11 Common Misconceptions About Anteaters (And You Probably Believed #7!)
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10. Anteaters Have No Teeth
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Although anteaters lack teeth, this has resulted in several misunderstandings regarding their eating capacity and digestion mechanism. Anteaters have developed a rather complex digestive system to offset their lack of teeth. Their strong stomachs with rigid folds help ground down their insect prey, therefore functioning as a gizzard like that of birds. Their especially strong stomach acids help to break down the tough exoskeletons of their prey. To assist catch and digest their food, they have also evolved specialized salivary glands creating sticky saliva. Actually, their feeding technique benefits from the lack of teeth since it lets their tongue projection system be more simplified and lessens the weight of their extended snouts.
