Ok, you probably won't die, but you WILL be struck by how ridiculously cute this long-snouted tamandua—also known as a "lesser anteater" (because it's smaller than its "giant anteater" relative)—is. In the video you can see a tamandua named Isla demonstrating a perfect yawn—which, of course, features her long tongue in amazing (and hilarious) slo-mo.
And when I say long tongue, I mean it—the sticky tongue of a tamandua can reach the length of 16 inches! That's even longer than a giraffe's tongue!
Tamanduas stick their long snouts straight down into ant and termite hills to reach the insects, and use their long tongues to lap up the bugs—they can eat up to 9000 a day! Tamanduas also have sharp claws that help them dig into and hold onto tree bark, and long prehensile tails that help them climb. They are truly some of the cutest creatures I've ever encountered.
See more of Isla—who turned eleven in January—and her other animal friends on the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's Instagram or YouTube. And see more footage of tamanduas in this five-minute informative video.
Previously:
• Delightful creatures frolicking in the waves
• Delightful creatures made with hand-looped polymer clay
• Artist makes delightful creatures from beach rocks
• We could all use a little animal ASMR about now
