Area of zoo
Enclosure status
Open
IUCN status
Least Concern
Scientific name
Tamandua tetradactyla
Order
Pilosa
Type
Mammals
Family
Myrmecophagidae
Region
South America
Habitat
Forest, Savanna, Shrubland

Tamandua facts

  • Tamanduas are small species of tree anteater 
  • Tamandua tongues can grow up to 40cm in length! Perfect for sucking up their favourite food of ants and termites. 
  • Tamanduas have strong foreclaws which they use dig into insect nests and to protect themselves. 
Tamandua baby at Rainforest Life London Zoo
A tamandua sleeping in a tree in London Zoo's Rainforest Life exhibit

Baby tamandua

Tamandua threats

Tamanduas are currently doing well in the wild, but they are sometimes hunted for meat, attacked by domestic dogs, or sold as a pet species 

Home to our tamanduas

Tamandua Rainforest Life London Zoo
Rainforest Life

Rainforest Life

Step into London's only living rainforest and meet its incredible residents

Facts about animals

  • Chinese giant salamander being held during a health check at London Zoo
    The world's largest amphibian

    Chinese giant salamander

    Chinese giant salamanders are the world's biggest amphibian, at full size they are around the size of a fully grown man at 1.8m in length.  

  • Marilyn the sloth at London Zoo
    Linne's two-toed sloth

    Linne's two-toed sloth

    Discover incredible facts about two-toed sloths.

  • Round-eared sengi
    Macroscelides proboscideus

    Sengi

    Although sengis look like rodents, they are actually more closely related to elephants!

  • Gorilla eating at London Zoo
    Gorilla gorilla gorilla

    Western lowland gorilla

    Gorillas are the world's largest primate, weighing up to 200kg. They share 98.4% of their DNA with humans, and all four gorilla subspecies are critically endangered.

  • Our animals