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Large Insectivores

Mammaculture

Pensacola Jr College

Classification

w Order Xenarthra (Edentata)

• Family Bradypodidae (sloths)

• Family Dasypodidae (armadillos)

• Family Myrmecophagidae (true anteaters)

w Order Pholidota (pangolins)

w Order Tubulidentata (aardvark)

Order Xenarthra

w Range: Southern U.S. to South America

w Tooth reduction or loss, no enamel

w Fusion of much of vertebral column, xenarthran process

w Solitary

w Low body tmp, heterothermy

Family Bradypodidae

w Physical characteristics:

• Syndactyl except claws, 3 rear, 2-3 front claws

• 6-9 cervical vertebrae

• Hair grows backwards (points down), grooves provide attachment point for algae

• Rete mirable in legs to decrease central heat loss

• Cement encased teeth

Bradypodidae (cont’d)

w Body temp 85-90 F, LCT high, extremities sensitive

w Completely arboreal, good swimmers, must drag body on ground (only come down to defecate 1x/week)

w Eat leaves, twigs, fruit, and have multi-chamber stomach

Bradypodidae (cont’d)

w Extinct giant ground sloth was taller than elephant

w 2 toed sloth – in zoos; have canines and cheek teeth, 1 young, 263 day gestation

w 3 toed sloth – smaller, cheek teeth only, specialized diet, 1 young, 150 day gestation

Giant Ground Sloth (extinct)

Two toed sloth

Three toed sloth & baby

Family Dasypodidae

w Physical Characteristics:

• Skin modified to horny plates

• Musculature to curl in ball

• Peg like upper cheek teeth only

• Thick curved claws

w Fossorial and nocturnal

w Eat insects, small verts, eggs

w Repro studied in 9-band only

Nine-banded armadillo

4 identical twins

Hairy Armadillo

Three-banded in ball

Family Myrmecophagidae

w Physical characteristics:

• Long tongues w/ sticky saliva

• Elongated cylindrical skull

• No teeth

• double rolled turbinates

• Powerful clawed forelegs with one very enlarged digit/claw

w Walk on knuckles or sides

Myrmecophagidae (cont’d)

w Live in tropical forests, grasslands

w Eat ants and termites

w 1 young carried on back, 190 day gestation

Types of anteaters:

w Giant anteater: diurnal, terrestrial, long bushy tail

w Tamandua: nocturnal, semi-arboreal, prehensile tail

w Silky anteater: nocturnal, completely arboreal, prehensile tail

Giant Anteater

Giant pup riding on back

Tamandua

Silky Anteater

Order Pholidota

w Range: Africa, SE Asia

w Physical characteristics:

• No teeth, extremely long tongue (origin on last ribs!)

• Huge overlapping, moveable, sharp-edged scales

• Long powerful foreclaws

• Elongated head and tail (tail prehensile in arboreal species)

Pholidota (cont’d)

w Walk on knuckles

w Nocturnal

w Ground dwelling and arboreal species

w Single young, 5 month gestation, stay in nest for 1 month and then ride on mother’s tail

Cape Pangolin

Order Tubulidentata

w Range: Africa

w Physical Characteristics:

• 10 upper, 10 lower tube-shaped cheek teeth, no enamel, ring of dentine surrounding pulp tube

• Up to 145 lbs

• Large ears, elongated head

• Long sticky tongue

Tubulidentata (cont’d)

w Physical Characteristics:

• Specialized nostrils can be closed off

• Excellent smell/hearing, poor eyesight

• Powerful front legs, thick claws

• Naked tail

Tubulidentata (cont’d)

w Solitary and nocturnal

w Burrower

w Eat ants and termites, can smash down mounds

w Single young born tinted blue, 7 month gestation, pup kept in nest burrow

Aardvark