Physiology
Tamanduas have a tapered head with a long, tubular mouth with an opening only as wide as the diameter of a pencil, from which the tongue is protruded. They also have thick, bristly fur, which is yellowish-white, with a broad black lateral band, covering nearly the whole of the side of the body. Northern tamanduas have a black V going down their backs, while southern tamanduas only have the V in the southeastern part of their range, which is the farthest from the northern tamandua's range. The underside and end of the tamanduas' tails are hairless, and they have four clawed digits on the forefeet and five on the hind feet.
Tamanduas grow to be 535 to 880 millimetres (21.1 to 35 in), plus an additional tail length of 400 to 590 millimetres (16 to 23 in). They weigh between 2 and 7 kilograms (4.4 and 15 lb) and live up to 9 years. The tamandua is thought to nest during the day in hollow tree trunks or in the burrows of other animals. Research shows that this type of anteater spends 13-64% of its time in trees. In fact, they are very clumsy on the ground unlike their cousin, the giant anteater. To avoid puncturing their palms with their sharp claws, they walk on the outsides of their "hands."
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