Tamandua Anteater

This anteater was spotted on our first morning in Costa Rica way up high in the canopy at dawn while waiting for our morning bird walk to begin.



He worked his way down...



...to a tree directly in front of us...



..and we admired his interesting colors! I never knew just how cool his coat was!






I found his size to be quite a bit smaller than expected. I would gauge him at a about the size of a stout medium sized dog with a very long tail.

Giant Anteater, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

Interesting Facts: South American anteaters have long noses, long sticky tongues, and strong sharp claws, but they do not have any teeth. The largest species is the giant anteater, or ant bear. While normally not aggressive, these animals can be quite dangerous due to their size and sharp claws; in 2006, a female zookeeper was attacked and killed by an adult giant anteater.

Oh, and don't forget to click on the photos for a detailed view!