. Popular official guide to the New York Zoological Park. New York Zoological Park. NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 113. GREAT ANT-EATER. points by bony armor, and remarkably well protected from the teeth of predatory animals. The Great Ant-Eater, {Myrmecophaga jubata).—This is a very remarkable animal, and usually is to be found alive in the Small-Mammal House. Its anatomical peculiarities are apparent at a glance. Its toothless jaws are enormously elongated, and taper to a rounded point, where the mouth opens as a narrow slit, scarcely large enough to admit the large end of a lead pencil. Its fron
. Popular official guide to the New York Zoological Park. New York Zoological Park. NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 113. GREAT ANT-EATER. points by bony armor, and remarkably well protected from the teeth of predatory animals. The Great Ant-Eater, {Myrmecophaga jubata).—This is a very remarkable animal, and usually is to be found alive in the Small-Mammal House. Its anatomical peculiarities are apparent at a glance. Its toothless jaws are enormously elongated, and taper to a rounded point, where the mouth opens as a narrow slit, scarcely large enough to admit the large end of a lead pencil. Its front claws are large and strong, for use in tearing open ant-hills and decayed logs; and the creature walks upon them as if club-footed. Its tail is long and thick,and bears a luxuriant brush, of coarse, wavy hair more than a foot long. The negroes of British Guiana gravely inform travellers that the Ant-Eater uses his bushy tail as a broom, with which he sweeps up ants in order to devour them wholesale. As may be inferred from the total absence of teeth, this strange creature lives chiefly upon crawling insects. In de- vouring the dreadful ants, which in a South American forest often make life a burden, it helps to preserve the balance of Nature. In captivity the food of this animal consists of milk, raw eggs and ground meat. In taking its food it thrusts out from four to eight inches of round, wormlike tongue, which contrary to many published statements, is not covered with sticky Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original New York Zoological Park; Hornaday, William Temple, 1854-1937; New York Zoological Society. New York, New York Zoological Society
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