| Silky anteater[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Pilosa |
| Family: | Cyclopedidae |
| Genus: | Cyclopes J. E. Gray, 1821 |
| Species: | C. didactylus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyclopes didactylus | |
 | |
| Silky anteater range | |
| Synonyms | |
Myrmecophaga didactylaLinnaeus, 1758 | |
Thesilky anteater, also known as thepygmy anteater, has traditionally been considered a singlespecies ofanteater,Cyclopes didactylus, in thegenusCyclopes, the onlyliving genus in thefamilyCyclopedidae. Found in southernMexico, andCentral andSouth America, it is the smallest of all known anteaters. It hasnocturnal habits and appears to be completelyarboreal; its hind feet are highly modified for climbing.
Ataxonomic review in 2017, including bothmolecular andmorphological evidence, found thatCyclopes may actually comprise at least seven species.[4] The only knownextinct cyclopedid species isPalaeomyrmidon incomtus, from theLate Miocene (c. 7 to 9 million years ago) of modern-dayArgentina.[5][6]
The scientific nameCyclopes didactylus translates to "two-toed circle-foot", referencing the twoclaws present on the forefeet. Additionally, the name alludes to the toes' ability to nearly encircle a branch while clinging.[7][6]
Silky anteaters are the smallest extant anteaters and have proportionately shorter faces and largercrania than other species. Average adult length ranges from 36 to 45 cm (14 to 18 in), including atail 17 to 24 cm (6.7 to 9.4 in) long, and weigh from 175 to 400 g (6.2 to 14.1 oz). They have dense and softfur, ranging from grey to yellowish in color, with a silvery sheen. Many subspecies have dark, often brownish, streaks and relatively paler underparts or limbs. Their eyes are black, while the foot soles are red.[6]
The silky anteater possesses claws on the second and third toes of its forefeet, with the third toe being significantly larger. The fourth toe is small and clawless, while the remaining toes arevestigial or absent and not externally visible. On the hind feet, all four toes are of equal length and equipped with long claws, accompanied by a vestigialhallux that is not externally visible. Theribs are broad and flat, overlapping to form an internal armored casing that protects the chest.[6]
The species also features partiallyprehensile tails, which further aid in their arboreal lifestyle.[6]
Silky anteaters are found fromOaxaca and southernVeracruz in Mexico, through Central America (exceptEl Salvador), and south toEcuador, and northernPeru,Bolivia, andBrazil. A distinctpopulation is found in the northernAtlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. Silky anteaters are also found on theisland ofTrinidad. They inhabit a range of differentforest types, includingsemi-deciduous,tropicalevergreen, andmangrove forests, from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).[2]
Silky anteaters form the sister clade to themyrmecophagid anteaters, together formingVermilingua. Vermilingua is a sister clade to sloths (Folivora), together formingPilosa.
Until a detailed taxonomic review in 2017, sevensubspecies ofC. didactylus were recognized.[6]
| Cladogram of livingCyclopes[8][4] |
The 2017 review suggests that four of these subspecies deserve to be recognized as species, while the others aresynonyms. It alsodescribed three newspecies of silky anteater.[4]
Silky anteaters arenocturnal andarboreal,[6] found in lowland rainforests with continuouscanopy, where they can move to different places without the need to descend from trees.[9] They can occur at fairly high densities of 0.77 individuals/ha, for example, in some areas.[clarification needed] Females have smaller home ranges than males.
The silky anteater is a slow-moving animal and feeds mainly onants, eating between 700 and 5,000 a day.[10] Silky anteaters also feed on wasps and wasp pupae, attacking the wasp nests at night when the wasps are sluggish and unable to defend themselves.[11] Sometimes, it also feeds on other insects, such astermites and smallcoccinellid beetles.[9] It has been observed to consumefruits while in captivity.[12] The silky anteater defecates once a day. Some of those faeces contain a large quantity ofexoskeleton fragments of insects, indicating the silky anteater does not possess eitherchitinase or chitobiase,[9] digestive enzymes found ininsectivorous bats.
It is a solitary animal and gives birth to a single young, up to twice a year. The young are born already furred, and with a similar colour pattern to the adults. They begin to take solid food when they are about one-third of the adult mass.[6] The young is usually placed inside a nest of dead leaves built in tree holes,[9] and left for about eight hours each night.[6]
Some authors suggest the silky anteater usually dwells insilk cotton trees (genusCeiba).[13] Because of its resemblance to the seed pod fibers of these trees, it can use the trees as camouflage[9] and avoid attacks of predators such ashawks and, especially,harpy eagles. During the day, they typically sleep curled up in a ball.[14] Although they are rarely seen in the forest, they can be found more easily when they are foraging onlianas at night.
When threatened, the silky anteater, like other anteaters, defends itself by standing on its hind legs and holding its fore feet close to its face so it can strike any animal that tries to get close with its sharp claws.[6]
The silky anteater is a host of theacanthocephalan intestinal parasiteGigantorhynchus echinodiscus.[15]
