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1 December 2011 Fruit-Eating by an Obligate Insectivore: Palm Fruit Consumption in Wild Northern Tamanduas (Tamandua mexicana) in Panamá
Danielle D. Brown
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Anteaters (Myrmecophagidae and Cyclopedidae) are known to be specialist predators of ants and termites. Many types of fruits are included in the diets of captive anteaters, even though fruit-eating in the wild has only rarely been reported. During a 2008–2010 telemetry study of northern tamanduas (Tamandua mexicana) on Barro Colorado Island, Panamá, several individuals were witnessed consuming ripe fruits of the palm tree Attalea butyracea. I propose that northern tamanduas regularly seek out fruit as a supplement to their insect diet. Attalea butyracea fruit is seasonally abundant throughout Central America and can provide low-cost enrichment for captive tamanduas.

Danielle D. Brown "Fruit-Eating by an Obligate Insectivore: Palm Fruit Consumption in Wild Northern Tamanduas (Tamandua mexicana) in Panamá," Edentata 12(1), 63-65, (1 December 2011). https://doi.org/10.5537/020.012.0110
Received: 14 August 2011; Accepted: 3 October 2011; Published: 1 December 2011
KEYWORDS
anteater
Attalea butyracea
diet
Dieta
fruto de la palma
palm fruit
Tamandúa
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