tamandua

American  

[tuh-man-doo-uh, tuh-man-doo-ah] / təˈmæn du ə, təˌmæn duˈɑ /

Also tamandu

noun

1. a tree-dwelling, tropical American anteater, Tamandua tetradactyla, having a prehensile tail, four-clawed forelimbs, and coarse, tan hair with black markings on the trunk.

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tamandua British  

/ ˈtæmənˌduː, ˌtæmənˈdʊə /

noun

1. Also called: lesser anteater.  a small arboreal edentate mammal, Tamandua tetradactyla, of Central and South America, having a prehensile tail and tubular mouth specialized for feeding on termites: family Myrmecophagidae

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Etymology

Origin of tamandua

1605–15; < Portuguese < Tupi: literally, ant-trapper

Example Sentences

A tamandua, or collared anteater, with prizefighter arms and curved claws that break open termite mounds, tried to ignore a car full of onlookers.

From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2024

Featured species there will include a tortoise, an ocelot, a caiman, an anteater known as a tamandua, and, of course, a prehensile-tailed porcupine.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2022

During his entire career as a naturalist, only one animal had ever unexpectedly attacked Cherrie: a tamandua, or lesser anteater.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

The tamandua, also known as the lesser anteater, can be found in trees and on the ground.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

The tamandua has sometimes been called tridactyla, or the “three-toed ant-eater,” because it has only three claws upon each of its fore-feet, whereas the tamanoir is provided with four.

From The Forest Exiles The Perils of a Peruvian Family in the Wilds of the Amazon by Weir, Harrison