Tamandua
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /təˈmænduə/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Tamandua is a noun meaning An anteater of the genus Tamandua.
Meaning
An anteater of the genus Tamandua.
Example Sentences
Tamanduas eat many kinds of ants as well as termites and bees. They tend to shy away from army ants and ponerine ants, both of which give nasty stings. When threatened, a tamandua may sit up on its hind legs and brandish its sharp curved claws.
They have coarse tan or brown pelage, and in the northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana) and in southern specimens of the southern tamandua (T. tetradactyla) black fur forms a “vest” (figure 15.8B). Tamanduas have a prehensile tail that aids in climbing.
The tamandua is easily separated from the giant anteater by its smaller size, its coloration, and the shape of its tail. Most tamanduas in southern South America are golden brown with a black vest covering the dorsum and venter, crossing the shoulders in a black band, but on some individuals the vest may be greatly reduced or even absent.
Word Forms
- tamanduas
Synonyms for tamandua
Depending on context, synonyms include tamandu.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include tamandu, tamanoir, anteater, tamarin, ant-eater, tatouay.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.