Tongue swallowing in a wild giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

Grazielle Soresini; Mario H. Alves; Alessandra Bertassoni; Thyara de Deco-Souza; Diogo H. Freire; Rayane C. Pupin; Pedro E. Navas-Suárez; Arnaud L. J. Desbiez

doi:10.31687/SaremNMS25.1205

Autores/as

Grazielle Soresini Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres – ICAS, Campo Grande, Brazil. Nashville Zoo, Nashville 37211, TN, USA.
Mario H. Alves Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres – ICAS, Campo Grande, Brazil. Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Alessandra Bertassoni Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres – ICAS, Campo Grande, Brazil. Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Goiás – UFG, Goiânia, Brazil.
Thyara de Deco-Souza Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul – UFMS, Campo Grande, Brazil.
Diogo H. Freire Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul – UFMS, Campo Grande, Brazil.
Rayane C. Pupin Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul – UFMS, Campo Grande, Brazil.
Pedro E. Navas-Suárez Centro Universitário – FAM, São Paulo, Brazil.
Arnaud L. J. Desbiez Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres – ICAS, Campo Grande, Brazil. Royal Zoological Society of Scotland – RZSS, Edinburgh, UK.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31687/SaremNMS25.1205

Palabras clave:

behavior, endoscopy, monitoring, toxicology, wildlife mortality

Resumen

The giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla is a Vulnerable Neotropical insectivorous mammal whose feeding specialization is central to the species' biological traits. We monitored a free-ranging individual from birth to death in a highly human-modified area that includes pastures and agricultural fields, where wildlife is exposed to contaminants from land-use changes. This anteater was found in a pasture, showing respiratory distress and the absence of his tongue in the oral cavity, later confirmed as tongue swallowing via endoscopy. No trauma or disease was detected, and the analyzed samples revealed elevated concentrations of trace metals, suggesting a neurological issue, possibly linked to agrochemical exposure during land-use transition.

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