Lesser Anteater Skull Replica measures 5.4 inches. Lesser Anteater Skull replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Known as the Southern Tamandua.
The Lesser Anteater is a species of anteater from South America.
It is a solitary animal found in many habitats, from mature to highly disturbed secondary forests and arid savannas.
It feeds on ants, termites, and bees. Its very strong foreclaws can be used to break insect nests or to defend itself.
The Lesser Anteater inhabits both wet and dry forests, including tropical rainforest, savanna, and thorn scrub. It is most common in habitats near streams and rivers, especially those thick with vines and epiphytes.
The Lesser Anteater is mainly nocturnal but is occasionally active during the day. The animals nest in hollow tree trunks or in the burrows of other animals, such as armadillos. They are solitary, occupying home ranges that average from 250 to 930 acres, depending on the local environment.
The oldest fossil dates from the Pleistocene of South America, although genetic evidence suggests they may have diverged from their closest relative, the Giant Anteater, in the late Miocene, 12.9 million years ago.
Lesser Anteaters are a medium-sized anteater, though it can vary considerably in size based on environmental conditions.
It has a head and body length ranging from 13 to 35 in., and a prehensile tail 15 to 26 in. long. Adults weigh from 3.3 to 18.5 lb., with no significant difference in size between males and females.
Lesser Anteaters have four-clawed digits on the forefeet and five on the hind feet and walk on the outer surfaces of their forefeet to avoid puncturing their palms with their sharp claws. The underside and the tip of the tail are hairless.
Their snout is long and decurved with an opening only as wide as the diameter of a stick, from which the tongue is protruded.
Although some differences in the shape of the skull are seen, they can most easily be distinguished from the Northern Tamandua by their slightly longer ears, which average around 2.0 inches.
Lesser Anteater females are polyestrous; mating generally takes place in the fall. The estrous cycle will last approximately about 42 days. Gestation ranges from 130 to 190 days.
The female gives birth to one offspring per year. At birth, the young anteater does not resemble its parents; its coat varies from white to black.
It rides on the mother’s back for several months up to a year and is sometimes deposited on a safe branch while the mother forages.
