Meet and Greet: Otis the Tamandua! 

To download "The Ants: Underground Kingdom", head to bit.ly/TheAntsAnimalWondersApril2024 and use code ANTS2024

"Ants are good, if you're hungry and want to eat a thousand of something." -- Tamandua Mitch Hedberg.

Otis looks awesome!!!! 😀 Also, it's nice to see your content again.

Forty years ago I spent some time working in Central America, I came across anteaters, adorable if a tad, monomaniac about ants!

Awww Otis you are so gorgeous! So pleased to meet you ❤❤❤❤❤❤

What an absolute cutie! 💜 One of the things I love about zoology is the endless array of evolutionary adaptations to very specific niches, and dedicated insectivores (with some fruit & nectar thrown in for variety!) are endlessly fascinating. Really looking forward to hearing more about Otis, how he came to AWM, and the unique challenges that go along with caring for a Tamandua... that's an awfully large piece of timber on the wall so I hate to think how big of a hole those claws managed to excavate! LOL Otis curled up, fast asleep @ 5:37 with those chubby little toe-beans & huge claws is just perfection! 🐾

I have never seen a tamandua in the wild! Really nice to see Otis exploring

Tamanduás are lovely, peaceful creatures. All they want is to eat ants and give hugs. Lovely creatures, second only to capybaras in terms of loveliness. PS.: I saw one in the wild once.

They look adorably goofy! They even manage to do so when showing off their claws in a defensive posture. The reason being is that the posture, if I recall right, looks like a passable imitation of a T-pose. Definitely the best position from which to swipe with those claws, but somehow still looking like it stepped right out of a meme about asserting dominance, and to me, that's just adorable and awesome all at once.

Otis is the absolute cutest, I even have an anteater plush but while not the same species as Otis he is still also named Otis and sits on my bed with all my other animal plushies. (Wild Republic is the best brand for realistic animal plushies)

Aww, such a sweetheart.

I want to be a tamandua when I grow up

Otis looks very polite! EDIT: Have gotten further in the video, he may not be polite by human standards but that's not his fault!

What a sight this cool animal is! (They can be spotted here in Brazil but I was never lucky to see one in nature.) Thanks! ❤

On Otis's behalf, "Who are you calling a 'lesser' anteater?" Good to hear from AWM, as always. Had an ant farm as a kid, one of the lil buggers bit me, despite my insect husbandry efforts. So instant anteater fan.

Wow Jessi! I know your job can be very challenging, but it seems like heaven to me! Surrounded by amazing animals of varying species!❤ Thank you so much for sharing Otis with us. ❤ 😊 ❤

I am from Colombia and they are found mostly in the vast Eastern Plains, where the Giant Anteater is also found.

I used to take care of a Tamandua in a Costa Rica rescue center, i tooked him in the forest to look for ant nests, it was very cool, appart from the time he almost got lost because i got distracted looking for bugs. He had brain problems so he coulndt be released.

Fascinating animal Reminds me of a cross of an anteater and a sloth (but clearly more active than sloths) Great inclusion to Animal Wonders’ menagerie 👍👏😊✌️

Otis is cool.

What an awesome little guy! Animals with prehensile tails are so cool. Also he has the cutest face ever, adorable, 10/10 would boop the snoot.

We were at the teller today and say the animal presentation. You were great. I'm so happy to see these animals loved and happy. Education is so important to protect them and us. You guys are wounderful spirited teachers. The enthusiasm you two possess is just infectious. Thank you for all the hard work. What a eounderful job ❤

Thank you for making videos again! I really look forward to watching your videos and learning more about animals ❤❤❤

I think it’s special that another wonderful animal at animal wonders has a prehensile tail, just like the OG Kemo ❤

Indescribably happy to see the channel get a sponsor! And seems like a perfect one at that, you work so hard and deserve the best Jessi! ❤ Love learning so much on this channel 😊

This time, we all came to see Otis😆

This year in school I’ve been watching this a lot and now that it’s summer I found myself watching it even more lol

incredible sneef snorfing ability on this man

I am an adult and I love watching f this show to learn more about animals ive never seen or know much about.

Otis you are absolutely adorable

What a perfect name!

I love Otis very much! They have a funny nose! I would like to be friends with them!

What a unique animal. Never seen or heard of one before. It looks like it becomes busy at night.

It's so good to see Kemo's enclosure getting new life again! Otis's climbing skills are incredible! Have you ever let him into the dirt room with the chinchillas to dig? Edited: This video answered one of my questions. I had been wondering how you'd perform a dental exam on an animal with a mouth that doesn't open. No teeth!

Wow such a cool and crazy animal

Wow, he can really climb!

Adorbs! 😍

Thanks for introducing Otis to us!

Is that Kemosabe's enclosure ?!?

You mentioned how Otis rolls into a ball? Well, that isn't too dissimilar to some species of armadillos. Believe it or not, both anteaters and armadillos (as well as sloths) are part of the same group of mammals called Xenarthra. Xenarthra means 'weird joints', because what they all have in common is that they have extra joints in between there lumbar and thoracic vertebrae, allowing there spines to be much more flexible than other mammals. This is the reason why a few species of this group can roll into a ball. Another thing that xenarthrans have in common, is that they generally have a slower metabolic rate than other mammals. I could talk about xenarthrans all day, because they are some of the weirdest mammals on the planet, which make the platypus or echidnas look normal.

I have a giant anteater in my zoo named Gianna!

Awww cute

Take a closer look at that snout!

It would be really cool if you got a crested gecko! ❤

For a second I thought you were about to thank "The ants that sacrifice themselves for Otis"! 😂

If I had a nickel for every time yall named creatures after people in my family, I'd have 2 nickels.

Update on birds pls

That game looks awesome. Ants are cool, thanks for sharing!

Hi Ottis and thank you, Jessi! Very cool. Couple of questions if I may: 1) do anteaters ever get stung by the ants or bees and 2) do Fire Ants bother anteaters? There are some critters I've never understood their "value" - eg: ticks, chiggers, fleas and mosquitos and, frankly, I do NOT like fire ants!

seen this? www.youtube.com/@TamanduaGirl she had tams, very interesting. They like sleeping in the dryer.

Does Gaia live with Otis or is her box just repurposed in his enclosure?

Are there the ones that their mothers carry on their backs

First comment plz pin? I love your vids cuz i love animals❤

Origin please?🙏🏻🥺🥺

Such a great climber!

Oy, I hope this doesn't mean money's tight!