Food Preference of Giant Anteater and Collared Anteater (Pilosa, Myrmecophagidae) Regarding the Termite Defense Strategies

Abstract

Giant (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) and collared anteaters (Tamandua tetradactyla) are common mammals in the Cerrado biome. They are specialized in eating termites (Isoptera, Blattaria) and ants (Formicidae, Hymenoptera). This study tested the preference of the giant anteater for termites with different defense strategies: 1) soldier with chemical defense and a soft nest (Nasutitermes), and 2) soldier with mixed defenses-chemical and mechanical-and a hard nest (Cornitermes). Pieces of nests of both genera of termites were provided to captive giant anteaters, their behaviors were observed, and the time spent feeding in each termite nests was recorded. The anteaters exploited both termite species, although no significance difference was found, they spent more time feeding on Cornitermes than on Nasutitermes. The stomach contents of one road-killed giant anteater and one collared anteater were analyzed. The collared anteater fed on a wider diversity of termite species with different defense strategies, but showed a preference for Cornitermes. We argue that the preference of anteaters for a termite species that has a harder nest, and soldiers with mixed defense, may be due to the presence of terpenoids in the chemical apparatus of Nasutitermes, absent in Cornitermes. Also, the much higher proportion of soldiers in Nasutitermes may influence the anteaters' choice.

The effect of roadkills on the persistence of xenarthran populations: the case of the Brazilian Cerrado

“…In addition, educational and awareness campaigns can help, especially if they are related to the economic loss caused by roadkill. Removal of termitaria along road sides, as suggested by Freitas et al (2014), also may minimize risk because termites are such an important part of the diet for many xenarthrans (Dalponte & Tavares-Filho, 2004;Anacleto, 2007;Cunha et al, 2015).…”

Ants in the diet of Collared Anteater, Tamandua tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pilosa, Myrmecophagidae), in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…In T. tetradactyla diet studies, few of them are about the richness of species, in fact, that anteaters feed. It has been observed in the literature that rare species are found in the diet, possibly due to the fact that it is difficult to obtain samples in a suitable conservation state (Hayssen 2011, Sandoval-Gómez et al 2012, Vaz et al, 2012, Ferreira et al, 2015, Cunha et al, 2015. Approximately 9,000 ants can be consumed per day by an anteater (Macdonald 2007), depending on their habitat and also their state of preservation (Leal et al 1993, Lopes et al 2010, Suguituru et al 2013.…”