Feeding habits of the lesser anteater Tamandua tetradactyla (Pilosa: Myrmecophagidae) in the Brazilian Pampa

The lesser anteater Tamandua tetradactyla is possibly the most common member of the order Pilosa and occurs in almost all tropical environments in South America. Although commonly recorded in mammal inventories, this species is not abundant, and little is known about its ecology. The food habits of the species are mainly based on ants, but the type and contribution of other arthropods to the diet, especially termites, remains a subject little discussed in the literature. In the present study, we carried out a comprehensive assessment of stomach contents of 16 roadkilled anteaters found in grassland ecosystems in the Brazilian Pampa. We found 73,890 prey, with ant and termite species being the most representative dietary resources. Ants were present in 100% of the stomachs and represented more than 85% of all items consumed, totaling 34 species. Termites were present in 62.5% of the stomachs and represented 14.6% of all items consumed and, summed up five species. We also found six other arthropod taxa but with an insignificant proportion of the biomass intake. Our results contribute to increase knowledge on T. tetradactyla feeding habits in the subtropical grasslands of Southern Brazil.