. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. i66 AMERICAN ANTEATERS Sub-Ordki; 1. XENAETHEA. Fam. 1. Myrmecophagidae.—The family Myrmecuphagidae contains three genera, all St)iith American in range. These genera, Myrmecopliaga, TamaiKlua, and Cydoturtis, agree greatly in their outward form. They are all without teeth, and have long snouts and long protrusible tongues. The fur is thick, and they have powerful claws wherewith to break down the strong- ant-hills upon whose inhabitants they feed. Tamandua and Cycloturus are arboreal, Myrmeco'phaga is terrestrial in Fig. 91.—Great Anteater. My
. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. i66 AMERICAN ANTEATERS Sub-Ordki; 1. XENAETHEA. Fam. 1. Myrmecophagidae.—The family Myrmecuphagidae contains three genera, all St)iith American in range. These genera, Myrmecopliaga, TamaiKlua, and Cydoturtis, agree greatly in their outward form. They are all without teeth, and have long snouts and long protrusible tongues. The fur is thick, and they have powerful claws wherewith to break down the strong- ant-hills upon whose inhabitants they feed. Tamandua and Cycloturus are arboreal, Myrmeco'phaga is terrestrial in Fig. 91.—Great Anteater. Myrmecophuija jnhata. x x\. The claws of the arl)()real forms are useful to destroy the liark, and thus bring to light insects which lurk in such situations. The genus Myrmecopliaga contains but one species, the Great Anteater, Myrmecopliaga jubata. It is a large and handsome animal, with long, shaggy, greyish-black hair and a broad white stripe across the shoulder. The coloration is similar in the two sexes. Including the long and bushy tail it reaches a length of over 7 feet. It is on account of its long tongue and greatly developed salivary glands that this and the allied genera were originally placed with Manis. It is the-submaxillary glands which are so enormous; they extend l)ack over the chest, and open by three distinct ducts, of which two unite just before the external 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 Harmer, S. F. (Sidney Frederic), Sir, 1862-; Shipley, A. E. (Arthur Everett), Sir, 1861-1927. London : Macmillan and Co. ; New York : The Macmillan Company
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