RECURRENT TONGUE TIP CONSTRICTION IN A CAPTIVE GIANT ANTEATER (MYRMECOPHAGA TRIDACTYLA)

Diet composition and apparent digestibility in giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) kept under human care

Giant anteaters have limited biological knowledge and pose challenges in captivity, primarily due to their highly specialized feeding habits. This study aimed to evaluate the diet and its apparent digestibility in captive giant anteaters, seeking to understand the relationship between the offered diet and its utilization by animals under human care at institutions and zoos in the state of São Paulo. Seventeen adult giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), comprising 10 females and 7 males, were used to determine the nutritional composition of their diet, collect feces for bromatological analysis, and assess diet digestibility. The chemical composition of the offered foods and feces was evaluated, and the apparent digestibility of the diet was calculated. Analysis of the diets revealed that their nutritional composition did not differ significantly among institutions, despite variations in ingredient composition. The protein and lipid contents of the diets were as follows: 25.6% and 6.4% (diet 1), 34.7% and 10.9% (diet 2), 31.9% and 10.3% (diet 3), and 38.2% and 12.7% (diet 4), respectively. Ether extract (EE) had the highest apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) (general mean 91 ± 4.8). The mean ADC was 68.9, 67.6, 79.6, and 89.9 for crude protein (CP); 89.8, 88.8, 92.5, and 94.2 for EE; 44.8, 64, 71.1, and 95.3 for nitrogen-free extract; and 80.5, 43.5, 43, and 87.1 for crude fiber, for diets 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. It is concluded that diets at São Paulo institutions showed good digestibility, especially for crude protein and ether extract. However, most animals had soft feces, indicating room for improvement. Energy intake affected body condition, emphasizing the need for tailored diets. Ether extract should not exceed 10%, and diets should provide 75-100% of maintenance energy, with regular monitoring of body condition scores.

Electrocardiographic parameters of chemically immobilized giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a vulnerable species that is threatened mostly due to anthropogenic pressure. The anteater is a highly specialized insectivore, challenging the species' ex situ maintenance and conservation efforts. Several dietary-associated health issues have been reported in captive anteaters, including heart conditions such as dilated cardiomyopathy. On the other hand, cardiopathy is mainly diagnosed only on necropsy, and lack of clinical reference is one of the constraints. This work describes electrocardiographic parameters in twelve zoo-kept giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). The giant anteaters were evaluated after chemical immobilization. Surface electrocardiography using a digital electrocardiograph was performed to acquire data on the six frontal plane leads. Four animals were placed in both left and right recumbencies to assess changes in waveforms. Nine anteaters were considered healthy and included in the statistics. The mean heart rate and electrical axis were 37.8 bpm ± 3.45 and 75.6º ± 11.43, respectively. ECG parameters results were P wave duration (ms) 89.7 ± 9.2, P wave amplitude (mV) 0.14 ± 0.05, PR segment duration (ms) 148.6 ± 23, R wave amplitude (mV) 1.55 ± 0.56, QRS complex duration (ms) 88.6 ± 12.0, QT interval duration (ms) 529.6 ± 71.2, and T wave amplitude (mV) 0.76 ± 0.21. There was no difference between left or right recumbency. Heart parameters of giant anteaters are similar to other mammals and seem to be influenced both by size and metabolic rate when comparing with other species. This is the first description of ECG parameters in giant anteaters.

Pathology of Free-Ranging and Captive Brazilian Anteaters

There is little information on the anatomical pathology of Brazilian anteaters. Considering the relevance of knowledge of diseases of these species for their conservation, the aim of this study was to describe pathological changes in 99 captive and free-ranging anteaters from the Brazilian states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul and Amazonas. Forty-two animals were killed on roads and 10 died from burns injuries. Other significant conditions included the metabolic diseases of iron storage disease, tissue mineralization and taurine deficiency, protozoan and metazoan infections, candidiasis, sporotrichosis, clostridiosis and proliferative disorders including squamous cell carcinoma.