song for an unusual creature

My friend Michael Hearst has been writing about unusual creatures for quite some time now, and I've delighted in his inclusion of giant anteaters among his literary and musical creations. Last year he published an Unusual Creatures book with entries on critters from the blobfish to the elephant shrew to everyone's favorite fuzzy long-nosed mammal. Michael is also an accomplished musician who has interpreted the musical essence of some of these animals by writing about them in song!

As you might imagine, when I first learned Michael was thinking up ideas for his unusual creatures songs I chatted with him about giant anteaters and even tried to help him obtain some anteater sound recordings. More recently, Michael paid a visit to Anteater Central—a.k.a. the Nashville Zoo—to meet a couple of giant anteaters in person and listen to what they sound like for himself! He was inspired to write a new anteater tune, which you can download for free from the Unusual Creatures website. Here's a great little clip from PBS Digital on how it all went down! •>~

toon time

I've got a few exciting anteater posts in the works, and I hope to get them up in the next month or so, but I couldn't wait to share with you this excellent cartoon by David Borchart from this week's New Yorker magazine. A new take on the term, "ant trap," for sure! Head on over to The New Yorker to see the full line of cartoons from the September 9th issue. •>~

the case of the mystery pup

A veritable anteater mystery is unfolding in Greenwich, Connecticut. A story in today's Greenwich Time recounts the birth of a new giant anteater who was completely unexpected by the host zoo's caretakers. Here's the scoop: The new pup's mother, Armani, gave birth to a young female pup last August. Since male giant anteaters are known to sometimes kill their own offspring, the pup's father, Alf, was immediately separated from Armani and her baby. Months later, Armani and Alf were reunited. But last month, zookeepers at the LEO Zoological Conservation Center were surprised one morning to find Armani with yet another newborn pup, this time a male, in the anteater enclosure.

Giant anteaters don't "show" their pregnancy very much, and the timing was such that the birth seemed to defy logic: Armani had not, to anyone's knowledge, been anywhere near Alf, her male companion, in October, when the new baby must have been conceived. (The gestational period for giant anteaters is six months.)

The news media has been having a field day with the idea that this might have been an "immaculate conception." Of course, there must be some other explanation, but what could it be?

Marcella Leone, founder and director of the LEO Conservation Center, has suggested it might have been a rare case of delayed implantation, a situation in which a fertilized egg doesn't immediately begin normal division and implantation in a mother's uterus. If this were the case, Alf would have fertilized two of Armani's eggs at the same time, with one developing during the normal timeline to produce the female pup last August, and the other taking a while to develop into the newer male pup.

Anteater experts have so far reacted to this hypothesis with some skepticism.

"I am extremely dubious about the delayed implantation theory, especially with a birth in the middle of the timeline," says Marie Magnuson, an anteater keeper at the National Zoo in Washington DC. Magnuson has overseen the birth of three giant anteaters.

I've got to think it's also possible that someone at the conservation center accidentally brought the pair together before they were supposed to, and simply never said anything about it. Males and females don't take long to mate, so it could have happened pretty quickly.

We may never know the truth behind this giant anteater mystery. But how wonderful that there are now two pups thriving in southwestern Connecticut! Here's wishing them both long, healthy lives. •>~

Photo of mating anteaters courtesy of Tracey Barnes

getting a check-up

How do you examine a giant anteater? Carefully. As noted previously on The Online Anteater, these animals are docile creatures, but they must be handled with utmost caution due to their imposing, razor-sharp claws. Now, the Zoological Society of London has published a revealing blog post detailing the process by which veterinarians go about the delicate task of checking an anteater's vitals while keeping everyone in the room safe. In particular, they describe a check-up for aging London Zoo resident Bonito, including bloodwork, an x-ray, and an abdominal ultrasound. I'd never seen such a setup before, but it makes a lot of sense that they would wrap Bonito's paws so tightly before subjecting him to the exam! Thanks to the ZSL for the insight into this aspect of giant anteater care. •>~

in a galaxy far, far away...

Source: animalswithlightsabers.com via Maia on Pinterest

A giant anteater with a lightsaber. Need we say more? •>~

baby baby

Cute alert! We adore this cheeky 'lil anteater pup. •>~

Via Fashionsalade Tumblr

an anteater halloween

You may remember us raving last year about a sublime giant anteater costume. Well, here are two more excellent Halloween anteaters, one by Brett Manning on Flickr and the other by noted baby photographer Tom Arma. Have a safe and happy Halloween, everyone! •>~

baby anteater - the song!

Giant anteaters rarely make it into song, but our furry long-nosed friends are the subject of a sweet new tune from children's singer-songwriter Alison Faith Levy. The number, "Baby Anteater," is one of 11 tracks on her 2012 release, World of Wonder. Other songs on the album include "Eye of the Tornado" and "I had a Rooster," but there's no secret as to which is tops among the lot... It goes:

"Riding around on your mama’s back
She’s running around and you just sleep right though
Clutched on tight, you’re such a funny sight!"

A California native, Levy is a well-heeled public performer who also teaches "Tot Rock Classes" in the Bay Area. Giant anteaters, she tells me, are "a big fave with my little kid fans...they put their arms out like snouts and go around on the floor when I play, pretending to pick up ants!" That sounds like the anteater boogie to me! •>~

say cheese!

Some of you may know that our National Zoo, run by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., has been home to a number of giant anteaters over the years (see, for example, A Visit to D.C.). What may surprise you, however, is that the Smithsonian also supports the study of animal behaviors in the wild! To wit, the giant anteater photo above was captured in a Peruvian forest as part of a research project that used a camera trap—a popular method for observing animals in their natural habitats.

So what the heck is a camera trap? Here's how it works: Scientists set up cameras in remote places where wild animals are thought to roam, and whenever the camera senses motion or body heat, it snaps a series of pictures! The main benefit to science of such a system is that biologists don't have to waste time sitting out in the jungle or in an open field waiting for an animal to come along. Plus, since the camera is an inanimate object, animals are much more likely to approach!

If you're curious to learn more about the Smithsonian's camera trap programs, visit their WILD site, which explains how it's done in a bit more detail. You can also check out some of the wild animals they've seen this way, from birds to bears to leopards to (of course) anteaters. •>~

Update: Don't miss these two fantastic videos of a giant anteaters doing their thing in the woods. The first was caught with a camera trap some 500 meters from the Amazon Rainforest Conservation Center Lodge in Las Piedras, Peru. The anteater's backside looks pretty wet...wonder if he/she was just coming in from a swim? The second provides an insightful look at an anteater wallowing directly in a water hole.

three fabulous paintings

I spy some excellent anteater art! First up is a gorgeous piece by a Spanish artist from the Canary Islands, Miguel Bethencourt. Next is a whimsical mom-and-pup scene by Susan Stockdale, which can be purchased at her Etsy shop. And the last find is a unique work by the Drake Studio. Painted skillfully on ceramic tile, it can also be had via Etsy. •>~

annie predicts the playoffs

Could the outcome of tonight's National Hockey League playoff game be riding on the snout of one cuddly anteater? It might seem that way, as Annie, a seven-year-old giant anteater at the Bergen County Zoo in Paramus, NJ, recently "predicted" the Los Angeles Kings to win over the New Jersey Devils for this year's Stanley Cup. The demonstration brings back memories of Paul, the German octopus who correctly "predicted" his home country would lose to Spain in the 2010 World Cup of soccer. Indeed, with the Kings already up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, tonight's game 4 could be vindication for an anteater who was asked to choose between a team from the City of Angels and a team whose home ice is just 20 miles from her zoo enclosure.

So how did Annie get into the Stanley Cup-predicting business? Glad you asked. It turns out the stunt was the brainchild of a local television station that wanted to drum up publicity for the hockey finals. Irene Egan, the supervisor of zookeeping who regularly handles and cares for Annie, actually confessed that several other animals—including a toucan, a hedgehog, and a pig—were tested for the prediction contest, but that Annie won over the producers' hearts. "They thought she was the most interesting animal," Egan said. Well, of course she was ;)

As for the contest itself, I learned from Egan that each bowl was filled with an array of Annie's favorite treats—things like oranges, bananas, avocado, and eggs—as a means to "enhance her interest." And while our fine furry friend gravitated right away toward the bowl representing the team from LA, in the end she licked both bowls clean. "She's pretty food-motivated," said Egan.

Annie first arrived at the zoo when she was a pup, around seven years ago. And truth be told, "Annie" is not her official name, but rather a nickname that Egan and the other keepers have for their long-snouted resident. She is the lone giant anteater at the zoo, which is not unusual, since giant anteaters mostly live on their own in the wild. "She likes to take a nap a lot of the time," Egan remarked.

Of course, all of this is prediction stuff is pure whimsy. But in a world where grown men go for weeks without shaving or changing their socks for fear of breaking whatever lucky streak they've got going, I'm sure little Annie has made Kings fans across the nation smile from ear to ear. •>~

UPDATE 11/11/12: Well, it looks like Annie was right all along :) Congrats to the LA Kings for winning their first Stanley Cup!

the cute and the claws

This adorable photo reminds us of two things: 1) Even baby giant anteaters have super-long tongues; 2) Holy moly, mom has some seriously fierce weaponry! •>~

Anteater Baby Tongue by Josef Gelernter

hello, choccy!

The Longleat Safari Park in the UK welcomed a new giant anteater pup this week, a cutie named Choccy. The pup's mother, Maroni, apparently gave birth during the daytime in front of a gathering of staff and visitors! Check out the link for more pictures of mom and baby. Welcome to the world, Choccy! •>~

artsy anteaters

Decided to do a little digging for some new giant anteater art, and I came up with some great finds! The anteater dictionary page by The Rekindled Page and the illustration by Luka of an anteater and a chameleon can both be found on Etsy. The lovely super-sized anteater can be ordered as a print, a shirt, a hoodie or a laptop skin from Society6. Last, but not least, I wanted to show off my custom-made doormat from Damn Good Doormats. It's almost too nice to wipe my feet on! •>~

mod anteater woman

I know nothing about this mystery woman except that she has a very lovely pet. Wonder if she was friendly with Salvador Dalí? •>~

rock the vote!

The Daily Squee has a new poll asking us to choose (as if there were any question): Baby anteater or baby sloth - Which is cuter? You know what to do, my ant-eating friends... •

keeping cool

Rub a dub dub...this giant anteater certainly seems to be enjoying his shower! A little more on the left, please! •>~

best costume ever

It's a little early for Halloween, but I just came across this impressive giant anteater costume and had to share. What can I say? It's incredible...it even has the claws! The outfit was made by an animal costume designer who goes by the name of Beastcub. You can see other examples of her work, and even order your own, on the Beastcub Creations website. •>~

a visit to d.c.

Earlier this year I was invited to spend some time with the giant anteaters at our National Zoo in Washington D.C. I'd been to the zoo many times before; in fact, my earliest encounter with a giant anteater took place there when I was seven years old! So I didn't need convincing when I was offered a behind-the-scenes look at the zoo's anteater barn.

I met Marie Magnuson and Leigh Pitsko, staff animal keepers, outside the great cats exhibit area, where they were attending to an errant sock that had somehow made its way over a sizable moat and into the resident tiger's front yard. Before we went to catch up with the zoo's anteaters, I got a chance to say hello to seven young lions, who were hanging out deep inside the bowels of the great cats holding area. Let me tell you right now: lion cubs, though they might weigh as much as a large dog just a few months after birth, are all pussycat when it comes to behavior! But I digress...

After briefly visiting the keepers' office opposite the cubs, we wandered over to the anteater barn, where the zoo's three giant anteaters overnight and overwinter. I was especially excited to be meeting the zoo's newest anteater, a young male pup born a couple of months prior. As you can read in a previous post, this guy had quite a scare in his first week of life, but he'd recovered just fine and had grown to be only a little larger than your average house cat.


I was introduced first to Dante, the pup's father, who was curled up in his straw-lined crate. I'd known that giant anteaters' long fluffy tails are used as a blanket in the wild (Marie added that they work as umbrellas, too), but I'd never seen an anteater actually sleeping before. If Marie hadn't woken him up, I would have sworn he was a miniature Cousin It—all hair and no discernible features. But he finally poked his snout out to see what all the commotion was. Dante was born in the wild, so he's a more cautious anteater, and zookeepers need to be extra careful around him lest he lash out unexpectedly with his formidable front claws. Giant anteaters are mostly gentle giants, but they've got some serious protective weapons, so humans have to respect that and exercise great care around them, especially if they haven't been reared around people.


Next we turned to Maripi, the female, and her as-yet-unnamed pup! Marie lovingly swept the little guy into her arms and brought him out into the hall for a meet-and-greet. This is Maripi's third pup, and I was told that aside from his initial scare, he's been a very easy-going baby. He's apparently comfortable being away from his mom more than other pups, who might yelp if they fall off their mother's back. He seemed quite at home being held by a human, and he certainly didn't shy away from the attention! Marie made a point of showing me his growing claws, which were already approaching two inches long. Next, she prepared a peanut butter treat for Maripi inside something that resembled a hollowed out rubber dog toy. While Maripi noshed, her pup climbed onto her fur and put on a little show for his visitors. As you can see in the short video up top, he actually sat side-saddle on Maripi's back for a few minutes, which is apparently quite rare for anteater babies!


Soon after the snack, it was time to take leave of my long-snouted friends. I asked Marie when the pup would finally be named, and she mentioned that the zoo was planning a naming contest in which the public could participate. Online voting between five contending names—Pablo, Termito, Demetrio, Fausto, and Valerio—ended this past week, but the decision still awaits a certain anteater's input! The zoo has decided that mom Maripi will have the final say in the name of her baby. She'll choose next week, on April 7th, between the three top vote-getters based on "enrichment objects" placed in the anteater yard!

I want to thank the National Zoo for allowing me a "backstage tour," and in particular Marie Magnuson for showing me around. Whether you live in the DC area or are just passing through, the National Zoo is definitely worth a visit, especially in the warmer spring and summer months, when the anteaters are more likely to be on display. And I highly recommend heading down there while the current pup is young and adorable! •>~

Update: Maripi has made her call: Pablo it is!

send a friend an anteater

As you can imagine, I maintain a healthy collection of giant anteater cards and other paraphernalia. So when I recently stumbled upon this delightful creation on Etsy, I got in touch with the lovely ladies at Pawling Print Studio so that I could special-order half a dozen. Turns out Trisha and Janet work out of Washington DC and—completely randomly and awesomely—my hometown of Pound Ridge, NY! I love the fact that they work with environmentally friendly materials, and their non-anteater collection of geometric prints and totes is pretty sweet, too. If you prefer to stick to anteater wares, though, you can purchase this design on individual cards, as a set of six, or even on an adorable onesie for the little tot in your life. •>~