Sitemaps

Why dont ant-eaters eat other insects instead of ants2007-11-24 2:05:01

I dont get why anteaters eat ants they bite your tounge dont they and anteaters can become instinct someday because of the tounge bitinf thing.

Answers:

just because they are called ant eaters doesn't mean they just eat ants they eat termites and other small insects also

---

they just don't eat ants! They eat termites, ants and small insects.

---

If they ate other insects they would be:

OtherinsecteatingEaters

(doesn't have the same sort of appeal now does it?)

---

They are trying to live up to our expectations of them.

---

think it is to do with their name!

(sorry)

---

The ant eaters are just fine eating them. The reason they eat only them is because that the ants toxins make the ant eaters taste disgusting and their prey's don't want to eat them anymore. Also, the toxins in the ants do not bother them. I hope this helped.

---

They may go for the ants & termites because there are so many of them all in one place - there is always a gain/loss ratio involved in food-finding, as in : is the prey item worth the energy used to pursue/catch/find the prey ? A whole coloney of ants/termites, with more coming out all the time might make for a very efficient pit stop. If other insects present themselves, hey, why not? If you think about it, though, anteaters have poor eyesight, strong claws, and are not very quick - good at ripping open a mound, not so good at seeing or catching quick little critters.

;-)

---

termites! that's what they eat as well as ants

---

i think ant eaters eat other bugs too

---

If they ate other insects.they would not be called ANT-EATERS!

---

Ant eaters are attracted by the formic acid excreted by ants and termites. In some zoos, these creatures are fed on minced meat mixed with formic acid.

---

I have an uncle who is a aunt eater.