VMD 512: Zoo/Wild Animal Breeding, Management, Nutrition and Health Care (1+1)

EDENTATA

• This group comprises three families:
  • Dasypodidae (eg. Armadillos)
  • Bradypodidae (eg. Sloths)
  • Myrmecophagidae (eg. Anteaters like Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).

Common features

• Long snout is present
• Teeth may be lacking in some and if at all present, incisors and canines may be invariably absent.
• Well developed claws are present in the feet.
• Testicles are abdominal in nature.
• Among these animals, it is the sloth is strictly arboreal and moves by a slow hand-over-hand-motion as they hang upside down below the tree branches and can climb or descend a vertical pole with ease but are unable to move with ease on the ground.
• Armadillos are the powerful diggers and live in the underground burrows when they are not active. These animals also roll like balls when any attempts to kill or catch.
• Long teeth with long tongue that is sticky with saliva are the features in the anteater and there are no teeth in this species.