11 Common Misconceptions About Anteaters (And You Probably Believed #7!)

7. Anteaters Use Their Long Snouts Like Straws

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The most often held belief is that anteaters suck up ants and termites using their elongated snouts like straws. This idea is so prevalent that children's literature and cartoons frequently present it this way. But anteaters catch their prey with their long, sticky tongues, not suction. Their tongues, which reach two feet in length, are covered in thousands of microscopic hooks and sticky saliva that aids in insect trapability. At astonishing rates, up to 150 times per minute, the tongue travels in and out of their mouth. Though they lack utility as vacuum cleaners, their long snouts house this amazing tongue and offer the support system required for eating. Though the actual eating process depends just on their specific tongue mechanism, the snout also features highly developed smell receptors that enable them find their prey.