We Have a “Big” Announcement!
Reid Park Zoo is happy to announce Lety, the twelve-year-old female tamandua, and Santiago, a fifteen-year-old male tamandua welcomed a male baby tamandua on August 31. Although the little one has yet to be named, the animal care staff have been taking great care of him behind the scenes.
“He has been doing great,” said Katie Hutchinson, Lead Keeper at Reid Park Zoo. “He has been staying pretty close to mom by climbing onto her back and has been very curious about his environment.”
During the baby tamandua’s health check, he weighed in at 420 grams, which is a healthy weight for a newborn of this species. Although Zoo guests will not be able to see this little one in person yet, Reid Park Zoo welcomes the public to follow our Facebook account for weekly updates.
Tamanduas are adapted to a variety of habitats, including gallery forests adjacent to savannas, lowland and montane moist tropical rain forests, as well as mangrove forests. Typically, this solitary species has pale tan or golden fur and a long sticky tongue with small barbs used to pick up ants and termites from their mounds. They can typically eat up to 9,000 ants a day! Tamanduas also eat honey and soft, juicy fruits. Because tamanduas do not have teeth, their stomachs grind the food after it is swallowed.