill. An anteater can eat 30,000 to 50,000 ants each day!

The anteater does not have good hearing or sight but it has a very good sense of smell. It has no teeth. Its walk is like a shuffle or a waddle. It can be about six feet long from the tip of its snout to tail and weigh about fifty-five pounds. Three large claws on the front feet help get into ant and termite nests. The claws can be used for defense.