The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America

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Identifier: americannaturalh02hornuoft (find matches)
Title: The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Hornaday, William Temple, 1854-1937
Subjects: Natural history -- North America
Publisher: New York : C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: Gerstein - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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r to restrict the number ofplague-like ants which, even with Ant-Eaters in the forests,are entirely too numerous. Its long and powerful front clawsare very useful in tearing open ant-hills, and dissecting decayedlogs, but as a means of defence they are quite inadequate.Neither are they well formed to walk upon. The tongue isvery long and slender, and can be thrust out 9 inches; but,contrary to innumerable misstatements, it is as clean andsmooth as the tongue of a dog, and is not coated with stickysaliva, or anything like it. This animal is very clumsy on its feet, and being defence-less, unable to climb and too large to live in a burrow, it isa wonder that all the Great Ant-Eaters were not killed anddevoured long ago, by jaguars and pumas. Although quiterare, even in South America, a goodly number of specimensfind their way into captivity. Until settled down sensiblyto a diet of chopped meat, milk and eggs, they are difficultto keep alive. One specimen persistently refused to eatants.
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HELPLESSNESS OF THE SLOTH 175 The Tamandua^ is a smaller Ant-Eater than the preced-ing species, of tree-climbing habits, with a proportionatelyshorter head, no long hair on its tail, and extremely largefront claws. It is found in Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil,and in fact the greater portion of the region of tropical forestson this continent south of Mexico. Its tail is prehensile,or grasping, and in climbing is used almost constantly. Oneof these creatures which I once kept in South America as acamp pet, became very friendly, and even affectionate, andwhen permitted would climb all over me, as if I were a newand very soft species of tree. In the accompanying picturethe Tamandua is represented by the small central figure.Its head-and-body length is about 24 inches; tail, 18 inches. THE SLOTH FAMILY Bradypodidae The sloths inhabit the New World only; and the so-called sloth of Ceylon is not a sloth, but a slow lemur.All the real sloths belong to the Order of Edentates, and in-habit the

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