Details
Tamandua tetradactyla
Southern tamandua is a mammal associated with forests and savannas. It is carnivorous and usually solitary. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by the Neotropics, where it uses forests and savannas. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 85-130 cm, weight 3 kg-8.5 kg. It has a long-bodied carnivore profile, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is mostly active at night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is carnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in forests and savannas, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
Recorded scientifically as Tamandua tetradactyla. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
