{"id":11378,"date":"2022-06-18T02:51:36","date_gmt":"2022-06-18T07:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=11378"},"modified":"2023-01-26T05:19:29","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T10:19:29","slug":"what-animals-eat-ants-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/what-animals-eat-ants-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"What Animals Eat Ants {Explained!}"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve probably heard of anteaters, but these furry mammals aren\u2019t the only creatures that include ants as a staple food in their diet. In fact, there are many different animals and invertebrates that prey on these hardworking insects<\/a>. So, what animals eat ants? What happens when people eat them? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll answer these questions and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Animals Eat Ants?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Anteater<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are many different animals that eat ants. Many of these ant predators are mammals, but some are birds, reptiles, amphibians, and even spiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at some specific types of animals most known for eating ants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anteaters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These furry creatures have a diet that consists largely of ants, hence the name \u201canteater.\u201d <\/em>Some anteaters also eat large quantities of termites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anteaters don\u2019t have teeth, so they swallow the ants and termites whole. They have long tongues that they use to stick down ant tunnels and termite mounds; the tongues are sticky enough to capture many of the insects at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unrelated group of animals called spiny anteaters also enjoy chowing down on ants and termites. These egg-laying mammals are native to Australia and New Guinea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aardvarks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aardvarks look somewhat similar to anteaters, though they aren\u2019t as hairy and have more pig-like snouts. They are sometimes referred to as \u201cthe anteaters of Africa.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aardvarks, like anteaters, mostly eat ants and termites. Oddly enough, they will also eat a type of cucumber referred to as the aardvark cucumber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orangutans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Orangutans eat a variety of foods, including ants. They sometimes insert small sticks into ant nests in an effort to extract some of the ants, as you can see in the following video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pXOTAgq-eiY&t=39s<\/a>