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Description: The tamandua is a type of anteater and looks like a smaller version of the giant anteater. They are about 21 to 37 inches in length. The tail can be 15 to 23 inches. They weigh from 4 to 15 pounds. Its fur is silky and varies in color by region. It can be blonde, tan or brown. It has four clawed toes on the front feet and five on the hind feet. To avoid puncturing its palms with its sharp claws, it walks on the outsides of its hands.
The tail is prehensile; the underside and end is hairless. It has a long, curved snout with a tiny, pencil-sized mouth, from which a long (up to 16 inches in length) tongue protrudes. The tongue has tiny backward pointing spines to prevent prey from escaping. It lacks teeth, but a portion of the stomach is a muscular gizzard comparable to that of gallinaceous birds. The tamandua has small eyes and poor vision. It has large, upright ears and hearing is an important sense.
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