Anteaters in Colombia: Species Guide & Best Places to See Them (2026)

The terror of ants and termites also lives in Colombia. They are creatures with a docile character and poses no threat to man. On a tailored wildlife holiday with SULA, you have a good chance to see anteaters in Colombia, such as the Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) and the Tamandua, or lesser anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla). They can often be found in savannas, and open grasslands, where the termites upon which they feed are abundant.

Anteater Species in Colombia

The South American anteater is an animal that has a tongue similar to that of a long worm, which is why it is classified in the suborder Vermilingua, which literally means “worm tongue”. The anteaters are predators specialized in eating insects, especially ants and termites.

Anteaters are distant cousin of sloths and armadillos, and contrary to what you may think, they have nothing to do with aardvarks, numbats, echidnas, pangolins, and some spiders, which are also called anteaters.

Anteaters are endangered species, rice crops, African palm plantations, and livestock are the main causes of displacement of the anteater from its natural habitat. Forced displacement affects their diet and their reproduction rates decrease; in addition, anteaters may be run over by vehicles or face other problems with humans.

Ecotourism is a source of income to promote their study and conservation.

Anteaters Species

There are four species of anteaters still alive, each with distinct characteristics:

Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) — IUCN: Vulnerable | Length: 182–217 cm (including tail) | Weight: 33–50 kg. The largest species, fully terrestrial, with a distinctive bushy tail and elongated snout. Extirpated from much of its former range in Central America.

Silky Anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) — IUCN: Least Concern | Length: 36–45 cm | Weight: 175–400 g. The smallest anteater, entirely arboreal and nocturnal. Rarely seen due to its secretive habits and small size — it curls into a ball resembling a seed pod when sleeping in trees during the day. In Colombia, found in lowland tropical forests of the Pacific, Caribbean, and Amazon regions.

Northern Tamandua (Tamandua mexicana) — IUCN: Least Concern | Length: 102–130 cm | Weight: 3.2–5.4 kg. Semi-arboreal with a prehensile tail. Found in northwestern Colombia including the Chocó and Caribbean regions.

Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) — IUCN: Least Concern | Length: 102–130 cm | Weight: 3.4–7 kg. Also semi-arboreal. Found in the eastern plains and Amazon regions of Colombia. Distinguished from the northern tamandua by its distinctive black “vest” marking.

The difference between them lies mainly in the habitat in which they live, which includes tropical dry forests, rainforests, grasslands and savannas, although not in the Andean mountainous regions. The giant anteater lives in savannas. And that is where they can be found in Colombia.

As for the two anteaters of the genus Tamandua, and the silky anteater, they are much smaller than the giant anteater, their fur is yellowish, and they live in trees.

The Wold Anteater Day is celebrated on 29 November every year, reminding the importance of their conservation.

Where do Anteaters Live

Originally, these animals were exclusive to South America, but once the isthmus of Panama was formed about three million years ago, anteaters expanded their range to Central America.

Thus, giant anteaters can be found as far as Central America, while silky anteaters and northern tamanduas reach as far as Mexico. Southern tamanduas extend as far south as Uruguay.

There are several names for anteaters in south America, and they depend on the species. The giant anteater is called ant bear, “oso hormiguero” in Spanish, the silky anteater is also known as pygmy anteater, and for the tamanduas there are names such as tamanduá, guazú, yautare, kuarevachú, Oso Bandera, and Oso Palmero.

Anteater Range: Countries Where They Live

Anteaters are widely distributed in South America and can be found in the following countries:

• Argentina (Provinces of Formosa, Chaco, Misiones and Salta)
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Ecuador
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Peru
• Paraguay
• Venezuela

7 Fascinating Facts About Anteaters

1. Anteaters can swallow a total of 35,000 ants and/or termites per day.
2. The anteater tongue flicks 150 times per minute, and has thousands of tiny hooks and large amounts of saliva to eat ants or termites from trees and mounds.
3. The anteater’s stomach is similar to a bird’s gizzard, using small amounts of sand and dirt to digest insects.
4. Unlike other mammals, Anteaters don’t have teeth.
5. Anteaters have a disgusting smell to defend themselves from their biggest predators, Puma and Jaguar, they also have long arched claws on their strong legs that may cause fatal injuries.
6. Female gestation is of approximately 190 days. After birth, offspring are carried at the female’s back for 2 years, camouflaging themselves in the mother’s fur.
7. They are one of the most ecological animals on the planet. Despite the large number of ants they consume, anteaters are very careful when eating and do not destroy the habitat of ants and/or termites.

Myths and Legends About Anteaters

The anteater is perceived as a strange looking animal although it is viewed sympathetically and fortunately without culinary objectives. Its rarity and vulnerability, being so specialized in its feeding, promote it as a symbol of conservation, and also as a great attraction for nature tourism.

The anteater appears in several South American legends and stories, both indigenous and Creole. One of the most attractive is the one compiled by the writer Graciela Repún, which comes from the Kaingangá Indians of the jungle of Misiones (Argentina).

It seems that after the great flood, Kadjurukré, their creator god, worked at night to model with mud the animals of the jungle and when he was trying to finish the anteater, in a hurry because the sun was rising, he took a stick and put it in his mouth as a tongue because he did not have enough time to put teeth. And so he sent it to eat ants….

Anteater Conservation in Colombia

The giant anteater faces severe threats in Colombia. Fundación Cunaguaro, based in Yopal, Casanare, leads the most comprehensive anteater conservation program in the country. Their monitoring data reveals devastating road mortality statistics: approximately 400 giant anteaters and at least 1,500 tamanduas are killed on roads each year in Casanare alone.

Major threats include:

• Road mortality: Highways crossing the Llanos bisect anteater habitat. Cunaguaro advocates for wildlife crossings and speed reductions in critical zones.
• Habitat fragmentation: Expansion of rice, African palm, and cattle operations destroys foraging territory and disrupts movement corridors.
• Fire: Annual savanna burning (to promote cattle grazing) destroys termite mounds and can trap slow-moving giant anteaters.
• Dog attacks: Feral and domestic dogs from ranches kill anteaters, particularly juveniles.

Cunaguaro runs a rehabilitation program for injured anteaters, many of which are road-strike victims or orphaned juveniles. They also conduct community education with ranchers and truck drivers, and use GPS tracking collars to map movement patterns and identify the deadliest road segments.

Ecotourism plays a vital role — lodges that offer anteater-watching safaris create economic incentives for landowners to protect habitat rather than convert it.

Where to See Anteaters in Colombia

The geographical distribution anteaters in Colombia is extensive. However, despite the wide distribution of anteaters in Colombia, the best place to watch them is in the Eastern Plains of Colombia.

There are several places to go in a Safari where it is possible to find these animals hanging around the savannas or the riparian forests. The best time to see giant anteaters is during the dry season between December and late March. During this period, the savanna grasses are shorter, making these large animals much easier to spot. Giant anteaters are most active in the early morning and late afternoon, when temperatures are cooler — they rest in shaded areas during the hottest hours. Tamanduas, being semi-arboreal, are more often spotted at dusk and dawn along forest edges. The silky anteater is strictly nocturnal and requires specialized night-walk excursions to observe.

Here in SULA we offer a Safari that goes through Casanare an Meta departments, in the eastern plains of Colombia, where anteaters and other species present in this region can be spotted.

Casanare

The conservation, education and research work of the Yopal-based environmental organization Fundación Cunaguaro includes anteaters. That includes monitoring the absurd number of road killings of these creatures – 400 giant anteaters a year and at least 1,500 tamanduas.

The foundation promotes ecotourism on large private estates, from where you can go out in search of the anteaters in Colombia.