ARMADILLOS, ANTEATERS, AND SLOTHS: How They Live

by Hartman. Jane E. ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 1980

A satisfactory, if somewhat dry, introduction to the three surviving families of the primitive order Edentata--a name that means toothless although, of the three, only anteaters no longer have teeth. What they do have for grinding their food (mostly insects, as their more accurate name implies) are horny projections inside their mouths and stomachs--along with 23-inch tongues and huge salivary glands, extending as far as their breastbones. The slow-moving, tree-dwelling sloths are experts at conserving energy and avoiding attention, and the only American Edentate, the armored digger called armadillo, is known to man as both a nuisance and a laboratory test animal in medical research. Hartman describes the general characteristics of each family and the peculiarities of the different species within each family, breaking up the text with appropriate closeup photos from the San Diego zoo and other institutions.

Pub Date: April 15, 1980

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1980

Categories: NONFICTION