Who wants a piggyback ride?
Giant anteaters are usually solitary mammals but will come together to mate and raise their young. In the wild they breed between March and May but are more flexible in zoos and will mate at anytime of the year. An adult female giant anteater gives birth to a single baby (twins are rare) while in a standing position, propped up by her strong tail. The baby, called a pup, loves to get piggyback rides from the mother. When a pup is born it has a full coat of hair and is almost identical to the adult. The pup will spend the first year of life hitching a ride on its mother’s back; similar coloring helps the baby blend in so predators can’t see it. It also makes the mother look larger and less tempting to predators. The pup will get off the mother’s back frequently for nursing and spends more time exploring on its own as it gets older. The youngster will leave its mother at about two years of age.
