Anteater

tongue · insects · South America · unique animals

Tongue longer than body. An anteater's tongue can be up to 2 feet long, which is longer than its head and body combined. It's so long that it has to coil up inside the anteater's chest when not in use.

Eats without teeth. Anteaters have no teeth at all, but that doesn't stop them from eating up to 30,000 ants and termites every single day. Their sticky saliva does all the work of breaking down food.

Super speedy tongue. An anteater's tongue can flick in and out up to 160 times per minute, faster than you can count. This helps it scoop up insects from deep inside mounds and logs.

Related to sloths. Even though anteaters look totally different, they're actually cousins with sloths and belong to the same mammal order called Pilosa. They both live in Central and South America.

Breaks open tough homes. Anteaters have strong claws and can tear open hard termite mounds and ant nests with ease, even though they need to be gentle enough not to hurt their own snouts.